27-07-2018     Sault − Suze-la-Rousse     104 km

Sault − Gorges de la Nesque − Carpentras − Jonquières − Sérignan-du-Comtat − Bollène − Suze-la-Rousse


Solitary breakfast; I can grab from the fridge what I need (I paid for it!). Cloudy morning, as expected. I haven't made up my mind completely about the Mont-Ventoux. First let me get to Bédoin! So if I do it it will be from the hard side. I've just left Sault, which looks quite nice, up from the D942, when it starts to thunder and rain hard! I turn left to find shelter at a factory of essential oils (from lavande of course). It's noisy because of the machines, and windy, but I find a soft chair and it's dry.

Ciel couvert á Sault

Adieu á Sault

Hard rain

This takes the Mont-Ventoux even further away. At least half an hour later I get going while it is still dripping. The thunderstorms have retreated. First the road goes up a bit and then the long descent through the gorgeous rough and open Gorges de la Nesque starts. With a clear view onto the Mont-Ventoux high up there, alas probably not my cup of tea today. I can't stop making pictures, I remember I was amazed at this environment when in 1987 I rode through for the first time (on my way from Seguret to Manosque). I'm glad with every (almost) dry kilometer, and the rumbling staying at a good distance, and in both respects am lucky for quite some time (1 hour, 25 km).

	Entering the   . . . .		. . . .   gorgeous Gorges de la Nesque
	Point		photogénique
	Gorgeous, gorgeous,		Even on a cloudy day

In Villes-sur-Auzon I take a second shelter at a Cooperative, on a hard bench (☹), right after having ignored a café (☹) in the hope of reaching Carpentras in one stroke. I've given up about the M.-V. (☹). The remaining 16 km to Carpentras are not very noteworthy. In Carpentras I take my time, buying some soapy souvenirs, and (expensive) coffee 'with' in a busy café with a newspaper (with a lot of words on yesterday's 'historic' Tour stage). I have trouble finding the right way out of town, make a complete circuit, and then accidentally hit on a cycling route to Jonquières. So I adapt my route another time and enjoy two sunny (!) hours − I even get the worst sun burn of my shoulders of the whole trip − first to Jonquières and then on my 'inner compass', trying to avoid busy roads, which for once works out right, to the north-west. Over small, unclassified, country roads, through agricultural fields and vineyards, with the scent of lavender and the sound of chicadas.

	Piste cyclable!		Bis		Quiet country roads
	Camaret-sur-Aigues		Final (short) descent		Bis

I have a pizza stop in Sérignan-du-Comtat, where the Italian chief doesn't mind to put pineapple on his pizzas. And ride a pleasant last 16 km, via Uchaux, through a forest, over a last hill where I'm impatient to start the last descent. The only reason to hurry a bit is to get some live television coverage of the final (decisive?) climb of the Tour, the finish of the shortened stage to Val Thorens. Around 5 p.m. I reach Bolléne, where I find a 'sports café' run by a Moroccan barman, who quite cooperatively changes from a soccer to a cycling channel. Bernal is doing great, and Kruiswijk moves up one position at the expense of Julian Alaphilippe, the big (and strong) entertainer of this Tour. It starts to rain (as the Morrocans already announced). Like in the good old days at the end of my tour I purchase a French novel, and some eatables for in the evening. I'm fed up/don't feel like having a solitary dinner in a restaurant, even though this year it wasn't so hard to make contact with others. The rain sets through a bit, so around 6 p.m. I make myself a Roquefort/tomato sandwich (my first!) in a bus shelter (also a first this year).

Final climb in The Tour

First (and last) Roquefort sandwich

The circuit is closed

When it gets dry I quite forlornly ride the last 8 km to Suze-la-Rousse. I hope to find fellow passengers on either the camping "Leley" or the village square (which I also have trouble finding). Around seven I may occupy a table (it's Saturday) under the awning of Restaurant "L'Annexe", and later on, when more and more people arrive (there is also a singer/guitar player) move inside where it gets warm, warmer, warmer. For the first time since the bus transfer two weeks ago I read more than ten pages in one stroke. Around ten − the bus is due at eleven − I change to long pants and through the darkness ride the last 2 km back to Cooperative Vinicole La Suzienne where indeed there is no other passenger. I have only got loose two screws when, big lights, the bus arrives, half an hour early! I can put my bike in without further delay as the trailer is only half full. The bus gets going, and . . . . lucky me!!  . . . . within ten minutes it starts to rain, hard and long . . . .   lucky, lucky me!!