Riding at last - France 2014

Got the bike (just 48hrs behind me) but it arrives with a bent rear deraillieur. A bit of force and it is almost straight and I retune the  DI2 system to get the gears working again.

Today I ride from Saint Gervais over to Megeve and down the valley and crossed small col of Hery into Urgine and on to Lake Annecy.

Some of the names are familiar to cyclists around the world - others just european names.

Leaving Saint Gervais

But in detail it is ‘a small hill climb followed by gentle valley road through Megeve and then a small twisting climb up to Hery (pronounced Eric  - don’t ask me why - but it is)
Down - great little road twisting and turning - past the fete day in Ugine and onto the cycleway that links Albertville and Annecy

It’s paved two lane - wide enough for 4 abreast. It feels like I should be going down to the lake - but it is uphill and the wind is on my face. I quickly adopt the time trial position with arms on the bar and proceed to do a 30km time trial dodging slow moving cyclist, walkers and roller bladers.
It goes quick enough and I am soon at the appointed town of Saint Jorivz

A nice lunch for a 3yr old and then back on the bike and another 30km time trial - this time with the wind and downhill (1 degree or perhaps 2 degrees) - yahoo. The average speed jumps up.

But two time trials on the first day on the bike  -  hmmmm

Up and over the pass of Hery. I do stop on top and consume the two jet aeroplanes (well actually crocodiles) and some gel before continuing - knowing full well that it is 3 or 4 or 5 percent grade all the way back up through Megeve. Lucky me the wind is still on my tail until almost the top but the legs seem still to be working.  Roll down off Megeve into Saint Gervais - about 10kms and then just 1 km uphill to home.

Not bad first day out - 6hrs in the saddle 130kms or so - about 21kms hr average.

The following two days were Saint Gervais - Chamonix return and a ride on the hill opposite the Saint Gervais town.

Servoz - on the way to Chamonix. Mount Blanc

Tomorrow it is over the Cole de Saisies and the Cormet de Roseland and down into Bourg Saint Maurice,(about 89kms with 36kms of climbing) then Thursday over into Italy vis the Col de Petit Saint Bernard, and the following day over the Col de Grande Saint Bernard into Switzerland and back over the Col de la Forclaz into France and Chamonix. A three nations ride and a complete circuit of the Mount Blanc.

These stories will be posted in the weekend.

Looking back from ski area Bettax

The roads are not all black tar - patches of rough roads like this are everywhere

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These sections of road - snow and frost damaged make it interesting in mid corner.