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We didn’t cross a country border today, but we did cross a very distinct language border! After about 25 km we rode past the Murtensee (Lake Murten), and from one village to the other everybody speaks Switzer- German. However, it is more than just a change of language: the culture changed too. We’ve now ridden through the part of the world that is often described as ‘more German than Germany’. This district (Jura and Three-Lakes) is incredibly scenic, with its azure skies, mountains, lakes, and vineyards.

Today we cycled the Swiss ‘Three Lake Tour’. Starting from Bulle, we passed Lake Gruyère and ride back down to Lake Geneva. After the strenuous days in the Alps, today was a pleasant change with only 62km of riding and not too much climbing.

The passes are now getting smaller by the day as the tour makes it’s way to Switzerland – we join Tui and Bruce again as they provide us with an account of their time on TDF2014 from the beautiful spa town of Evian to Bulle in Switzerland where they will spend three days.

A rest day today is a welcomed opportunity to stay off the bike! We’re in the Savoie and Haute-Savoie regions who claim to have some of the best cheeses of France.

Our destination today is one of the worlds’ most exclusive ski resorts. Our ride links the Arc Valley with the Isere Valley over the 2000 m high Col de La Madelaine. During the middle stage of the day, we’ll negotiate our way through the very busy valley floor of the Isere Valley. The Savoie and Haute-Savoie regions feature one of the highest densities of ski areas anywhere in the world, with roads shooting up into the mountain everywhere. We will find a nice place for lunch in Brides-les-Bains, a spa resort at the foot of our last climb. Our final ascent is to Courchevel 2000 (its altitude in metres); the highest of the 3 ski stations that make up Courchevel. It’s a tough challenge, and we’ll have well and truly earned our rest day tomorrow.