Post 11 Winding Down

It’s early Tuesday morning, the final day of our official biking tour. The final items of clothing, both biking and street, are being thrown into suitcases. Our next scheduled departure is not for another great col or even a ride around Lake Annecy, but rather for the Geneva airport.

As our biking tour ends, I’m experiencing very mixed feelings. For me, it’s been a great trip. I challenged myself, but also viewed it as a cycling vacation and not a training camp. The official part of the trip was pretty much as I expected. We’re in the Alps. The climbs were hard, but not beyond capacity. After so much planning, preparation and training, it seems strange to have it coming to an end. Yet, I’m ready to be home, even if it’s only for a few days before I start traveling again for Cal Poly.

I cannot speak for everyone, but right now I’m pretty tired, both mentally and physically. A vacation is supposed to take you away from the everyday; from your work and daily routine. This cycling trip actually did that for me. It’s hard to think about work when you are descending down Alpine hairpin turns at 35 miles an hour. It took every bit of concentration I could muster; no time to think about what’s happening at the office. So from that perspective, it was a personal success.

A trip like this, however, more than about the cols climbed or the pace lines back to the hotel, is more about the human aspect of a common experience. On the rides, and over our daily AHH’s, we talked about how we felt, shared family stories, yelled at cows, and laughed a lot. And like any family, we did not always agree. That’s the nature of a common human experience. We will all remember this cycling adventure differently. And we’ll all have our own stories to tell.

Post Note - My travels continue for a few more days. Rosey has joined me and we are spending a little time in Switzerland with family. On the way to La Mont sur Laussane,  shopped in Eschallens for a great lunch and, of course, a beer. A post script with a few soon with a few more notes and some odds and ends.

Post Second To Last

Today, we beat the odds. Despite the forecast of heavy rain, Jonathan saw a window and we took full advantage. Heading out at 9:30, we had great cycling conditions for a few hours. We did the Col de Lechaux followed by the Col de du la Something or Other, and made it back to the hotel just before the skies opened up. It was an easy day in the Alps; 37 miles and 3,700 ft of climbing. It was just meant to be!

After cleaning-up, we headed into Annecy for a long French lunch during which it just poured. As we watched the rain, we all wished we could bring just some of it back with us. Even while in France, we have been watching the fires back home. After lunch it was shopping, relaxing, massages, emails, and unfortunately, packing. 

Tomorrow the departures begin. Some of us are going to Geneva for a day and then home, some staying here for more great cycling, and a lucky one going on the Greece.

Tomorrow or Thursday, I’ll do the final posts for the blog. But for now, it’s bed time!

Post 10 Recovery Day + the Col du Tamie

Sometimes an opportunity presents itself and today we took full advantage.  The rain was predicted to stop mid-morning, so our ride was scheduled for 10:30. Yes, we actually had a French “fat morning”; no alarm clock. Most of us are feeling the 32,000+ feet of climbing and are pretty tired. Personally, I was grateful for the extra time in bed.

Right on schedule, the clouds yielded to a bright, warm, and blue sky so we headed out at 10:30. The ride took us around Lake Annecy clockwise. Some of these roads are becoming very familiar. It’s a nice feeling. We ventured off a few times to go through a few smaller villages and to stay off the main roads. I knew it was a recovery ride when, after about 10 km, the group decided to stop of coffee. Hey, it’s Sunday, vacation, and we’re tired. 

Because the pace was a bit slower today, it provided the opportunity to actually experience this magnificent part of the world. I really have not commented on it, but Lake Annecy region is incredible. First of all, the water in the lake is crystal clear. From our third floor hotel room, you can actually see the bottom of the lake close to the shore.  Second, the Alps jump right up from the shore line.  Third, as the sun hits the mountains around the lake it casts the most amazing light. Sometimes at sunset, the bare rock mountain tops almost seem to glow shades of red and yellow. In a single word, this place is awesome!

So far, we have “lucked out” in regards to the weather. Tomorrow, our luck may run out. It’s raining “cats and dogs” as I finish this port. I wish I could bring the rain back to California. If we do get to ride, it looks like we have about a 2-3 hour window starting around noon. I’ve got my fingers crossed for one more ride in France. Even if it’s a short one! But if we don't today's recovery ride and the Col du Tamie were are great way to end this trip. Stay tuned for tomorrow's update.

Blog Post Nine – Col de la Colombiere

All I can say about today’s ride is OUCH. To be honest, I would like to say other things, but this blog is currently rated “PG” and I would like to keep it that way.  If it’s not the hardest climb I’ve even done, it’s close. From a different perspective, maybe it just seemed extreme because it’s the fourth HC climb in five days. Our respective Garmin’s vary, but in about 72 miles we climbed close 7,000 feet. The first half was all up and the second half all down. Along the way we cycled through beautiful villages, past very happy and large cows, and of course lots of manure, both fresh and dried. When we point and yell shit in France, we actually mean it.

The Col de la Colombiere is a favorite on the Tour de France. That’s because like their medieval counter parts, Tour organizers actually love torture. Now having experienced it first hand, the Col de la Colombiere is physical torture. Not the swift kind, but the slow kind that tears your knees apart bit by bit. Sort of like being stretched on the rack. To make it worse, they have installed signs at every kilometer on the way up telling you how much cartilage you have left in your knees before you reach the top. The last 2-3 km averages about 11%-12%, with the worst part is that you can see the top and the finish. Believe me, it a long journey to the finish line. 

When we designed this tour with our friends at The Cycling House, the major climbs were spaced between days when we would spend more time in the valleys. However, the impending bad weather has changed our itinerary. This is way we have done so many major climbs in just a few days.

The weather forecast calls for rain tomorrow morning so our scheduled start time is not until 10:30AM. With no alarms being set, we’ll have what the French call a “Fat Sunday” tomorrow. Perfect timing, we need it! 

Post Eight – Montee du Somnoz

The Montee du Somnoz is a HC climb. For those not as familiar with cycling terminology, a climb that is given the ranking of HC is beyond category. ie – it’s the hardest of the hardest. Today was our third HC climb in four days. As Jens says, “shut up legs.”

One of the challenging things about Somnoz is that you have to climb just to get to the start. We left the hotel and basically started to climb. After about a 10km climb at an average of about 4%, we made a right hand turn. By that time we had already gone up about 2,000 ft. As our guides told us, this is where the fun starts. Fun, I think to myself? And what else might you classify as fun, doing a double triathlon? Or perhaps pulling out our fingers nails one at a time? We made the turn and up it went. I was told there were beautiful views of Annecy, the lake and the valley below. Perhaps. My focus was on the road in front of me. 

While we all got to the summit, it was not without a troubling sight. About two-thirds of the way up, we came across a terrible accident. A women who was descending on her bike had crashed into a car. Laying on the side of the road, she was screaming in pain while people were trying to help her. The ambulance had not arrived. Our guides stopped briefly to lend assistance, but there was little they could do.  We continued to climb and made it to the summit. It was only then did we see the ambulance making its way down the mountain. This is not what I want to remember about Somnoz.

Despite this incident, today may have been, at least for me, the best riding we have done. Almost perfect weather, incredibly beautiful villages, long 10 km descents, and mountain vistas like I’ve never seen before. All in a cycling crazed country that is France. Viva la France.