An epic day - Alp D'Huez, Lauteret and Galibier

Well today was our biggest mountain day of the trip.

Weather forecast was very poor and we all packed two sets of riding clothes and spare casual clothes as we were expected to get drenched.

Set off from Claviere where we are staying in Italy and drove down to Briancon (which they raced up in the TdF today from Gap) to spectacular mountain views and snow capped mountains. Much better than yesterday's rain.

Onwards to drive up and over the 2000 m high Lauteret Col (Col means pass in French). However the weather had other ideas and it was closing in fast.

As we approached the Lauteret Col, it started raining and the Dutch / Belgian convoy of campervans was being obscured as you tracked the road from Lauteret up to Galibier (one of the highest mountain passes in Europe at 2600 m). In fact, the road up to Galibier was closed according to the electronic sign and we were supposed to bus it or ride it from the base of Alp D'Huez (Bourg D'Oisans) back to this point after our ascent and descent of the A D'Huez.

As we approached Bourg D'Oisans, we started to become a little hopeful as the rain eased off. Quick check of everything and we were onto the bikes to ride Alp D'Huez !! Only a warm up of a few hundred metres and straight into 11% and the first of many gradients. Hairpin after hairpin with the gradient mostly around 9 to 11% and dropping to 7 ish on the hairpins. Past the famous Dutch Corner at Hairpin 9 to the cheers of the orange crowd suitably lubricated at 10 am already.

Unfortunately yours truly took the wrong turn a few hundred metres from the top and I came around the other side to meet up with the others who went the correct way. Doh !! Major Doh. The video reveals no signposts and my error was following the rider in front. When it became obvious that I'd taken the wrong turn, too painful to descend and take the correct turn (i.e.  no turn).

We'd decided to take the bus back down the slope as it was pretty wet and slippery and jump back on the bikes from there. I decided I'd do everything offered today as it was super spectacular and plenty of climbs to test the legs. The ride back from Bourg D'Oisans, we knew would be mostly uphill back to Lauteret as we'd driven these roads in the opposite direction in the bus but Mmmm it really was uphill all the way. Here's what I mean with some pics from the bus showing the descent.

However once I saw so much water from rivers and waterfalls coursing their way downhill, I got really nervous when I saw the dam and that only means the elevation change is all one way.

So how was the ride back ?
Well I might let the Garmin graphs tell their own story:

What this image shows is that after the descent of Alp D'Huez, we essentially rode 50 kms uphill with the final 8 kms from the Col Du Lauteret to the top of Gailbier.

It really was an epic day with 5 hours ride time, incl,  a 1 hour 10 mins ascent of Alp D'Huez and 3200 metres of climbing.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100531434


However that 42 kms from the base of Alp D'Huez to Lauteret was super spectacular and the sun was beating down on us with beautiful vistas. You have to imagine winding your way up valleys with every turn revealing another awe inspiring set of peaks with rocky crags, glaciers and snow capped tops. Here's just one example:

Along that 42 kms, there were a few villages and by this time Dare, Wade (cyclingtipsblog) and I had been grinding away for what seemed like hours and we stumbled (almost literally) into a small shop and bought Colas and Mars Bars / Snickers Bars. The chocolate was only sold in bundles of 4 and we thought what the heck but you know we ate them all at the shop and on the road.

Once we made it to Lauteret and refuelled, I was determined to give Galibier a go. After all it was only 600 m of elevation, 8 kms and from 2000 m of altitude to 2600. One of the most specatacular rides I'd done as it turned out and even rivalling Aubisque. Sorry no pics but plenty, plenty of video footage captured which I'll work up in due course. Le Tour takes in Galibier twice (later today as I write this as a stage finish and tomorrow on the way to Alp D'Huez). Don't miss that coverage. The helicopters will be out in force as the weather forecast is good and it will be an awesome showdown amongst the GC riders. Go CADEL.

To conclude, two final pics from the top of Galibier.

How remiss of me !! A final word from our former cycling pro Eric as we passed him on the bus expressing his sentiments about deciding to ride from Lauteret back to the hotel up and over yet another series of hairpin climbs !!