Breakfast at 7:10h, indeed. 'Smokey' man arrives with fresh baguette, marmalade and coffee in a reused glass vegetable jar. To which I can add some melon of my own. 'Smokey' appears to be a friendly man, with a lot of knowledge of the region (and reasonable opinions on covid-19). Later on a girl (± 35 years old?) who 'lives' here, in search of work, joins us, without adding much to the conversation. Départ at 8:15, with to my joy some blue patches above. To start with, a quick ride back to Le Rey (196 m) to the 'official' (there are quite a few alternative routes) start of THE climb of the day (also classified the hardest in the Cévennes), i.e., the Col de la Lusette. The first eight km are not very hard, nor very special, with several villages and several crossings where only once I have some doubt as to which direction is the correct one.

Sunny start		First precipitation
Quiet ride up		to hardest col in the Cévennes
The steepest and stormiest section		The hardest!

Again a route barrée (later on I learn that during the second half of 2020 excessive rainfall led to much road damage around here). The only precipitation now comes from water sprinklers (the farmers do not expect rain today?).   Higher on both the grade and the wind increase. An oncoming cyclist warns me of the strong wind. And he's right: there is a section of some 2 or 3 km where the road is VERY small, very steep (10/14%), the wind is very strong, and the slope to the right does NOT look very appealing. With care (and all my force) I try to keep to the left and to keep going. I'm glad with every shelter to spare me this gale. I'm glad too that my glasses are attached to a string around my neck (in March I lost a pair owing to a gust of wind). I think under different meteorological conditions it will be a beautiful ride, now it is mainly a fight. Not that I keep an eye on my odometer much, but at a certain moment I register a speed of 6.4 km/h. At the Gîte de Cap de Côte it's 'in the pocket' (only 170 m to rise in 3.2 km I learn afterwards). The clouds are closing in, and at the pass (I didn't even know how high it was) I put on my raincoat.

The top

Threateningly wet road

On the other side the road is wider, woodier and wetter. Big puddles are scattered over the tarmac. Will I reach l'Espérou without rain? I will, though it's a close call. Many (!) cyclists there, clearly clad for a lot of rain. I find a dry spot for my bike, and a dry place for myself in a restaurant. For hours the showers keep coming and going. The sky is completely blocqué. After some time an older cyclist enters, and I invite him to my table. For twenty minutes he keeps shuddering and clattering his teeth, after a COLD descent from the Mont-Aigoual. He comes from Montpellier (a one day ride, to his saying) and tells me he is staying at the gîte I just passed. I hope in ten years' time I'll be as fit as he seems to be! After coffee and hot chocolate we also order something warm; not very special though. I stay in the restaurant from 10:45 till 13:15, at least three times as long as planned, so definitely will not be able to carry out my original plan to revisit the Gorges de la Dourbie and the Gorges du Trévezel. Will it be dry in Vallerauge? In the south? At least it is dry when I finally get going again, so I decide to make the Belvédère de la Séreyrède, with its magnificent views over the Hérault valley, my turning point, supposedly also the highest point of today. The sky clears a tiny bit, the wind feels less severe (well, most of the time it's from behind), but the road is still wet when I descend in a controlled way to Valleraugue.

Well-known view over the Hérault valley

Umpteenth time around

Nice descent from		Col de la Sereyrède
Well-known view up to the Mont-Aigoual		Broken off sidestep

Pont d'Hérault

I have in mind to add another new Cévennes col to my list, viz. return via the Col des Vieilles (the one I noted yesterday). It's a very tiny road that starts from Saint-André-de-Majencoules. The weather seems okay for the rest of the day, so shouldn't I add some more climbing .... Col du Minier? It's too late to add both .... After two km I decide to return to the Hérault (nice views down onto it!) to take the easy route to Le Vigan and then ride up to the Col du Minier. In Le Vigan it's time to stuff me up a bit. I didn't have any pâtisserie yet today (!), and I gladly fill this gap. Unfortunately the pastry shop doesn't sell drinks. When I step outside I stumble upon the job seeking girl from the youth hostel. She guards my calorie bombs while I search for drinks, which is not so easy, but I recall the (only) shop where I could still buy some fruits yesterday evening. We chatter along nicely, which stretches the break, but around 4:15 p.m. I have to vraiment get going, to get back before 7:30 p.m. I have trouble finding the right exit (my map is still put away to keep it dry), and in my attempt to avoid the D999 need to ask twice for the route au Col du Minier. Just before I reach the starting point I have a pee and take off my long sleeved shirt. The route from the south is one of the gentlest ways to gain 1000 m in 20 km. I vaguely remember the climb that kept going and going, and how I enjoyed it, when I debuted in 1987. Up 'from there' the clouds are closing in again. I exceed my own expectations as regards the speed I manage (around 12 km/h).

Next project:

1000 m up in 20 km

Last phase

At the top

Down in the rain

Great ride

Pity about the rain

I hope to reach the top before 6:15 p.m., and beat that time by 15 minutes. And that's the last long 'official' climb for three days to come. I also hoped to reach the top (and preferably finish the return) before the rain started, but that hope is in vain. Almost from the start of the descent it rains, and though it isn't pouring like in the morning, with my swift speed (25-45 km/h) soft rain feels like hard rain. It's a nice descent, but again I have to do it in a controlled way. My hands don't like this intermittent braking during 20 km. Moderately wet I reach Le Vigan, a little before 7, well satisfied with this expedition. Given the weather conditions all in all it has been quite an honorable stage. (Certainly one of the very few with two +1000 m climbs!) I buy some yogurt (for breakfast) and Roquefort in 'my' grocery store, and shortly after am back at the youth hostel. I enjoy a warm shower (a solid beam!) to warm up a bit. Tonight I have to share my dorm with two not very communicative girls. Dinner in "Le Grillade" again, where I slightly alter the menu du jour (with the grand salade végétarien I saw put on the table next to mine yesterday). Between the courses I write quite a bit, and afterwards I settle the bill en demi-pension for two days. The boss doesn't charge the beers: "You did not drink wine." He really didn't need to, but this friendly gesture is appreciated.