Tour de France: Day 30

Day 30 – Briancon -St-Jean-de-Maurienne

It was a beautiful ride up the Col de Galibier today with pleasant conditions at the bottom but fairly cold at the top necessitating a quick complete change of clothes (they get fairly wet with all the sweating) and donning warm gloves, jacket and bootie covers for the long descent down. The Col de Galibier is preceded by the Col de Lautaret. Bruce and another crazy tour member Blair decided to take a left hand turn at the top of the Col de Lautaret instead of a right hand turn (as most of the group took) to the Alpe dHeuz. The ascent of the Alpe dHeuz will be a big day at the office with over 4000 metres climbing. The Col de Lautaret and the Col de Galibier were enough for the remainder of the team. This is the highest altitude we have reached over the duration of the journey to date. Some aspects look similar to Arthurs Pass (New Zealand) but on a much greater scale. It is amazing to witness the traffic up and down the passes by cyclists; motor cyclists; cars and motor homes. The road today is one of the main routes linking France to Germany. Our head guide Axel has worked as a ski guide in this area and he is extremely knowledgeable about the geography and other aspects of the region. We are being extremely well looked after by Global Adventures and the comprehensive information we receive daily regarding the weather; terrain; support available is stunning. As is the the constant unwavering guidance from Sabine who drives the van and ensures we are warm and fed well over the course of the day – not to mention offering moral support and taking fantastic photos. Similarly Renee the bus driver takes the bus into areas we would question taking a car-he is very skilled as a driver and does a stunning job packing and unpacking the bus daily. These guys are working very hard over a 6 week period with minimal rest days – I think the biking is easier! Again the scenery was spectacular as we traversed a huge valley up the two cols and flew past multiple ski fields as we descended down to Saint Jean Maurienne. This was a shorter day than the previous days and we had several leisurely stops with an early arrival at the hotel at 3pm. This enables rest and catching up on communication and having a look around the place where we are staying. Saint Jean Maurienne is known for its cheese and knives. Tomorrow, Day 31 is a challenging day up to the Courchevel Ski field. This ski field is part of the largest linked ski area in the world. It is also the 6th most expensive place in the world with over 6 michelin star restaurants some costing 150 euros per person for a meal – we will not be going there!. We will enjoy our 3 star accommodation and a lovely rest day on day 32. Several of the women on the tour are looking forward to going to the spa for some luxury, to rejuvenate tired bodies and aching muscles. Bring it on!