Friday 5 July 2013

Day 7 - Manresa-Barcelona - home run

Start: 8:20
Finish: 12:40
Distance: 66km
Cycling time: 3:00
Top speed: 63kmh
Punctures: 0
Mechanical failures: 0
Lunch: Barcelona :-)

The home run. Not much to say other than we made it, and in good time for our earliest tour finish. Plenty of time for me and Adam to freshen up to meet the girls at the airport.

Early cloud and mist and busy roads gave way mid morning, affording one view of the spectacular Montserrat mountain range, and giving us one last sun-baked climb, over the Corresol, before our first views of, and descent into, Barcelona.

A few wrong turns, but map in hand we quickly found our hotel.

Time for a rest :-)

The cloud cleared for a brief sight of Montserrat

First view of Barcelona

Barcelona

Thursday 4 July 2013

Tour curios - The Pyrenees 2013

A few random items from our 2013 trip...

Mary looking after the Chateau at Saint-Blancard

Holy Candle vending machine in Lourdes

Placemats at Hotel Les Deux Cols in Sainte-Marie de Campan

John being snubbed by a cow on Col d'Aspin

Our original planned route near Arties

Our bikes were stored in the Discotheque in Montferrer (and we were given the key)

All that marks the France-Spain border

Pete

Brandies from "Pedro"

Not the shortest cycle lane we saw

Day 6 - Montferrer-Manresa

Start: 9.15
Finish: 17.10
Distance: 118km
Cycling time: 5.10
Top speed: 73kmh
Punctures: 0
Mechanical failures: 0
Lunch: Solsona (13.00-14.50)

So, the home stretch begins... We weren't looking forward to joining a major trunk road, peppered with tunnels, South for around 70km, but things turned out rather pleasant.

Not only was it generally downhill all the way, but the tunnels could be bypassed by taking short stretches of the old road that took us around instead of through various spurs in the mountains. Further, the road descended through a spectacular steep sided gorge before the valley opened out into gorgeous scenery around a long and beautiful lake formed by a dam further South.

Somewhere South of Oliana we turned East towards Solsona. A fast stretch at first for our mountain-hardened legs, before we hit a surprise incline. This turned out to be a 450m Category 2 climb of the Cortada de Clarà at a height of 880m and with a long stretch at over 9%.

We deserved our leisurely and fine lunch at a lovely restaurant in Solsona before heading off, mostly downhill again, towards our destination, Manresa.

Our first lake view

Spectacular view from the old road

Almost out of the mountains, but beauty everywhere

Me. In front of a big rock

Atop Clarà. Our last big climb?

Which mountain day was toughest?

Which of the three mountain days was toughest?

1. 70km including the HC 1300m ascent of Tourmalet with endless miles grinding against 8-10% gradients in baking heat.

2. 93km including 1900m of climbing over 3 cols (Aspin (C2), Peyresourde (C1), Portillon (C2)), but with brutal sections on Portillon up to 17.8%.

3. 123km including *two* HC climbs totalling 2100m of climbing over 43km. (Bonaigua, Cantó).

Well, it depends who you are.

For me it was Tourmalet. The only day my legs, mind and body were shot. One or two K's at a brutal gradient is OK. But five, six, seven ... especially with "the wrong cogs on".

For John, Tourmalet was a short day, but the endless, monotonous upward grind of Bonaigua + Cantó, and over 50km more cycling, made Day 3 the worst.

For Pete and Adam, it was Day 2. Adam felt sick all day (after effects of Tourmalet?). For both, the progressively tougher climbs, especially the ugly sections of Portillon, together with the surprise 250m ascent to our finish in Vielha, made this the hardest.

Sign on Tourmalet - 9% average for next K

Top of Cantó after a long slog

This is how it feels after Portillon

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Day 5 - Vielha-Montferrer via Port de la Bonaigua and Port del Cantó

Start: 8:35
Finish: 18:20
Distance: 123km
Cycling time: 6:50
Totsl climbing: 3,850m
Top speed: 86kmh (Adam) 82kmh (Nick)
Punctures: 0
Mechanical failures: 2 (Nick, pedal, brakes)
Lunch: Sort (13:15-14:25)

Two big Hors Categorie (HC) cols today: Port de la Bonaigua (2072m), Port del Cantó (1720m), with around 42km of upward pedalling, and each requiring over 1000m of climbing.

A murky start in Vielha and a slow trundle up the valley of the Garonne river as we ate into the first metres of height gain needed to scale Bonaigua. We witnessed the devastation wrought all up the valley by recent floods, sometimes with sections of our road washed away.

The last 6km of Bonaigua had long sweeping switchbacks to take us up and give amazing views. And the top and the descent were equally spectacular. Around 23km of climbing to reach Bonaigua followed by 45km downhill. The first six with 26 hairpins, the next 10 or so more straight and rapid- enabling a tour record of 86kmh by Adam, and 82kmh by yours truly (an ambition/milestone reached). The rest was more rolling and we were well ready for our lunch by the time we reached Sort.

After Sort came another 19km of climbing to top Cantó. More of a slog at times with weary legs, but equally superb views all the way. After chilling at the top we descended the 26km to Adrall, a drop that afforded the most breathtaking views of the trip. Truly stunning. We all freewheeled to take it all in.

The big hills over. One spectacular valley to descend and the home run to Barcelona starts tomorrow.

The main road washed away near Arties

Looking back halfway up Bonaigua

The road up to Bonaigua

The last hairpin up to Bonaigua

At the top!

Most of the way up Cantó looking back

John atop Cantó
The view half way down Cantó

All downhill from here

Monday 1 July 2013

Day 4 - Sainte-Marie de Campan - Vielha

Start: 8:30
Finish: 17:50
Distance: 93km
Cycling time: 5:50
Total climbing: 3,556m
Punctures: 0
Mechanical failures: 1
Top speed: 76kmh
Lunch in: Bagnere de Luchon

The Day of Three Cols - d'Aspin, Peyresourde, Portillon

Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/64252355

Hey Zeus! What a day. Climbing from the get go. Three big Cols, progressively tougher as our legs grew wearier, and a surprise 250m climb at the end when we were all spent.

We started under blue skies full of enthusiasm and quickly ascended Col d'Aspin with fresh legs, pausing only for photos and for me to buy some new sunglasses (curse struck yet again).

A fast descent to Arreau followed, stopping for a Chocolat and to replenish supplies before our ascent of Peyresourde. We left in the heat of the day, and laboured our way up to the top. The gradient often hitting the same level as Tourmalet, if not as far, it was still a tough climb, especially in the heat and with very little shade en route. We were rewarded at the top, however, by a cabin selling Crêpes and coke.

Another fast descent with yours truly hitting all time tour record 76kmh (47.5mph) with Adam apace. Could have been quicker if not held up by cars! We cruised down to Bagneres du Luchon for a baguette: more fuel, needed for the next climb... Portillon.

What a brute. A very sharp 670m climb over 9km. Some easy, indeed flat sections, with others reaching a gradient of as much as 17.8%. We were all wiped out by the top, especially after two previous Cols and overall climbing of over 3000m for the day.

So of course we were overjoyed by a 250m climb - if gentle - through to our destination, Vielha! ... More of the same tomorrow...

Straight into climbing from Sainte-Marie

Full of enthusiasm before getting on the bike

The view back towards Tourmalet from Aspin

Atop Col d'Aspin

Looking East from Aspin

Looking up to Aspin from the East

The boys on descent

Looking back, almost from top of Peyresourde

Col du Peyresourde

Looking back, halfway up Portillon

We made it... 17.8% max - IL Bruto

We're happy. Oh so happy. Ye-ea-ah
Halfway down Portillon, the view up Val d'Aran

Day 3 - The ascent of Col du Tourmalet

Start: 9:00
Finish: 15:35
Distance: 70km
Cycling time: 5:10

Total climbing: 2042m
Punctures: 0

Mechanical failures: 0

Top speed: 68kmh

Lunch in Sainte-Marie de Campan

Route on Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/64017677

Lourdes - Sainte Marie de Campan - Col du Tourmalet - Sainte Marie de Campan

Saint-Marie de Campan to Tourmalet-
Distance: 17km
Elevation: 1285m
Time to top: 3 hours (including stops)

We rolled gently out of Lourdes, legs blessed and raring to go. A quick 10k to the first little climb on the road we followed the day before, affording our first spectacular views of the snow-capped Pyrenees. We turned South at Montgaillard towards Bagneres de Bigorre and the Vallee de Campan.

The road climbed through a beautiful valley, gently at first, then progressively steeper (nothing like later though). We soon stopped at Sainte-Marie de Campan (also our final destination), scoffing a baguette and a pastry before deciding *not* to drop off our panniers at the hotel before our ascent of the Col du Tourmalet. Blind stupidity?

What followed was brutal. All but the last 2km in baking heat, a constant sheen of a mixture of sweat and sunscreen. Three hours of climbing to the top, stopping regularly en route to catch up with each other, take on food/water and simply to rest. The panniers certainly made it harder, but the rising gradient was the killer.

Signs at every kilometre informed us of the next K's profile: 7.5%, 8%, 8.5%... 10%, and how much height yet to gain. We had a prolonged break at La Mongie, 4km and 300m from the top. On restarting the clouds descended and the temperature cooled as we passed melting snow and fast mountain streams, then cornered evil hairpins before finally and gratefully reaching the Col.

Photos, jackets on, then a 15 minute descent back to Sainte Marie and the Hotel Les Deux Cols... Phew!

Our first real view of the Pyrenees

The church in Sainte-Marie de Campan

Still early doors, but getting tougher

The view with 5km to go

At the top with Le Géant