Day 5 - The final one. From Prades to Cerbère

Distance travelled: 53.8 miles
Average speed: 16.6 mph
Max speed: 35.5 mph
Time in saddle: 3 hours 14 min.

Last day and nice easy morning ride to the Med. Needing to get there before 1pm in order to complete the whole Pyrénéan raid in the 100 hour time limit.
Weather was once again fantastic and ensuring that the Yanks were not leading the way, very little could go wrong.
The route today was not good, at times we seemed to be cycling along the hard shoulder of the motorway.
A quick drinks break halfway in and just 25 miles left.
Not long until we finally saw the sea, but with a further 10 miles cycling along the coast road, which was up and down all the way, going through some lovely bays.
The speed was high and my legs were suffering from a cumulative effect, finally getting to the finish line with 45 minutes to spare.
Pictures taken and obligatory swim in the sea and the off to the nearby bar for beers and Pizzas. Stayed there all afternoon, gorgeous and should really be done more often.
Then, that was it, packed bike away and travel back.
Many thanks if anyone read my blog. Sorry it has not had much humour in it, the rides were tough and at times my sense of humour was lost!
I'm sure I upset some of the fellow riders on route with my comments, but that's me. Operate mouth first, think later.
All the best, Russ (writing this whilst Dave is buying train tickets. We may not be back soon!)

Day 4 - St Giron to Padres

Distance travelled: 115 miles
Average speed: 12.2 mph
Max speed: 34.5 mph
Time in saddle: 9 hours 20 min.

What a day. Over nine hours of peddling and with a few stops on route meant we left at 8.30am and got back at 8.00pm !
This was the second hardest day of the week, the day the Tourmalet was conquered being the toughest.
Thought I would post a couple of photos of a tractor and a caravan spotted on route. For all those that have read my previous blog will know how much I like spotting them.
The cols were long, but not quite as steep today. Lessons learnt on route today were as follows;
1. Don't follow the Yanks, this time when they went wrong, nobody followed them. Meaning only they had to do an extra 10 miles.
2. Old ladies in restaurants will deny having any form of stamp for the on route card unless you buy a drink. We didn't, she denied having the stammer. Others enjoyed her cokes and got their card stamped. Surprised the place was open at all, most of France seems to be shut once more. Or as the Yanks seem to think, abandoned!
3. When you go downhill from the mountain top and here something fall off your bike, remember not too get too worried next time.
4. Dead boars in the middle of the road don't smell good.
5. Reaching what we thought was civilisation once more, one of the Yanks thought he would stroll over the road for his McDonalds fix at 10pm. Sadly, like the rest of France, SHUT !
Last day Friday, with just 50 miles to do and a swim in the sea. Feeling good, but maybe wearing my best pants as no swimming trucks have been purchased. Maybe I should purchase some budgie smugglers and do my Daniel Craig impression coming out of the Med.
Aureviour until tomorrow.

Day 3 - Grippe to St Girons

Distance travelled: 91.3 miles
Average speed: 13.3 mph
Max speed: 35.7 mph
Time in saddle: 6 hours 49 min.

Firstly, welcome aboard our latest reader Geoff Howe to my blog who has joined us late after a few technical issues.
Day 3 was a lovely hot summers day and without cutting the blog short, pretty much similar to the previous day, plenty of climbing and plenty of descending. Only overshot one corner on the way down, fortunately no big drop!
Coming up the Col des Ares a couple of minutes behind Dave and some of the rest, seemed to have missed all the excitement after a wild Bull had rampaged through the cafe area and it was everyone for themselves. Fortunately being late and wearing red was a good thing.
Going up the Col de Portet d'Aspet, this one was not too long, only about 8km, but bloody hell was it steep. Some people were saying 18 percent in gradient, just Damn tough if you ask me. Picture above is of me getting to the top.
Once there, it was an easy 25mile ride down to the finish.
Apologies for those people who don't like me mixing miles with km's, but its toughet when your route map is in km's and your bike computer is in miles.
Sorry and don't be so anal !

Day 2 - Oloron St Marie to Gripp

Distance travelled: 102 miles
Average speed: 11.3 mph
Max speed: 35.6 mph
Time in saddle: 8 hours 56 min.

With four mountains (Cols) to climb today, it was going to be a tough day, didn't realise how bloody tough though. Leaving at 9am weather was already looking like it was going to be a hot one.
With our guide for the day hanging back to wait for a late starter, we (Dave and myself) decide the best option is to follow the four yanks in our group as one of them had done the tour before.
First big mistake of the day. The first col, which was the Col du Marie Blanc didn't really seem to be much of a climb, in actual fact just a bit of undulating road. After about 30 miles we all realised that we had in actual fact skirted around the col and therefore 'cheated'. The Yanks and Aussies in our group decided to stuff it and carry on regardless, but being English and daft, Dave and myself concluded we should back and complete the 12km climb, thus adding another 24km to the day. A canadian joined us for good measure. Still feeling fresh, seemed a great idea. Got to the top, photos taken to show the Yanks and Aussies they had only cheated themselves, we could then go back to where we were 90 minutes before.
Next climb of the day was the big Col d'Aubisque (1709). A long old climb, but managed to get into the middle of a group of Danish riders. Going really well till they explained to me that this was their last climb of the day and for them they could give it their all. At that point, I was out the back like a flash as I still had the monster to finish.
Getting to the top for lunch everything seemed fine, descending still slow as my new bike is for too fast for the speed of my brain.
Getting to the bottom of the Col du Tourmalet and just 18km to the top, there was just three of us, Dave, John (an aussie that skipped the first climb) and myself. We were a spent force. Around 8km to go and we could barely make headway, with me using the 'are we nearly there yet' helpful technique and wanting to stop whenever we could. Everyone kept telling us, last 3km are a killer. We got there, rebuilt our broken bodies and pushed hard. Actually, just the last 500m were really tough.
Made it to the top, everything shut as we were so damned late, just a 12km roll down the hill, which included having to miss sheep, cows, alpacas and various other assortment of animals.
Into the hotel and were told dinner was ready as we were late!
Without doubt, hardest physical day of my life. These little legs can't take much more of this punishment!

Day 1 - Hendaye to Orolon St Marie

Distance travelled: 92.3 miles
Average speed: 16.1 mph
Max speed: 36.5 mph
Time in saddle: 5 hours 44 min.

Set off from the atlantic, might has well started in it, as it rained so bloody hard. With my new American beauty as my bike, and not used to here, she was having to be treated with kid gloves down the hills. At one point she did get a little fed up with me and tried her best to throw me off going down hill.
Rained for the best part of the day, with the tractor spotting banned from this years ride, I found it really hard not to take a photo of a Lambourgini tractor spotted on route.
Highlight of the day without doubt was seeing a European Vulcher flying along side the road with us for about 50 metres. Those things are big, real big.
Anyway, finished the day with plenty of food and wine, in prep for tomorrow.
Pic of bike i am on above.
Russ

Raid Pyrenéen - September 2011

The trip this year is as follows:
From the Atlantic to the Med across the Pyrénées.
100 hours
720 kms.
11,000 metres of climbing.

Sounds easy!