24-07-2018     Bonnenuit − Jausiers     143 km


Bonnenuit − Col du Galibier − Briançon − Villard Saint-Panacre − L'Argentière-le-Bassée − Rampe de Freissinière − Réotier − Guillestre − Col de Vars − Jausiers

The last 'heroic' day (i.e. with an h.c. climb with full luggage), though not as hard as yesterday, since I've already three-fifth of the climb to the Galibier behind/below me. I have breakfast with the leftovers of yesterday, which I share with the Colombians, and there's still more to leave to them (and later I realize that I've also left/forgotten some Roquefort in the fridge). I take the other way out to get to the main road, which means another goats' path (of at most 400 m). Perfect morning again, and almost car-free at this early hour.

JJ spent the night outside

View from the balcony

Getting back to the main road

It's 900 m up in 12 km, and apart from 1 km of 4% just before Plan Lachat it's 7.5% till 9.5% all the time, which my muscles handle slowly but easily. That's not as I recall how it was; I expected an easy ride till this famous turning point. My last 'attack' from this side dates back as far as 1993, a hard stage from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne over the Galibier with a sidestep to the Col du Granon, till Guillestre. However, time is on my side today (I think), and both the meteorological and the environmental conditions are wonderful. Halfway between Plan L. and the pass I even pass the two Colombians − nephew is obviously restraining himself for his uncle. They will have a wonderful day tomorrow, as their compatriot Quintana will win the stage and Bernal will make a jump in the classement général (and one day later will grab the maillot jaune and become the first ever Tour winner for his country). And for a change I pass some others as well, but as usual am passed by more (with lighter bikes and possible stronger physiques; or with e-bikes, which are really the new phenomenon for me this year). As early as 9:50 a.m. I'm at the crowded pass. There's a queue of people that want their photograph(s) taken. An older man can't wait and passes me! Part of the parking place is already enclosed by red-and-white tape for the organization of the Tour.

	How nice   . . . . .		. . . . .   to ride   . . . . .		. . . . .   a bike and get   . . . . .
	. . . . .   higher and   . . . . .		. . . . .   higher and   . . . . .		. . . . .   higher!

All along the descent to the Col du Lautaret wherever possible people have parked their caravans awaiting the big event. Well, some people prefer to sit on a sunny beach and do nothing and others have fun sitting (and eating, and drinking?) on a tiny spot, waiting for one minute of excitement. Why not?! Anyway, I take care and keep the speed low when descending this first part of the descent, not missing the impressive views to the (glaciers in the) south. After the turn to the left/east there's no more need for braking: the D1091 is wide and straight. I miss the (view to) the road to the Col du Granon; not that I have planned to include that one, nor the Izoard, I know my limitations. I wonder whether I will find a restaurant in one of the many villages that constitute the municipalité of Serre-Chevallier but decide to postpone the coffee till after Briançon.

Immortalized by professional

Immortalized by a fellow cyclist

The final stretches from the south

Caravans waiting for The Tour;   I should have made a panorama photo!

View back up

Well-known glaciers   (also 10th time around)

Side view from the D1091 to Briançon

The point to (finally!) leave the D94

I'm in for the worst 10 km of the stage: to get through/around this awful city. Well, Briançon may be okay, but some of the roads are plain terrible. It's so busy with cars. Stinking cars. And there are these traffic lights ☹. And then when I'm finally on the N94 to the south, also not one of my favorites, a fierce wind blows in my face. Yuck! I fight my way against it and am very much relieved when after 6 km I can leave it at Saint-Martin-de-Queyrières. On the right I spot a Lidl (if I'm not mistaken now) and don't want to risk looking for a restaurant that isn't there. So I have a cheap coffee-time break (without coffee), in the last two meters of shade provided by the shop. When the sun comes around I get going again. I follow an alternative route (to the N94) on the right river bank ('downstream') of the Durance. Less cars, more climbing, so even more descending (I'll lose 300 m till the point where I'll cross the N94 again. The alternative route starts with a short climb, and for a while the Durance is far below me. I lose sight of it as the roads bends away and descends to the (valley of the) Gyronde, the valley leading to/from Vallouise/Pré-Madame-Carle, deep in the Écrins (I did it in 2001). Along the road any km there is a sign of the Boucle de l'Izoard, giving the altitude and the slope of the next km.

	High above   . . . . .		. . . . .   the Durance		Boucle de l'Izoard
	Bis		More of the Durance		Les Vigneaux   (where I filled by water bottle)

I'm passed by a young Dutch couple, and catch up with them in an extremely steep 1.5 km (to gain ± 180 m). Afterwards I learn it is called the Rampe de Freissinière. With the heat and the weight I carry it's very exhausting. They do the complete Boucle, and started from Briançon. I leave them behind me (!) and descend to the Durance through an aérodrome near Réotier. The Boucle goes straight on, but I prefer the shortest route, which means, alas, another 6 km against the wind over the N94. The extra climbs have worn me out quite a bit, so the 4 km faux-plat till Guillestre feel hard. To (finally) have lunch I enter the old village and find a terrace and a late (2:15 p.m.?) plat du jour. It may well be the last (left-over) lunch that is served out, and it arrives within two minutes after I've ordered it. This doesn't feel okay, and it's certainly not the best meal (hamburger, salad and fries) of the trip, but it's convenient and it fills me up (and I don't end up with intestinal problems). I add a thick layer of sun cream for today's biggest challenge: The Col de Vars, also from a direction that I did not ride very often, only two times out of eight. The first seven km it's a straight 8%, with 2 km of 9.5% in the middle; I remember a struggle in my younger days. Indeed the speed-o-meter goes below 10 km/h, below 8 km/h even. I find the scenery not that exciting (for the descent to the north side I remember the 'round' bends are very nice!).

View back to Guillestre

Up to the Col de Vars   . . . .

. . . .   and into the clouds

At Saint-Catherine the worst is over. Climbing wise, as weather wise the troubles start. The sun cream was wasted: shortly after Guillestre the clouds have taken over, and there is rumbling in the distance, and in Sainte-Marie-Chagne I put on my rain coat. The 2.5 km till Vars-les Claus are the worst/hardest. The rain doesn't set through too much, but the (head) wind through the open valley is ferocious, and the slope is 7 till 8 %. The thunderstorms get nearer and I decide to have a shelter at the moment I think they get too close. In Les Claus there are many restaurants, there's one at the very end, I hesitate, the col is just 4 km away, and from Les Claus the slopes are tolerable. However, 1 km further the rain does set through and there is an escape: The Refuge Napoleon! So I put JJ in a dry corner and find myself a dry table inside, order un demi, and meet an attractive femme Française, whose bike has an encounter outside with JJ. She tells me she hates descending, so her chéri has gone down to fetch the car and pick her up. She even offers they'll take me to Jausiers (or to an earlier point at the other side of the pass where it doesn't rain). When within ten minutes her husband arrives, he assents, but I 'bravely' comment I will not 'cheat' again (as in Cheminas). Another ten minutes later I see (feel!) how it is outside and it is much worse, so I regret my decision, and return inside for a chocolat chaud. And announce my delay to the gîte in Jausiers.

Hard rain just before the pass

Caravans around the pass

Cautious descent  . . . . .

Bis

Almost in the the twilight

Another twenty minutes later it is almost dry, the rumbling comes from farther away, and it stays like that for the rest of the stage! The pass and the caravans there offer a deplorable sight, and the steep descent today is not one for setting a speed record. I'm glad with every dry km, especially until Saint-Paul, from which point I rush onward at 25-35 km/h through the rough valley of the Ubaye. Around 7 I'm welcomed by a barking dog with two differently coloured eyes, who later on appears the most pleasant and huggable quadruped I've ever met. Gîte l'Ardoisière is also a lovely, warm place to stay, with friendly and competent owners. And with many hikers and bikers, one of whom I share a table with (a photographer from Marseille), and also a good dinner, and many (mostly cycling) experiences. Tomorrow he'll be off early to see the Tour at the Col de Vars.

In Jausiers, some blue patches in the sky

Autre gîte chaleureux

Gray view from my room (Grande-Séolane?)