Rode down to Fenton tonight to watch our company's softball team play so I didn't ride a lot but I pushed it pretty hard going down there. On the way back I started off slowly but once over the Old Gravois bridge I pushed it harder and set a good tempo up the hill and along Kennerly. In all, the ride time was only 40-45 minutes.
Trip Report: Our second day in Lourdes we set out to ride the 3 major climbs of L'Etape. We drove to a small town about 12k from the foot of the Col d'Ichere. Most of that 12k was a very slight uphill. Slight enough that you really didn't notice going uphill and a few times it gave the illusion of going downhill. The actual climb of the Ichere was about 5k. The sign they posted on the road said 5.7k so I'll take their word. The Ichere is a nice climb. It has a very manageable length with a reasonable grade. If you ride steady, you get over it without much problem in 20+ minutes. Like most of the climbs in the Pyrenees, the climbs are at lower elevation and often wooded and do not have the soaring rocky peaks of the Alps. Because of the climbs are more tree lined you don't always great the great dramatic views but this view with about 2k to the summit of the Ichere.
The decent was twisty and generally good but uneven in parts. You needed to be a little careful.
The Col de Marie Blanque was next about 7k from the base of the Ichere. Nine kilometers long with the first 5k being not so bad but gradually getting steeper with each kilometer. Then you get to 4k to go and the marker on the side of the road says 11% for the next kilometer and you start to grind. Those easier 5k below just softened you up a little. You get to the next marker... 12% for the next kilometer. You slow some more. Then it's 13% and each kilometer starts to feel 3 miles long as you creep along about 7kph. One more kilometer and it's ONLY 12%. By now you are cursing the damn mountain and wanting it to be over. Everyone was happy to be done with this climb. The first part of the descent was rougher surface like a tar and gravel surface. Then the road smoothed out and was quite fun with some nice views.
From the Marie Blanque, you headed due south along a good sized road to the town of Laruns which sits and the base of the Col d'Aubisque. The Aubisque is about 16.5k and starts out nicely for 4 or 5k until the town of Eaux Bonnes. I was sitting on Lonnie's wheel through this first section. He set a nice pace at 15-17kph. The road steepened just be Eaux Bonnes and the leveled for a few hundred meters and suddenly my legs went to the verge of a cramp. From there to the summit the grade was pretty steady 8% average although there was a short section of 13%. The length of the climb and my borderline cramps made some tough riding. The higher we went the temperature steadily dropped until you were blowing steam with every breath for the last 4k. My speed steadily dropped also. At the top I was down to 6-7k like on the Marie Blanque. I stopped briefly at the top for some water and a little snack.
The road the Aubisque to the Col du Soulor is called the Cirque du Litor and was an amazing road built into the side of the mountain. You had rock face on your right and sheer dropoffs on your left with not guardrails.
Along the way are a couple tunnels built into the mountain and goats, sheep and cows roaming the hillsides. This is a very memorable stretch of road.
After the Cirque du Litor, the Col du Soulor was an easy couple kilometers. I then hopped in the van and headed back to Lourdes.
Trip Report: Our second day in Lourdes we set out to ride the 3 major climbs of L'Etape. We drove to a small town about 12k from the foot of the Col d'Ichere. Most of that 12k was a very slight uphill. Slight enough that you really didn't notice going uphill and a few times it gave the illusion of going downhill. The actual climb of the Ichere was about 5k. The sign they posted on the road said 5.7k so I'll take their word. The Ichere is a nice climb. It has a very manageable length with a reasonable grade. If you ride steady, you get over it without much problem in 20+ minutes. Like most of the climbs in the Pyrenees, the climbs are at lower elevation and often wooded and do not have the soaring rocky peaks of the Alps. Because of the climbs are more tree lined you don't always great the great dramatic views but this view with about 2k to the summit of the Ichere.
The decent was twisty and generally good but uneven in parts. You needed to be a little careful.
The Col de Marie Blanque was next about 7k from the base of the Ichere. Nine kilometers long with the first 5k being not so bad but gradually getting steeper with each kilometer. Then you get to 4k to go and the marker on the side of the road says 11% for the next kilometer and you start to grind. Those easier 5k below just softened you up a little. You get to the next marker... 12% for the next kilometer. You slow some more. Then it's 13% and each kilometer starts to feel 3 miles long as you creep along about 7kph. One more kilometer and it's ONLY 12%. By now you are cursing the damn mountain and wanting it to be over. Everyone was happy to be done with this climb. The first part of the descent was rougher surface like a tar and gravel surface. Then the road smoothed out and was quite fun with some nice views.
From the Marie Blanque, you headed due south along a good sized road to the town of Laruns which sits and the base of the Col d'Aubisque. The Aubisque is about 16.5k and starts out nicely for 4 or 5k until the town of Eaux Bonnes. I was sitting on Lonnie's wheel through this first section. He set a nice pace at 15-17kph. The road steepened just be Eaux Bonnes and the leveled for a few hundred meters and suddenly my legs went to the verge of a cramp. From there to the summit the grade was pretty steady 8% average although there was a short section of 13%. The length of the climb and my borderline cramps made some tough riding. The higher we went the temperature steadily dropped until you were blowing steam with every breath for the last 4k. My speed steadily dropped also. At the top I was down to 6-7k like on the Marie Blanque. I stopped briefly at the top for some water and a little snack.
The road the Aubisque to the Col du Soulor is called the Cirque du Litor and was an amazing road built into the side of the mountain. You had rock face on your right and sheer dropoffs on your left with not guardrails.
Along the way are a couple tunnels built into the mountain and goats, sheep and cows roaming the hillsides. This is a very memorable stretch of road.
After the Cirque du Litor, the Col du Soulor was an easy couple kilometers. I then hopped in the van and headed back to Lourdes.
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