Mt Ventoux

It ‘s quite a drive from Castellane to Bedoin at the bottom of Ventoux

Finally all cars are there but Jef and Robina have left already and Lindsay has continual tyre problems - finally we find a tube that stays up and the now small peleton of 4 head out. We intersect the Ventoux road at the 19km mark having already ridden the equivalent of the extra two kms to get there and start our watches.

The Italian stallion unleashes one of his customary early bursts of speed and we are up to pace immediately. The road rises in front to about 12% and stays there. It is unrelenting. It winds up through forest groves twisting and turning but the gradient does not change - it continues straight up - every corner reveals the same. 12% or so directly up the face of the mountain. Jeff T keeps stomping on the pedals and the battle is on. The pace is steady and consistent to match the unrelenting slope. Small gaps appear in the group and soon each rider is on their own. Against not the others but the mountain. Hamish and Jenny yell encouragement and offer water - but all I can do is shake the head - no breath or energy for words.

Without knowing the hill it is hard to gauge the effort are we all going to burn up and die - can it be this steep all the way? Finally as the trees thin we climb out of the steeper paRTS AND and the gradient eases. Where the road from Sault joins we are able to chance gear fro the first time - 2nd and even third. now the road zig zags a little and the turns enable each time to step up a gear or two before the slope beats us back down to the lowest gear.

Now we are in the treeless zone of the Bald Mountain. A light breeze offers some relief, but when it turns the bright rock reflects the sun straight back. We are lucky that we are later in the day.

Still there are lots of riders on the road - both up and down - earlier Lindsay had reported riders every 10 meters or so, and the reports from mid summer say that more than 10,000 rides attempt the hill each day.

The last three kms climb into the double digits again - 12% plus gradient and these final ones are hard before the last really steep turn onto the final platform of the top.

The girls Kath and Pascale arrive just after Tom with assistance from Hamish top out and champagne is drunk and sprayed. A windless day on Ventoux is unheard off so we have lucked out.

For the record Geoff H 1.32, Jeff T 1.37, Mark 1.37.15, and Linday 1.42 (i think)
Tom records a great ride and takes the ‘ col de Columbia’ prize of the day, as well as the ‘dummy award’ for his miscalculation of the gradients the night before. Both handed out at dinner each night.

How to finish this blog - I have no idea - it has been a great tough two weeks of riding - 945kms in total. The other numbers will be recorded here once we get them from Jef D.