Hotel breakfast was a decent spread enough to get us going for day, although not being able get an earlier start would come back to bite. The road to the climb (we choose to divert from the main road and take the harder climb but quieter road) was a buys road with slightly uphill all way, we had a sizable group of the raid lads 5 of us took turns until town when we could already feel the heat and stopped to get a tube for ones of the lads.
Then we turned off for the climb it was already getting pretty warm, with about 29km in the legs the base of climb comes into view. Its starts with some forest switchbacks. I decided to settle into my on pace, and went off slowly off front no one joined me at first. I felt ok for the base the gradient is well under the 7% average of the climb, the climb is over 18km long and is a life sucker. For most start felt ok. Then Mark rode up to my wheel, i was looking forward to a bit company.
At first i rode the pace but as the climb went up more and the metres rolled by it was very obvious mark was feeling much stronger than me. On way we meet a mad german who had cycled from bern to biaritz and was now crossing on a simliar route to us with everything on his bike. We let him to his pace and pushed on, about half way up if slightly more i couldnt keep a fair pace and mark went on. Most of the next bits of the climb were hell on earth, stoped twice to take a head dunk in some flowing water source and take some shade. The switchbacks seemed ok, but their are two long drags were you can see for miles which were sole destroying.
Finally the kilometres were starting tick down theirs big final drag were you can almost see the finish, i passed mark who had descended back down to a cafe 1km down from top, one the bend before the final bit of climbing the gradient levels out but then kicks up again before the finish. Got to the top i was exhausted. took a photo of the sign and spoke with 2 danes again who had climbed from the other side. I waited 20-25mins before realising mark wasnt coming back up, the other lads were well down on the climb so i decided descend and get to the next town for a spot of food.
The way down is like a different world, loads of switchbacks and very testing downhill but much shorter, i only average 37km ph on the downhill such was the stop start nature of it, in no rush i took it handy anyway, spotted a baker at the bottom went in and filled up on a selection of goods, got talking to dutch lad who was making his way up the climb, amazed at our little trip from coast to coast.
I cycled on for a bit before getting text back from the lads that they were still at the top of the climb. I cycled on for a bit but the terrain was bit of drag and it was getting hot to ride alone, i decided it best to stop on side of road and i went for nap till the group caught up with me. We dragged along for what seemed an age once the lads caught me just 5mins awake after a nice nap, body had cooled and i felt bit better. Astra was suffering running on empty and ill as hell. I took my turn riding slowly with him and keeping him company. We found town after while of riding and few stops had a coke refilled the water bottles.
On the road to the start of the final climb we got our first rain drops. Then the drops turned into a hail, clouds of rain battered us i stuck on my jacket and chased on back to the lads. It had now eased a little so when the lads decided to seek shelter i was as happy to just keep going and get home. The climb was fine nothing though and the rain had really cooled the day down. At the top i knew their wouldnt be too much climbing left a slight uphill drag but that would be all.
I peddled away on descent the start was nice good open roads in great shape, but as i got closer to Prades the surface got less solid and i also got some aggressive drivers too, i stopped to take a picture of an acquaduc and of a fantastic old military base in the final town before Prades, i should have paid more attention to the sites but when suffering it can be hard to enjoy the views around. Got to the hotel with the directions of finding the Super U, got my bike taken on arrival and rooming with the already arrived Laurence, i washed my face but without clothes hadn't much places to go. I dipped the legs in the pool felt great then just dived in the cycling shorts.
Missed the restaurant next door, i blame poor organisation and ended up having a mcdonalds didn't enjoy it much, 2 beers and a bit of chat and off to bed, spent bit time on net, first hotel to have reliable internet on the whole trip.
tomorrow with no climbs id take it easy.
view from the hotel in the morning.
The top of the COL De Pailheres the Pros did it 2years ago from the otherside i came from Ax Les Thermes.
on the way down.
Days Stats
Garmin Stats read:
129.2km covered
2,445m of climbing
3,254 calories burned
18.5km p/h moving speed
Avg Heart rate 117 max HR 165
high heart rate on the first climb no doubt suffered like a dog.
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