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Breakfast at 7:30h, I'm not too hard for myself. Jacques has put breakfast ready, inside, because at this altitude and this time of the day it is not so warm yet; later it will be. I've spread out my map next to my bowl of cereals, he takes out his (walking) maps, and together we discuss the possibilities for a tour around Génolhac. There are so many (small) roads, many still unknown to me, that look appealing! Other important info: Jacques and his wife have been looking at the damage higher up on the D362, and he informs me a big piece of rock has come loose from the wall, is almost completely blocking the road, but that a cyclist can come by. (It is Sunday, so it will take at least a day before the French road cleaning surface will blow the rock away/into pieces.) I'm called outside when on the meadow 100 m down a group (family?) of sangliers is quietly trotting around. I have made my plan, and, off I am. First 5 km down, then 3 km up, north, till the crossing with the D318A (on which crossing Google Maps places the name Col de la Banlève (567 m)), and from then on two hours of sheer bliss.
I pass on and on over wonderful, meandering, quiet roads through a part of the Cévennes I did not explore before;
I think there is still quite a bit of that!
The climbing is okay, even the steep km up from the storage lake of the Cèze, my arm is okay, the weather is very much okay, and I've just started yesterday, so there may be many days like this in store. Les Vans seems too far for a first break, so I enjoy a sunny terrace in Malbosc, after first walking up and down 200 m to Malbosc's Sunday market for some homemade pies (and I buy some extra for just in case). The 17 km from Malbosc to Les Vans I guess are 20% up and 80% down (indeed the drop in altitude is 300 m), and it ends with a nice view over Les Vans followed by a hairpinned descent of 2.2 km.
Wide view
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Malbosc
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Part II
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Low Les Vans
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Down there (lower than 200 m), I don't bother to look for an alimentation very seriously (I may very well be too late yet). Instead I focus on choosing the right road that will bring me up to one of the plateaus of the Ardêche. It means serious climbing, not very steep, but quite long. And . . . . , what about food? Pied-de-Borne seems too far (because of the climbing involved, and because I will not possibly arrive in time for any restaurant kitchen). However, it's my lucky day (do I sense a tradition for stage no. 2?): after 17.5 km a restaurant comes into view. When I park my bike I feel how really HOT it has become. The restaurant is rather crammed, but there is a table for me (AND the kitchen isn't closed!), so though I am definitely a man out of place here (for one thing, no one is sweating as exuberantly), I am very comfortable and happy with my omelette aux cèpes + salade + eau pétillant. I have already gained 700 m since Les Vans!
Temporary highest point
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On the plateau
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I have my bottle refilled with eau plate and gently climb some 150 m more before I turn left onto the D4 to Montselgues. When I reach the highest point, i.e. the Col de Teste Rouge (1079 m), it's already past three. In 2019 I passed this road from the west, and from that side it is definitely a lot harder (8 km of a straight 7 per cent). Today that is a hazardous (you could also say: interesting) descent. At the 'bottom' I decide to cross the Borne (and again NOT hazard the tiny road via Féreyrolles on the other bank), thus gently descend to Pied-de-Borne, from there it's more than 1100 m up to the highest point of the day. The first 250 m up to Villefort, along the last bits and pieces of the Altier, go smoothly, between 2% and 4% almost all the time.
Around Montselgues
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(and Col de Teste Rouge)
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Between Pied-de-Borne
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and
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Villefort
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And what a spectacular views that part gives, I notice again. And also observe, for the first time, the interesting irrigation canal that seemingly transports water upwards (as was pointed out in the morning by Jacques). Starting the first long climb, hours ago in Les Vans, I had hoped to reach Villefort at 4:30 p.m. the latest. I arrive in Villefort at 4:25, and sit down to cool down with a big coupe Cévénol (already the second in two days) and a coca cola, and don't follow the suggestion of the kind waiter to move a few tables to see some live Tour coverage (the stage ending in Andorra) on a big screen. Time flies, and there is still the bigger part of the Climb of the Day (as it also was in 2014, in fact, that year it was the Climb of the first Week). That bigger part (still some 15 km to go still) starts out gently and appears not so steep as it looked when I descended seven years ago. I wonder how my muscles will handle this dessert. The environment is quite open, the sky is clear blue, and slowly, slowly I gain altitude and views down. It is hard work, but it is fun. I succeed in not overexerting myself. It is a pity though, that I consented to Jacques' suggestion in the morning to set dinner time at seven. This makes me keeping an eye on the time, circumstance to be avoided as much as possible during a cycling holiday. Shortly after 6 p.m. I reach the pass. I am a bit disappointed that I missed the impressive views down onto the storage lake(s) of the Altier.
Last climb
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Not as hard as feared
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Nice hairpin bends
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Did it!
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But I will certainly not go back for (more) photographs. Instead I put on my helmet, take off my shirt for a nice 10 km descent to the gîte interrupted indeed, after 4 km or so, by two big blocks on the road. I can carry my bike just through the tiny opening between rock and the wall of rock on the left of the road. Around 18:45h I'm back in Tourevès and note that two women with two children are sitting at the table with the lovely view (and a clearer view of the Mont-Ventoux than yesterday). They agree to postpone dinner till 19:15h to give me some time to refresh. I wonder what the mutual relationships are (lesbian couple with two children? Mum with three children one of whom quite a bit older than the younger two?, .... ?).
And down again
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Cyclists can come around
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Things are cleared over dinner. It appears that they are sisters, and the younger, apparently more adventurous one, is 'supporting' her elder sibling who
recently got divorced. The children (10-15 years) are very quiet. But it is a cozy, nice, copious dinner. I end the evening again alone on the deck chair
on the porch.
Top day (with an elevation gain I will hardly surpass during the rest of the tour). Alas, the weather forecast for the upcoming days is not so favorable.
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