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Today’s challenge was the Col du Galibier, 2700 m above sea level. The day was not arduous however — there were plenty of opportunities to explore, and to stop at alpine hotels and cafes. At the Col du Lautaret (an offshoot of the Col du Galibier), the University of Grenoble has a very fine alpine botanic garden, which is just off our route. At the Lautaret, the road forks and we turned right. However, some of us had the crazy idea to cycle the 55 km to the top of the most well-known of all TDF climbs: the ascent to the Alpe d’Huez (@90 km).

Today’s ride takes the group through the Queyras- one of the wildest mountain ranges of the French Alps. The cycling is simple: up Col de Vars and then down, then up Col de l’Izoard and down! Col de l’Izoard is one of the toughest Alpine climbs and has featured in many Tour de France races.

Today we’re in the Haut-Alps region in the French Alps, home to some of the best cycling routes in the world! Today we climbed from 200 m to 2200 m over 130 km, dropped back to 1200 m over the last 30 km.

Day 26 was a welcomed rest day in Perthuis where there’s much tradition, with narrow streets, vaulted arches and numerous fountains. Vestiges of the medieval past include a 13th Century tower and a 14th Century defensive wall. We’re back in the saddle on Day 27 to cycle through the heart of the Haute-Provence on an undulating route through scenic villages and amazing landscapes.

Bruce Murray reports on Day 25 – the day following the epic ascent of Mt Ventoux.