Tour de France: Day 19
Day 19 Oloron – Ste Marie – Lourdes
People have been planning for this for a few days with extra carbo loading, electrolytes bought and cleaning of bikes. The day dawned fine and started early with the first group leaving at 6.45am. The next group at 7.30am and the last at 8am. The day was broken into the three major climbs Col de Marie Blanque 14km, Col d’Aubisque 16km, and the last Hautacom 15km. All in all this was a day of 137km and some of it especially going up Hautacom in a warm rain event with lightening, and thunder echoing around the mountains. This combined with surrounding cloud gave a truly aerie feel to the last part of the day.
The climbs are not like anything we do in NZ. They are long and consistent. The first Marie Blanque was a consistent 10% in places but at the top as with most of the climbs we were greeted with the sight of sheep, cattle and horses feasting on meadow grass. The down hills are long as well. We have to rug up as dropping for 20kms of little activity drops your core temperature quite quickly. After a stop at the bottom with coffee and food it was on to the Aubisque.
The climb up the Aubisque was peppered with some 13% climbs the went for a few kms but overall it was a good 10-11% the whole way. We enjoyed the top although the cloud was rolling in and out and had another chance to refuel. We then had a long decent to a town below Hautecom where more fuel was taken on board for the final push.
When we took off it was in fine weather but the dark clouds surrounding the mountains suggested other weather. We started the climb with the sound of rolling thunder and cloud darkening. After about 5km it really started to rain and I got the jacket on and popped some gels. From there it was a spin to the 13k mark that heralded the carpark and the finish to the first mountain stage of this trip. I arrived in cloud so thick it was hard to make out the carpark and finish sign. It was not long however before the cloud rolled back to reveal the surround peaks, ski field and arrival of the others with huge smiles signaling the accomplishment of the first major mountain stage.
