Sunday 14 July 2013

Day 44 (14/7) - Bastille day bliss

Bastille day, Reuben and the boys were up early to climb Mont Ventoux, Bill decided not to join us, it's 21km at 7.5%, but don't let that fool you it peaks out with a good 6km at 9%+, cruel and unusual punishment. The number of cyclists on the mountain made it feel like Brunswick street, Fitzroy at 8am on a Monday morning in spring. The camper-vans and cycling fans lined the road up the whole mountain and the atmosphere was electric. After making the punishing ascent we tried to descend but it was bedlam, children, police and TDF workers all vying for space on the skinny windy road while we wanted to rocket down at 80. Going down the mountain on a different road we ended up doing a run through the gorges de la Nesque one of the most spectacular roads I have seen let alone ridden. As Matt put it, "Best ride of my life, Ventoux on Bastille day and gorges de la Nesque".

After the ride Reuben learned Anne-Marie had politely and diplomatically moved Bill on after he used up the other cars drinking water washing himself. Anne-Marie gets stuff done. We watched the TDF riders come through town before starting their own painful assent of Ventoux in the now nasty mid afternoon sun. The French Air Force did salute them with a fighter jet formation doing a coloured smoke display over the peak as they approached the finish.

Reuben with the Alcatel Android before the race.

Pointing to Mont Ventoux with our commemorative matching jumpers.

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