Breakfast at 7:00h, I'm getting harder on myself. Much harder in this respect than the Belgians. Jacques claims that the clouds in the east, above the Rhône valley, will dissipate and the weather will be okay, but an hour later Tourevès is under a thick cover too. This day I will not see the sun anymore, and I will definitely need my newly acquired raincoat, but not yet during the first hour. The Belgians have just started breakfast, outside, when I leave around 8:15 a.m.

Les Belges

In the beginning the weather looks okay

Rough weather,

Rough road

3d time around

The road to the Col de la Croix-de-Berthel goes through a rough environment, with a 'spiky' rocky wall, and with the threatening sky it looks even rougher. The climb is not very rough though, about 500 m up in 11 km, of which 340 m are gained during the last 5 km. At the pass I put on my raincoat, but it is more against the cold than against the rain, and I reach Le Pont-de-Montvert with mostly the suggestion of rain. I do place my bike under a small shelter to keep the saddle dry. An apt precaution this will appear to be. I walk over the bridge over the Tarn for the boulangerie, and get back to the section with the restaurants, still situated very awkwardly along the too small main road. I sit outside, barely dry, but the triple layers of clothing are certainly not a luxury. I haven't descended very much from the pass (Le Pont-de-Montvert is still above 850 m), so there's not much climbing till the Col du Sapet, certainly not after the first two km à 5%, which are the nicest. I have put away (in a dry place) my map, so I feel a bit disoriented as to how far I am from the pass; it takes ages. I get impatient; cycling in the mountains when it is cloudy, even rainy, is not much fun. The descent from the Col du Sapet is no fun either: 7.5 km, over a very small road, quite steep (it feels steeper than the average mentioned on the road sign), and with gravillons. After the semi-permanent braking my fingers start to cramp.

Time for my new raincoat

2nd time around

Between Barre and Le Pompidou

I cross the N106, and then some (unexpected) serious climbing, is waiting, 8% at least, over a road flanked by woods. This, with (still) the three layers of clothes warms me up considerably. So I take the chance to change to t-shirt plus shirt. And that's okay for the rest of the day. 1 km before Barre-des-Cévennes the environment becomes open. I recall (from 2019) that Barre did not harbour any good restaurants, and I think I can make it to Le Pompidou well before 2 p.m. Le Pompidou seems large enough to offer at least one restaurant, and it seems to be on an altitude about 400 m lower than Barre (and at a distance of 14 km). The route via the D20 and the D983 seems attractive, and it IS. Especially around the junction where the D62 splits off, from where you have a very nice view over the valley and the winding road(s). Nice! I cannot make out which bunch of houses is Pompidou. Which may very well be BEHIND another hill. I am wrong in two respects: first the winding road is NOT winding down all the time; I get down some 375 m and then up 220 m, so Le Pompidou is almost on the same level as Barre des Cévennes, and it takes much more energy and time to reach it. Which, as a consequence, does not happen before 2 p.m. However, even if I would have arrived before 2 p.m, there is no restaurant in Le Pompidou to speak of. There is one establishment with that name, but the very old, slightly bent lady – who seems busy cleaning her business all the time – only serves drinks and chocolate bars. And tells me that the next nine km to Saint-André-de-Valborgne ARE downhill all the time.

"Descent" to Le Pompidou		View back during climb to Col de l'Espinas
And again		Cyclists can pass by
Châtaignes entre le Col de l'Espinas		et le Col du Pas

Which is correct. Very nice descent, that one; gorgeous Cévennes! That bring this André to that Saint-André for the third time in his career (or was he there already in 1986 too?). The last noteworthy climb of the day, to the Col de l'Espinas, goes smoothly, 11 km with grades between and 4% and 6% most of the time. The road is barrée for larger vehicles than bicycles so I enjoy a quiet ride over a small road, with much chestnut debris on the tarmac (it would have been risky/slippery when I would have had to descend). At the top I am rewarded with great wide views over the valleys around, and can discern the ugly white statue/monument/memorial at the Col du Pas. That pass is almost level with the Col de l'Espinas, and the four km that separate the two are almost flat. Great riding though! From the road between the Col du Pas and Valleraugue I have good memories dating back to 2009, but my expectations are not completely fulfilled; during a climb one enjoys the environment more than when diving down. Especially the last 2 km through the outskirts of Valleraugue are disappointing. But the ride through the lower Hérault valley makes me very happy when it appears that to the gradually descending road a strong tailwind is added. I notice two 'interesting' sidesteps for tomorrow: 1. the Col de Vieilles (a shortcut to Le Vigan for which I do not have the stamina today), and 2. the départ to the Col de la Lusette. By then I have already passed Pont d'Hérault, where I get onto the busy D999. With the plan de ville at the entrance of Le Vigan the auberge de jeunesse is easily found. What a contrast to the gîte of Tourevès! The atmosphere is musty, not in the least because of the pungent cigarette smell. The kitchen/salle de séjour is very basic and barely clean. But I have a dorm of my own, there is a (good) shower, and my bike can be put inside (I'm even allowed to carry it upstairs). So, I'm okay. The people (the man with the cigarettes and two jeunes stagiaires, one from Brazil) are okay too. Dinner is in "Le Grillade", a restaurant with the same 'owner' as the youth hostel/gîte. To my surprise breakfast tomorrow morning will be in the hostel (and 7 a.m. is not a problem, well, it will be a few minutes later, as the bread will be fresh from the boulangerie).

Descent from Col du Pas

(l'Hérault + )   Saint-André-de-Majencoules