17-07-2018     La Bastide-Puylaurent − Cheminas     166 km

La Bastide-Puylaurent − D151 − Langogne − Lespéron − Lanarce − Saint-Cirgues-en-Montagne − D110/D636 − (almost) Saint-Eulalie − (almost) Mézilhac −Le Cheylard − Lamastre − D578 − Les Clots − Cheminas

Maison des Étoiles on a sunny morning

Another beautiful morning

Again a solitary 'early' breakfast in view of the long(est?) distance today. Yesterday I've figured out a route of around 170 km, I've recounted the mileage at least twice (I know my inferior abilities), and since there's not much climbing and all in all I end up 600 m lower than at my starting point, that should be doable. Again a cool first hour, during which I enjoy the green surroundings of the D906 (and also the smaller amount of traffic than feared) much more than yesterday. I pass Langogne, survive 4 km of the N88, and am glad to turn right to follow a pleasantly winding road along the Espezonnette, a pleasant shortcut too, which brings me to Lanarce, which I already passed in 2009 and 2014, both times coming from the Col du Pendu. So I know that the D288 to Saint-Cirgues-en-Montagne starts with 2 km of climbing. In fact, the climbing continues a bit longer, and alas the descent to Saint-Cirgues has warnings about gravillons. In Saint-Cirgues − of which I do not have such fond memories − I have a short stop at a bakery where I even manage to be served some (plastic) cup of coffee (it is not one of those tearooms), and where I recharge myself with quite an amount of calories just on the pavement in front of the shop, not bothering to find a more convenient place, ignoring a suggestion of kind passer-by for a bench 100 m further up the road.

	Bis		Bis
	Bis		Bis   Bis   Bis
	Lucky guy
	Valley of the Espezonnette		Stuffy section
	Still along the . . . .		. . . .   Espezonnette
	Not my piece of cake		This is more like it

I'm on a tight schedule! From Saint-Cirgues it's 200 m up again, passing the ligne de partage des eaux, crossing the little stream called Loire, until almost Saint-Eulalie, on the high plateau of the Ardêche. I've found another shortcut, to avoid this village, but I take one junction too early; to get onto a steep little road that brings me nowhere, and where my descent is hindered by a tractor. Merde! The map supposedly is not very clear: at the junction, 500 m further, a couple is coming down that has unappropriately chosen that road. At the end of this 'bypass' I'm wrong again, which I realize 1.5 km (and at least 50 m downhill) too late. M...de!   Having regained the correct road (D122) I can again make a good speed (with much better weather than on a cold morning in 2014) touching the highest point of today (1402 m) till Mézilhac. Follows the most beautiful (very beautiful) section of the day: the first half of the descent to Le Cheylard, unfortunately again a road with a new layer of gravillons. With an elevation loss of 700 m this is by far the descent of the day. Down in the village just mentioned it's right down hot.

	Same lucky guy
	Around Saint-Eulalie   (Mont Gerbier Jonc ?)		Gravel descent

Coupe de glace in

. . . . . . . .

With, close to 2 o'clock, some 95 km 'in the pocket' I look for a restaurant, and find one on the market place where most merchants have just left. Half an hour later my bike is almost swept away by a cleaning vehicle that arrives to tidy up the place while I'm enjoying a big salad; I must admit I parked it a bit awkwardly. Follows the last 'official' (and warm) climb to (the Col de) Nonières, which feels harder than the mere 250 m up (but then, it is warm indeed). And then 300 m down again I go, to Lamastre, where I can't find the Hôtel des Commerces where we spent a night in 2009. I do find a good coupe de glace though, and I think I can 'relax the reins' as to the time of arrival. Cheminas is still some 35 km away, but without any serious climbing (however, Google maps still counts more than 450 m). It's not the most spectacular landscape I'm riding through, and with the long distance covered in the heat I'm not too fresh either, so at the end I'm really counting down the kilometers till the final destination. Around 18:45 I reach Cheminas, and two askings for directions do not yield the information asked for, so from the church in the 'center' I phone my host Jean-Marie where to find Le Chemin de Viallard.

Cheating guy

Cozy garden dinner

J-M tells me he has sent clear indications about his location to my mail address, and he's right (but I overlooked the mail). This location is four km from where I am sitting, and J-M offers to come and catch me by car. Lucky, lazy me. Within 15 minutes he arrives and transports me and JJ to his adorable farmhouse where I'm welcomed by his adorable Pascale. We have a (local) beer in the garden and spend a very cozy dinner/evening there. Lucky me indeed!