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.
This was a big day due to 108kms riding on hilly terrain followed by a 4 hour bus transfer to Carpentras from the end point of our ride (a town called Revel). The high temperatures of 32-34 degrees continued. The high temperatures combined with a high level of humidity made challenging riding. The views of the countryside were spectacular and this helped ensure the riding was very enjoyable. There were many acres of sunflowers and some lovely fruit at the morning tea stop-including peaches and nectarines. Total climbing was 1581 metres. Due to the long day we enjoyed a late dinner followed by an early night in preparation for the next day of riding to Salut.
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