We rode more than 330 miles and 30,000 feet of climbing during our two weeks in France.
Here are maps and profiles of the nine fabulous rides routes (and two shorter rides to see the Tour de France). The routes were challenging and fun and very safe. Even at 5 mph, we never encountered an aggressive driver or angry horn. I wish North American drivers were as patient and polite as French drivers.
Last Friday, our little French cycling adventure came to a conclusion. Luckily, we were able to check the bikes in early at the airport before before being dropped off at the hotel and saying au revoir to Lance and Rob, who were off to Italy. I must say, the door-to-door service was much appreciated considering the surprising amount of luggage we had! I certainly hope their next group of cyclists have as much fun (and awesome weather) next week in the Dolomites as we had in Provence.
After checking in at the hotel, we had a tasty lunch at a nearby Lebanese cafe. Then we spent a few hours wandering around Geneva on foot. It seemed like such a slow way to see things after spending two weeks riding from town to town taking in everything at 18 miles per hour. We had a good laugh as tried to determine the slope of the hill leading up to the big church overlooking the lake. We decided we could easily ride up it; it's probably only 8%! All that climbing has obviously changed the way we'll look at hills from now on.
We found a nice little French bistro for dinner near the hotel. It was starting to rain, so we didn't want to wander too far. Over l'entrecôte and a bottle of chateauneuf du pape, we discussed the highs (Mont Ventoux, L'Alpe d'Huez) and the low (Rob's "crash") of the 300+ miles we pedaled and 30,000+ feet we climbed around France. Lance did an awesome job finding charming places to stay. The ride selections were terrific. I was surprised how well both Rob and Lance knew the way around the back roads Provence. Almost like locals! And we couldn't have asked for better weather. Especially considering the heat wave that hit Washington, DC the day we left!
The riding was why we signed up for the trip. Mont Ventoux and L'Alpe d'Huez were certainly the biggest accomplishments and memorable in their own way, but they weren't my favorite rides. Three rides stand out. The second ride up to St Hubert was a breakthrough ride for me. I felt fast up climb ("fast" being relative) and was confident I wouldn't blow up before reaching the old farm house at the top.
Ferme Auberge St Hubert
The descent through the Gorges de la Nesque that day was also exhilarating as Paul and I took it at speed (again, relative!).
Paul heading into one of the tunnels
in the Gorges de la Nesque
A little video of Gorge de la Nesque
My second favorite ride was the climb up to Notre Dame du Pre. It's a teeny village at the top of mountain road with an average grade of 7.6% and 26 switchbacks (L'Alpe d'Huez is a bit steeper at 7.7% but only has 21 switchbacks). We were the only cyclists on the road that day. It was our secret ride. And I like to think LeTour avoids Notre Dame du Pre because the extra switchbacks make it beyond HC!
Centre ville in Norte Dame du Pre
The "3 Cols Ride" was the third fun ride because of the quick climbs and short twisty descents. Climbing three named cols gave it a true Tour de France feel, too.
The valley below Col du Suzette
#1: Col de Suzette
#2: Col de la Chaine
#3: Col de la Madeleine
Unfortunately, it was on our last ride in Provence that I was sort of getting the hang of those descents.
Having never really traveled with the bikes before, we didn't really know what to expect about the rides or how the day would be organized, for that matter. But now knowing what I do, there are only a thing or two I'll do differently next time. I'll get started earlier in the day. No leisurely morning next times. Since towns seem to shut down at 2 pm, start riding at 8 am so we can be back by 1 pm and still have time to get a quick bite to eat before everything closes. Then we, too, can "shut down" and enjoy a leisurely afternoon around the pool or touring a vineyard. It's also cooler in the morning. The Provence sun can get pretty hot! And if we can't get back before 2, there's always Lancewiches to look forward to!! A no-lose situation.
The second thing I'd do differently is limit the number and length of stops (this rule does not apply to HC climbs or rides through Monieux, our favorite little hillside town where we stopped every time we passed through). Save the café and biere for the end of the ride and only stop for eau potable. Staying hydrated is important, if for no other reason than to see the wide variety of really cool public water fountains (the US could learn from this!).
Eau potable in Notre Dame du Pre
Following the Tour de France the last two days was also a highlight of the trip. Having bikes made it really easy to get to a good spot on the course. We could zoom ahead of all the walkers. Watching the Tour on TV doesn't give an accurate impression of how fast the riders really climb those mountains or how much they really suffer! The downside to seeing it live is you don't have Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin calling the action!
I'm sure it will take a few more weeks for the whole experience to fully sink in. I can't thank Lance and Rob enough for opening up a new portion of the cycling world to me. Their experience cycling in France made it really easy to just show up and ride. They took us on routes that were safe and challenging at the same time. They encouraged us when we needed it and left us alone when we were obviously having a blast on our own (or needed "alone time" up Mont Ventoux). I certainly won't look at long climbs the same way again. Lance's annual trips to Colorado and Austin are looking pretty enticing right now.
Somewhere over the mid Atlantic on Saturday John, Barb, and I were in flight on our return to DC. While I was looking out the window I couldn't help but reminisce on the last two weeks in Provence and the Alps, all the training we did leading up to our trip, and finally the incredible rides Lance took us on. After Lance dropped us off Friday in Geneva we continued to talk about our rides and the wonderful hospitality of the French people. While the sights will always be with us, Barb and I also spoke of the sounds: the wraiths of Mazan (swallows), Rob's laughter, millions of bees buzzing in the lavender fields, the roar of the alpine river outside our hotel in Brides les Baines, the cow bells on Notre Dame du Pre, and the carnival caravan preceding the Tour de France. And who can forget more intimate sounds: my heartbeat pounding thru my chest on Ventoux, my hyperventilating on the initial ascent on L'Alpe D'Huez, and of those people on the sidelines cheering all cyclists on those incredible climbs. What a rush! There were also sounds that we didn't want to hear: Rob's crash on our first ride, Barb's headset clunking, our brakes screeching flying down switchbacks, and the most horrific sound of all -- Andrew's bike being ripped away from the van's rooftop bike rack. Our incredible vacation and adventure is now at an end but we bring with us memories, new friendships, and a whole new skill level in cycling. After some major unpacking, I eagerly reassembled my bike, cleaned it up, took it to Spokes for a quick once over, and am now ready get back out on the roads. Great job Lance, the "plan came together!"
Thursday brought us our last ride in France this trip. Lucy, my white Cannondale ride, took me with John, Paul and Lance to a spot on the final climb on the Tour de France Stage 12. Lance climbed almost to the top while the three of us stayed a little lower to wait for the pre-race carnival then the race. We caught lots of loot (Margie will be jealous). It must have been a super tough day for the riders because they were all spread out by the time they got to us. Up close and in person, I recognized Vinocourov, Big George Hincape and Thomas Voekler. They grimace in person just like they do on TV!
Today we spend in Geneva, having major riding withdrawal, recounting our favorite parts of the trip: there are many, too many to poke out on my teeny iPhone keyboard. Stay tuned…
Yesterday we saw a climbing section of Stage 10, John, Paul, Lance and me in a lower section, Rob and Lance's brother, Andrew, on a higher section. When we saw the lead pack, there were about 20 riders; when they got to Rob and Andrew, they had dwindled to only a handful of riders. I gotta hand it to the riders: they work hard. It's as if they look to the spectators for inspiration, maybe for an ounce of strength. I hope our cheering helped.
Today we attend Stage 11. Again we'll be on a climb, John, Paul and I probably on a lower section than our professionals Lance, Rob and Andrew. Afterall, not only will we ride up the same mountain as the TdF riders, we have to come back down the same mountain. Hope my brake-grip muscles are up for the job.
Last Tuesday, we climbed Mont Ventoux. This Tuesday, we headed to l'Alpe d'Huez. The Alp (as Rob likes to call it, as if there were no others) might be the most famous climb in cycling after Mont Ventoux. Some may argue that it's more famous. Maybe that's why I felt I needed to climb both.
We started off the morning at the top of Col de la Madeleine, where we dropped off Lance and Rob. I'm still not sure why, but they wanted to ride down yet another world-famous climb. Within seconds, they were out of sight! The top of la Madeleine is pretty open, but we still couldn't see them amongst the switchback. It took us half an hour or so to make it down the twisty-turny mountain road. We found Lance and Rob sitting on a bench outside a cafe at the bottom. I'm not sure I want to see the video Lance shot of the descent. I know his mother won't be too happy to see it, either!
Lance and Rob ready to race down la Madeleine
Next stop was the top of the Col du Glandon. The Tour de France passes over the the Glandon in a couple of days and fans were already camping out in giant RVs and little tents all the way up.
One of the many trailer parks that pop up
when Le Tour climbs a mountain.
It's about a 13 mile descent from where we parked to the valley that leads over to l'Alpe d'Huez. Thirteen nail-biting miles (if you could take your hands off the handlebars long enough to get a bite, that is)! The views of the valleys were breathtaking. Waterfalls. Mountain lakes. Cows!
We eventually made it safely down and had a great ride through the FLAT valley over to The Alp. Unlike Mont Ventoux, l'Alpe d'Huez starts immediately at 10%. There's no easing into it. Luckily, the 10% only lasts about 3km. By the time we got to the third switchback, the grade dropped to "only" 7%, which felt surprisingly easy. The next 21 km and 19 switchbacks averaged 7% to 9%. An hour and eighteen minutes later I reach the top. Paul and Barb finished a few minutes later. The Alp seemed easier than Ventoux, but it was still exhilarating to climb such a famous route that I've been watching on TV for so many years. Both climbs are certainly highlights of the rides so far.
So many switchbacks
I bet we'll have close to 30,000 feet of climbing before we leave. But that's only half the story. While the climbs have be exhilarating, the descents have been harrowing! All you read about in the press is about the epic climbs and the battles between climbers to reach the summit first. If you ask me, the ones who can descend quickly should be the ones getting the press. Any one can climb. Maybe not fast (I'm exhibit A!), but it's not particularly scary to go up hill. But down hill, that's a whole nuther story. These long, twisty, steep descents are jus plain scary! Terrifying in some cases. I'm not sure I'll ever get up the nerve to take them "at speed". On a flat road, I've got no problems going 25-35+ mph or faster. But on these long descents, 25 mph feels like 100mph! I bet I stopped more times going down hill than up on this trip. I truly do not know how anyone could be comfortable going down these mountains at 50+mph!
So, a long story short, it took some of us so long to descend the Glandon that it was readily apparent that we'd never make it up and back down l'Alpe d'Huez and back up to the van before dark. So Lance sent me, Barb, Paul and Rob up The Alp while he went back to get the van. After climbing The Alp, buying l'Alpe d'Huez jerseys and descending the 21 switchbacks, we found Lance enjoying a scoop of gelato at a sidewalk cafe in Le Bourg d'Oisans, the village at the base of the mountain. We joined him and recounted the difficult climb and harrowing descent over a couple of cold ones. Beer truly tastes better after an epic ride.
We discovered the hard way that the French have stuck to some traditions, like closing down everything in the afternoon. Several of our rides had us returning to Mazan after 2pm, after all the cafes had closed for the afternoon. Fortunately, we had Lance! A quick trip to the Marche and Lance whipped up a gourmet lunch worthy of any French bistro!
Yesterday was a travel day. We arrived in the Alps early evening and enjoyed snacks on the veranda before heading to the hotel restaurant for a late "dîner touristique". Too much food, I tell you: four courses? My girlish figure won't survive!
It's much different here than in Provence. It's much cooler and at the moment, it's overcast. We have a more-than-bubbling brook our our back door. A couple kayakers came screaming through last evening, they must have been quite experienced, given the speed and bubbling of the water.
I'm not sure what's in store for us today, but I'm sure it will be an adventure.
We gave Lance and Rob the morning off. Or perhaps they needed to escaped! While we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast, they went off to tackle Mont Ventoux "at speed." The top professional cyclists will make it to the top in under one hour fifteen minutes. The owner of the bike shop at the bottom of Mont Ventoux said a "respectable time" was an hour and a half, an hour forty five. Lance clocked 1:25:18, Rob in 1:38:40! Both pretty darned "respectable" in my book. Great job guys!
After breakfast, while Lance and Rob were suffering up Mont Ventoux, me, Barb and Paul returned to the Isle sur la Sorge market for some last minute trinkets and food for the trip into the Alps. The market was super busy, much more so than last week. Barb and Paul tackled the market while I drove around, unsuccessfully looking for a place to park. Ultimately, our divide and conquer strategy worked out well. By the time I circled around the streets surrounding centre ville, Barb and Paul emerged with a couple of sacks of baguettes and other tasty treats!
Lance and Rob were cleaned up and waiting for us when we got back to the Chateau de Mazan. Over lunch, they regaled us with their exploits with a Belgium cyclist on the morning's climb.
After lunch, we loaded up the bikes and headed into the Alps to start the next part of our adventure: experiencing the Tour de France in person
While my travel companions John and Paul have been hogging the laptop and waxing poetic about Ventoux this and Ventoux that (of course, I'm teasing you, John and Paul!), I've been experiencing a wonderful time in Mazan and the Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur area.
I have had no end of "favorite friends": first, there was our concierge, who showed us the ins and outs of our room, complete with directions on how to relax on our patio, who listened patiently to my lame attempts to speak French, and who dresses really cute; second is Nadine, our driver at Mt. Ventoux, who watched over us and carefully and skillfully (and I won't even tell you HOW skillfully) she drove in and out of the cyclists and switchbacks and other cars ... who spoke only French and made small talk with me while we waited for John and Paul to come up Ventoux and wondered why the heck we would come from a big city like Washington DC to these little towns in Provence... and finally, our vintner, who explained every aspect of making their organic wine in French, which wine to drink when, while I translated for The Boys: "The men drink this one at the bar while they talk about this and that, and this one is smooth like velour" (and rubbed her arm saying, "you know, like velour"), and who cheerfully refunded our money because to ship a case of wine was $400! I find the people here so dang nice and friendly and fun.
I have been having a blast trying to keep up with The Boys, and that's no small feat. Both John and Paul are getting strong as can be and are gaining confidence each day. I thought yesterday was great, but today's ride was even better. We're getting used to the climbs. Now an 8% grade is a relief! (That pesky 11-12% -- that's another story.) Lance and Rob have been perfect stewards and have been keeping us safe and motivated each ride.
I have no doubt that I would have had a better experience at Mont Ventoux if my peeps Margie and Siew Ching had been with me: two ladies with incredible stamina and willpower -- we'd have done it together, ladies!
And here's a very cool part of the rides: the scents. Oh, the lavender! But also the pine and I swear the rosemary... My friend Laura would say it's divine!
One thing I'm not fond of: the hand shower. I can't believe how long it takes to wash my dang hair with a hand shower. And the core muscles I have to use to keep from slipping around in the tub and squirting the entire bathroom with water: thank goodness for bootcamp and core exercises!
Tomorrow we leave Mazan, and it will be sad. It's been an awesome week of riding: 271.5 miles ridden, 20,760 feet climbed, according to John's Strava report. Next week is in the Alps and Alp d'Huez. I'm getting me a 32 cassette and see how I do. Wish me luck!
The last two days we have rested and recovered as we explored the "flat" areas to the south of Mazan.
Wednesday was a very short ride to recover from Mont Ventoux. My legs were shot and it was all I could do to get started. By the end of the 25 miles, I was starting to feel almost normal. Nothing a couple of advil could help!
Yesterday we drove down to St Remy de Provence. I was looking forward to returning to St Remy, having spent a memorable night there several years ago at the Hotel Van Gogh. The area around St Remy is much more arid and brown than Mazan. Fortunately there was nice breeze so it wasn't too hot (certainly not DC hot!). Our circuit took us through fields of sun flowers and olive trees. It was quite spectacular.
"How steep is the climb gonna be again?!"
The peloton rolls along
Up to Les Baux de Provence
Today we repeated the same route we rode on Day 2, with an extra climb up to Sault. My legs seemed to have recovered over night and I was feeling pretty good as we rode out of Mazan. I had somewhat of a climbing breakthrough today as well. There is a 10-mile-long climb from Mathamis to Saint Hubert that we rode on Monday as a group. Today, Lance and Rob paced me a bit of the way, but for most of the climb I was on my own, feeling strong as I passed a couple of other groups like they were standing still. At the top, I was pretty excited to see that I shave nearly 15 minutes off Monday's time!
From Saint Hubert, we descended to Sault and stopped for cafe and coca-cola in Monieux. Then came the fun part: the 12-mile ride down the Gorges de la Nesque. Twelve miles of downhill through short little tunnels and wide switchback turns! I spent the half hour it took to descend trying to catch Paul! it was a blast!!
Okay, so we've had internet problems, so this is a quick one. John and Paul have had fatigued legs, so today is our first day for a "real" ride after the mighty Ventoux. I think it's my favorite so far:
This was a tag line I learned when I did my first AIDS Ride back in 2001 or so. That phrase always stuck with me. But the demons I exorcized on that ride from Raleigh to DC returned on Mont Ventoux.
John did a great job summarizing our adventure but what wasn't said were the times of loneliness on the mountain. That time was realized probably within the first 10K of the climb when I realized Barb had fallen behind, Rob was with her, John was way ahead, and I had no idea where Lance was. I was by myself. The road kept going up and I began doubting my ability to finish. Chalet Reynard seemed so far away but I kept cranking. Did we train enough for this trip? Was our hill work sufficient? After all we did MacArthur Blvd, 3 bears, and even Skyline Drive with such cockiness. Ventoux certainly let me know who was KOM (king of the mountain).
The climb continued... No rest... 9-13% grades ... Still no rest. Over an hour of climbing ... Still no rest. Finally Chalet Reynard. After our break we're finally able to see our goal, only 6K away. The first 50 meters seemed easy enough but Ventoux didn't allow us to breeze up to the top. We had to face humility once again within 300 meters of finishing so that John & I could take a quick moral break. We pressed on and finally reached the summit to be met by Barb and our guide Nadine. We did it. We really did it.
I found a type of spirituality on Mont Ventoux yesterday. You learn again how to be humble. I think part of me remains atop that mountain as well as Ventoux allowing me a part of it in return. An incredible experience never to be forgotten!
Today was a big day. Probably the day I was most anxious about on the whole trip. Today was the encounter with Mont Ventoux, the Giant of Provence. Mont Ventoux is arguably one of the most famous climbs in all cycling. Epic Tour de France battles have be waged on its slopes. Today was our turn to attempt the climb it.
The morning started with a pleasant ride from Mazan to Bedoin, about 10km. The climb of Mont Ventoux starts in Bedoin, appropriately enough, at a bike shop. The first few kilometers are relatively gentle (3-4% grade) and Lance and Rob did a good job at curbing our enthusiasm. In fact, Lance had to remind me more than a few times that it was still a long way to the top. No sooner was I warned when the road turned up! In the matter of about a kilometer, the road turned up, from 4% to 8% and beyond (I seem to recall 14% at one point)! It was all I could do to keep going. At any number of times I thought it would be really easy to just turn the bike around and give up. But the road was so steep I didn't think I could successfully unclip from the pedals to turn around. So, up it was, through the forest.
The first respite came at about the one hour twenty mark when I finally made it to the Chateau Reynard (about 6 km from the top). There isn't anything that every remotely resembles a flat or level spot anywhere in the first 17 km of the climb! I guess we spent about 20 minutes at the Chateau, resting, filling water bottles and mustering enough courage to climb the last 6 km. The last 6 km seemed a bit gentler (maybe only 6-8%) but is totally exposed to the wind. The top of Mont Ventoux is just rock; all the trees were cut down to build ships and have never grown back. I finally made it to the top (after two more stops) in two hours seven minutes.
After a few minutes at the top to take a few photos, look around what seemed like all of Provence, and slap a few backs, it was time to head down. As difficult as it was to climb to the top of Mont Ventoux, the descent is probably scarier! The road is so steep, you go from zero to way too fast in a few hundred feet! Fortunately my brakes held out until I got back to the Chateau, where Lance and Rob had lunch waiting for us. Jambon sandwiches never tasted so good, nor so well earned!
We took a different route down from the Chateau, toward Sault. The road to Sault was not nearly as steep as the one we came up from Bedoin. It also dropped us into the lavender fields which were pretty spectacular. From Sault, we took the same route we had ridden on Monday through the Gorge de la Nesque. I was happy to coast the 10 miles or so down the gorge back to Mazan!
Today was probably the most epic day I've ever spent on a bicycle. Sixty one miles. 6,334 feet of climbing. I will not soon forget my time on Mont Ventoux. I'm glad I had the opportunity to spend a few hours getting to know the Giant of Provence.
Sadly, today's ride did not include me finishing the ride to the top of Mont Ventoux. However, John and Paul were both awesome strong, plus I made a new best friend Nadine, girl rescuer and french chat friend. Instead I became group photog. Still I had a fun attempt.
http://app.strava.com/rides/12374657
To save the day, the rest of the ride home was fun:
It started rainy, so we goofed off around Mazan until about 1, then the birthday ride began. I'd like to link my Strava report, but somehow there was a problem uploading it. One of The Boys will have to upload theirs. Suffice to say, John got some jewels on His Day!
Sunday is the big market day in Isle sur la Sorgue, the next town over from Mazan. The Characteristic Provencal Market was, hands down, the biggest street market I've ever visited. It covered blocks and blocks and block of the old central portion of town. Virtually every street in Centre Ville was taken up with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish, linens, anything you could think of finding at a street market. We loaded up on cheese and saucisson, wine and baguettes. So, the first order of business for the day was complete: securing the necessary ingredients for a post-ride snack. After all, the whole reason we came to France was to complete some epic rides and enjoy awesome food. Riding to Eat is my mantra this trip.
Saucisson as far as the eye can see in in every imaginable flavor!
After spending a few hours wandering around the market we headed back to Mazan to get on the bikes to earn some of the goodies we just picked up. We quickly changed into our riding clothes hoping to get a few miles in before the rain started.
Ready to ride
It was just starting to spit as we rolled away from Chateau de Mazan. The first thing we noticed is that riding in this part of France (maybe all of Europe?) is much different that the riding we do in the States. The roads are really narrow! Fortunately the cars are driven by much more courteous drivers than in the States. We had ridden about 30 minutes through picturesque vineyards and orchards when the sprinkles turned to a heavy drizzle. That also when Rob's bike slipped out from under him in a corner. Fortunately, Rob was only a bit scuffed up. But the rear derailleur hanger was bend making his bike unrideable. Once again, Lance performed emergency roadside repair, removing the derailleur, converting Rob's bike into a single speed. Since the rain had picked up, we decided to call off the rest of the ride and return to Mazan. Our hour on the bike today wasn't so epic, but the food we picked up at the market was pretty awesome (you didn't think we were going to let all that fresh meat and cheese go to waste, did you?!). The rest of the week looks great for riding, so we'll be able to justify all the tasty stuff this area has to offer.
Okay. So today kinda sucked. We had an awesome day at the market. Overcast but great for shopping. However, by the time we were ready for a ride, the sky was spitting, and 25 minutes into it, it was full on raining. A couple adjustments and a bonafide crash and we were back to Mazan. No one hurt, Mom! Tonight we hoof it for dinner, and tomorrow a real ride.
