Sounds easy enough - but what’s ahead is a bit different than we are used to in NZ.
The col du Telegraph and
then the Col du Galibier
Right from the start the gradient ramps up and after a initial burst from leigh it is the ‘drugs free’ Leslie who slides away. (we sent her test away and still awaiting the results)
She claims it was dua cafe at breakfast, JR (John Raymond says it was because he did say good morning , or some such thing.
Whatever she is gone burger - soon out of sight and mind.
The thick forest and twists and turns hide her from sight and she is finally spotted just cresting the col - some 2 kms at least in from of us (we all decide we want some of whatever it was that she took)
Meanwhile the peleton increased by two as Di and Lindsay descend from the Telegraph to join us and we climb steadily to the first col of the day . Out to the right views of the snow covered tops of the Croix de Tetes.
Telegraph is not really a true col - more like a bump on the way up Galibier. Jackets on for the 5kms descent to Valloire, and we still freeze going down.
Another big cycle group is getting together in Valloire - must be thirty of them (in orange so must be a dutch group)
Straight in Valloire, the real work begins, 18 kms to go. It’s steep straight from town but it soon flattens. Leigh is again miles away but comes back as it steepens, and we are all entertained by the French Mirage jets targeting a orange smoke flare further up the valley. The army communications units are present in two or three places.
Dallas, Dave and myself climb steadily with Leigh as the road turns fro the first time and starts to zig zag up a face to reach the upper valley. Leigh plays with us - surging away- of course we follow. He does that three or four times - (just because he said - still trying to find some legs - yeah right)
Soon the bottom gear falls out and he is gone, and it is just Dave and I moving on towards the top with Dallas back a little.
The top is in sight but still a long way away as we work our way up the right shoulder, before the next to last series of switch backs
The fight jets are back and they dive at our height down the valley towards the remote valley they have targeted
the final series of turns - and ahead guys are getting of their bikes - stopping with heads held low. Dave urges me on as the last 100meters seems hard and we ride together over the col.
The others arrive quickly, but it is cold and so we descend to the cafe down in the sun and watch streams of bikes going both ways. Some ride up from this side, get their photo taken and return for coffee.
The sun soon warms the group up and the shop benefits from sales of named items.
A Barry puncture slows the descent to col de Lautaret and some of us take the chance to lie in the sun and catch two mins of sleep.
So passes the Col du Galibier - the mythical passage that the tour of France has used 53 times.
The road from Lautaret towards Briancon sits at 6% gradient - fast enough to tuck and not so fast to brake for corners. At 65kms a hr the distance it disappearing fast.
A small regroup a train of riders soon brings us o Briancon and the hotel
Another great sunny day in the Alps
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