16 – 07 – 2021,   Saint-Sulpice – Vielle-Aure,   135 km



Saint-Sulpice – Carbonne – Saint-Gaudens – Montréjeau – Vielle-Aure

Simple breakfast, as was to be expected, but okay. Today the last of the three big strides bringing me to the heart of the Pyrenees. I expect an almost flat ride till Montréjeau, for a long while following the Garonne and then very gently going up some 400 meters along the Neste. I must say, less than two weeks later (28-07) when I write about this day this stage hasn't left many images in my head. I just keep following the mentioned rivers (and also, to avoid part of the busy road, the Salat) and see a lot of sunflowers close by, and Pyrenées, first far away, then approaching more and more, until I end up right in the middle of the mountains. Also the weather turns (much) for the better; after two days of strong head winds, and one day with thick clouds and some rain, this day is like the days as I had hoped to find them. Blue skies with beautiful white clouds (I learn from the photos I took). Good day, apart from bad moment no.1 of the tour, five km before the end.

Le Garonne		Heading south
Something else		Le Salat

Tournesols et Pyrenées

Strange duck

. . . . . .

Last sunflower stage

Capens is quickly reached after crossing the gentle ridge (ca. 100 m up) between the Lèze and the Garonne, and this second river of the day I will more or less follow for seventy kilometers of easy cycling. I guess I scored some pâtisserie in Cazères, but if so that did not leave any lasting impression. At least I do change from the left to the right border of the Garonne there. Lunch break is a bit later than planned. I thought for once to buy some stuff in an épicerie and stuff me up with it in a (sunny?) park. I do arrive in Pointis-Inard just in time (12:56 h), normally. I find the shop I was looking for, immortalize the moment with my new Canon camera, to read seconds later that the shop is closed till 5 p.m.   So, I mount JJ for another 7 km till Saint-Gaudens, where I have a delicious lasagna on a crowded terrace. And there it is warm, at least 25 degrees.

Pyrenées are getting closer		Saint-Gaudens
Beautiful clouds		Pyrenées still closer

It's summer again, finally. Till Montréjeau I follow a quasi motor way (though there is an autoroute parallel to it), fight my way up against a crazy steep section there, and quickly find my way (i.e. D938) through the valley of the Neste. I guess I inserted a cooling down break around Barthe-de-Neste, since from the pictures I made I can see there is quite a time gap between Montréjeau and Héchettes, a small village on the east bank of the Neste. And there I really get into the mountains. From 2000 I remember that the road along the Neste gains altitude very gently, and today, with the wind from the north, it almost felt like it isn't going up at all. Trafficwise the D929, leading to the Bielsa tunnel, is not very nice, especially at sections where the shoulders are tiny or non-existent. As I said, I'm lucky with the wind today: it compensates for the grades of 1% to 4%. I notice the road up to the Beyrède pass, to the Aspin pass, stop for a picture of the pont d'Arreau (not as nice as I remembered it), and I am glad when shortly after Arreau I can turn right onto a secondary road, on which I pass the third départ to the right, viz. to Hourquette d'Ancizan.

La Neste		Gorges de la Neste
Arreau		Aïe!

I think I was thinking about all these passes (which one(s) to choose tomorrow?) and about an address to pass the night (for tomorrow I have booked a bed in the gîte d'étape of Bourisp (/Saint-Lary)), so I am not too much focused on the road. And then suddenly I start from my 'doze', am afraid I will get beside the asphalt, don't steer away correctly, and land against the side wall. Which luckily is covered by weeds (among which nettles). I hurt my knee and my right arm (oh no, not my right arm!), but much of the impact is absorbed by the pannier on my handle bar (which made the socket bend off 90 degrees). My arm is okay, my knee a bit sore, with some scratches (and pricks by the nettles) around it. (And I was wearing my helmet!)   So, after having replaced the socket (which luckily worked) and getting some weeds from my brake levers, I continue my trip for the last six or seven km till Vielle-Aure. One turn of asking brings me to the comfortable Aurelia Hotel. They have a room, they have an outdoor swimming pool, they offer a good dinner (I can even have some extra pasta – Vielle-Aure is really a place-to-be for cyclists), but five minutes later I am called from the reception that all the tables are booked (well, part of the tables have to be free because of covid-19). 'They' can reserve a table in a restaurant 200 m away. Within half an hour! This is a pity, since I miss my one opportunity to have a swim, but hey, now I have dinner with a view onto tomorrow's road: the turned V at the beginning of the climb to Pla d'Adet/Col de Portet. After that a short evening walk to the splattering Neste-d'Aure. And by ten o'clock I'm in bed.

First view of le Pla d'Adet

My place for tonight