Well today was a long one indeed! 248km to be precise. Longer than we were expecting and a good 21km longer than the Pros. Bonus kilometres are becoming a regular feature; every day so far we have come in at least 10-15km over what we were originally told.
In total we were cycling for almost 10 hours, making it a very long day!
Today a little of the extra distance came from diversions due to the resurfacing of numerous roads in preparation for when the Tour itself passes through. Whilst the diversions added distance (and in one instance an additional categorised climb) we did benefit from a lot of the new road surfaces, so it wasn’t all bad. Hopefully we don’t find routes closed for work once we get into the mountains... generally there is only one way up and over the Cols, so not being able to pass could be a disaster!
My bike today sported the glimmering handlebar tassels and the comedy horn (picture below), and I took every opportunity to toot passersby.
The route today, again in glorious sunshine, took us into the heart of rural France through the Saone-et-Loire and into the Bourgogne region. It was a rolling stage and took in some very scenic climbs as we gradually approached the foothills of the Jura Massif.
Knowing there was worse to come I spent the first portion of the day conserving energy and just tapping away at the pedals. Yesterday was done at a slightly manic pace...
Mark’s repositioning of the cleats on his shoes along with the additional insoles seems to have sorted his problem, or at least he wasn’t complaining as much today... Roly also seems to be in some discomfort with his knees and Achilles. Hopefully nothing too serious. On a brighter note, Beard has booked flights and trains to get to Gap to meet us there and hopefully pick up where he left off...
Tomorrow really sees the start of the Tour proper as we finally enter the mountains and meet a few ‘proper climbs’. We have a very early transfer tomorrow, with the coach leaving the hotel at 0615. It is going to be a massive day and a chance to really stretch our climbing legs; I think this is when people are really going to start to suffer. The peloton is really beginning to stretch out over the routes now, and the hills will only compound this!
Generally, I have had a look back at some of my blog entries, and they don't always make a whole lot of sense. I blame the tiredness; this is the last thing I do before bed and by that time I am struggling to hold conversations let alone type coherently. This is only going to get worse...
S
Distance: 248km
Av Speed: 25km/h
Total Ascent: 2532 m
Av HR: 124bpm
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