On the Bike. Around the mountain part 1 2014

Weds 3rd
Saint Gervais to Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Start of the circumnavigation of Mount Blanc. In the Ultra run a last week the fastest runners did just under 24hrs, but I ma planning on three days.

The beginning is now on familiars roads - from Saint Gervais to Megeve to Flumet. It’s a hour before eI turn onto the slopes of the Saisies. A few meters and then stop to reduce the layers to just the bare essentials as ahead lies 15kms and 760 me of climbing. A few sweeping climbing turns into the forest and it’s nice and cool climbing - just  hour until the top - a quick stop for the clothing to go back on and down 17kms of it - 950 meters. The road is mostly in good condition but eyes are open for the mid corner frost cracks.

A small climb near the bottom - just a few meters and then some kilometers of barn new fine chip covered road - slowly I descend to the valley floor and turn left to the small town of Beaufort. Time for coffee and sandwich.

Three english cyclists are sitting outside the shop and as they leave i ask if the know the way to the col du pre - it’s s new one for me. previously I had been up the ‘normal’ route but it lies deep in the valley and forest and i was looking for sun. Yes I found it and the col du pre is in the hot sun the entire way. I soon catch two of the poms but the third had too much lead and I find him on the col after a hr of climbing. Not your average 6% road - more like 8 or 9 % so it is a honest effort.  I don’t stop but roll straight down a short distance onto the lake edge and cross the kilometer long barrage Roseland.
Ahead the road zags twice and disappears into a small confined gorge and the entry into the top plateau. 3 kms later the top. Ahead i know is one of the best descents.
16kms - 1150 meters.
The top is fast and open sweeping bends for 10kms, and then it drops into a tight gorge with the corners tight one after the other - narrow road - free falling down through the apex. It’s fantastic and then after 5-6kms it opens slightly and the speed increases. One last hard - well signposted right turn and below the town of Bourg-Saint Maurice. The pass empties directly into town and opposite on the other side of the roundabout a cafe beckons.

The first thing that I see is banana split - sound perfect finish to a day of riding in France (coffee as well of course)



881 meters of climbing / 36ms of climbing /  45kms of descending / 92kms approx