Vacation day 1 and 2

On Sunday Priscilla and I had a relaxed breakfast then I got a ride to the airport to pick up the rental car.  After a few wrong turns I finally made it back to the hotel and we drove along the coast to near Savona Italy.  After a nice visit to a botanical garden etc we stayed in a small hotel in a small town just over the border into Italy.    Kind of quaint but nice except it was a bit noisy.  We had a nice room with a terrace but there was also a nearby bar which was a bit noisy.  (Monday was a holiday in Italy).  

Monday morning we had another relaxed breakfast then drove up into the hills just for the fun of it.  I wanted to make a circuit of it but the road turned to a rock road which I thought would still be ok but it was so rough that rocks were hitting the bottom of our Fiat Bravo.  So we ended up turning back thesame way.  But we did stop and eat some grapes off the vines and enjoyed the views.  We then drove the slow way along the coast on the local roads which were pretty crowded because of the holiday.  Finally we got on the big Autostrada and drove the rest of the way to Lugano at 120 km/hr which is 75 mph.  We stopped and took a look at Lake Como then eventually made our way to Tesserete switzerland near Lugano.  We are at a nice big old hotel and I think there are only a few guests here.  Its almost creepy how quiet it is.  The locals speak Italian but the couple that run the hotel speak German to each other plus pretty good English and I assume also Italian.

stage 7 Auron to Nice

For the last stage we started near Auron and then had a 32 km neutral start, descending all the way.  It was cold, even though we were not going fast behind the motorcycle escorts.  But then we started the 70km timed section at the base of Col de St. Martin and I heated up pretty quickly.  I was 30 seconds behind number 414 in overall GC for 50+ and I found him right away at the bottom.  I stayed on his wheel for a while then went past him and got to the top ahead of him but I stopped to zip up my vest and he didnt so he got past me.  But I soon caught him and passed him on the descent and caught up to a pretty fast group. We eventually had 20 riders for the 30 km descent.  It was fast--wide sweeping bends for the most part instead of hairpins and then we had a long more or less section through the gorges, with a bit of a tailwind.  At the end I had gained 4 minutes on 414 so I ended up in 41st fir the stage, 3rd in 50+.  In GC I ended up 58 of 300 or so and 7th in 50+ out of about 58.   But the overall winner for Haute Route was Michel Roux, also 50+.    After the timed section we rode easy for a few more km to Vence then we regrouped and all rode together in a controlled pack into Nice right by the beach.  Later our GF tours group had a nice dinner overlooking the sea.

stage 6 pra loup to aroun

Today we rode across only one mountain pass but it is the highest road in Europe.  However that is because they modifed the road to go up a little higher than necessary just so they could make that claim.  The climb was 23 km/15 miles of mostly 8%.   On the climb we passed some old fortifications built between WWI and WWII.   We also saw and heard marmots, little creatures that look like woodchucks that live at the higher altitudes.  The scenery at the top was wonderful.  Priscilla hiked up to the top of the little peak and took some nice pictures.  Tonight we are staying at yet another ski resort of Auron.  Most of the ski resorts are pretty quiet in the summer.  

stage 5 serre chavalier to pra loup

Again we started with a neutral rollout of about 10 km, then we started the climb of Col DIzoard, site of numerous tour de france climbs.  Again it was a matter of putting the bike in low gear and pedalling hard for over an hour.  The second climb was col d Var.  On one of the descents (I am not sure which one) we passed through wonderful gorges, with massive cliffs on both sides and a mountain stream flowing next to the road.  I joined up with several other riders and we rode as a group of 8 through the valley which makes aall of us go faster.  Then a final climb up to the ski resort of Pra Loup.  My powertap is finally working and  showed that I burned 3800 calories for the day. 

stage 4 hill climb

Today we had a short day--a time trial up the side of the mountain.  It was only 12 kilometers ( 8 miles) but very steep.  After 1 km of only mild steepness the remaining 11 km were never below 8% and with sections that were 11-12%.  I just put my head down, put it in the lowest gear and pedalled hard for just under an hour.   Everyone waited at the top till all the riders were done then we rode down together in several groups.  Afterwards Priscilla and I and the other 8 in our little Granfondo Tours group ate lunch outside near the town fountain, then Priscilla and I went on a hike.  We walked around the town then up the other side of the valley for a ways, where there are lots of hiking trails.  We found a little shrine of some sort plus some chicken coops and farm buildings and an irrigation canal coursing around the side of the mountain.  Lots of pretty view but we didnt have a camera.  But that allowed us to just look and not be bothered with taking pictures.  We also watched people kayaking down the mountain stream. 

stage 3 les arcs to Serre Chavalier

Tuesday morning we left in the dark and rode with motorcycle escort down from Les Arcs 1800 to Les Arcs 1600 and rode the funicular down to the valley.  Then we rode via neutral start for about an hour before we started the race.  But it was the big day--up over the col de Madeline, then col de Telegraph then the big one: col de Galibier.  They took the bikes up on the road, not through the tunnel.  All  were long and hard and very pretty, and we again had perfect weather.  Total climbing:  13,200 feet, 109 miles.  It took me about 7  hours.  Again it was a wonderful day. 

stage 2 Megave to les arcs

Monday we left Megave and rode the first few kilometers as a neutral start, then climbed over two more mountain passes.  Both were very nice and the weather was perfect. Some of the riders complained because it was so hot but compared to Nebraska in the summer it was nothing--in the 80s with low humidity.  At the end I forgot that we still had another climb up to the ski resort--20 km at an average of 8% so that sort of hurt.  I have a triple chain ring on my bike which is good. My lowest gear is 30 x 25  and I spent a lot of time in the lowest gear.   I also spent lots of time in my highest gear coming off the mountains.  The descents are tiring also though because there are frequent switchbacks with hard braking then accelerating again.