Just as in Les Saisies, I opted to descend into the valley for breakfast rather than fork out 10 euros for what admittedly would no doubt have been (and was later confirmed as) a delicious start to the day. Unlike Les Saisies, though, the morning was cool (14 degrees) as the valley was narrow and the sun hadn't yet cleared the ridge. Plus my legs were dead because of the lack of carbohydrates in last night's meal (note: pigeon is not a good recovery food!). But this time I knew the road, traffic was light (no cows or trucks), and even the air itself was magnificent - the uncharacteristic lack of cars/motorcycles no doubt contributing to that effect. Once back down to the valley floor I was enjoying the wonderful descent along the river when I ... read more

I had noticed last night that Briancon is surrounded by mountains: there was a summit to look at no matter which direction you faced. This morning that meant starting the day with a 20 km climb to the Col d'Izoard; fortunately there was a block-and-a-half stretch in which we could warm up first. OK, it really wasn't all bad - only a 5-6% grade to start. But after 5km we gave back any elevation we had gained (descending into a slight gorge) before resuming the climb upwards, this time at a slightly steeper pitch. The route eased up a bit just before the summit but the col was absolutely infested with motorcyclists. We see them all the time on the road but still don't get why they high-five themselves for having summited. The initial descent was ... read more

It was markedly cooler following yesterday's rain (yay!) and gloriously sunny this morning, providing excellent conditions for today's assault on Alpe d'Huez. The Alpe isn't the highest or toughest climb around, but it does have a well-earned cachet that puts it on every serious cyclist's to-do list. I last climbed Huez 15 years ago, and I was curious to see what difference the passage of time would make. But first I had to deposit my bag in the hotel across the street from the lovely place where we have stayed the last 2 nights. I found out when I checked in after my ride that our new home is pricier but very much inferior, although I am pleased to report I did manage to reconnect the toilet seat to the toilet. But I digress. The road ... read more

I'm writing this on June 20, which has turned into a rest day in Bourg d'Oisans since we are spending 3 nights here and the forecast for today is not as good as tomorrow's. So to try and catch up: After supper in Valloire we were met by Brice from the Routes des Grandes Alpes office who had earlier (when we were researching things) expressed interest in our trip - as in he thought he would do a promotional video starring us! We were hoping he could provide some inside information about the state of the Col du Galibier since to this point it was still closed, but we had been hearing rumours of its imminent opening. In fact in the morning he actually drove up to see what the deal was, and of course I ... read more

Not only am I actually writing this Tuesday from Valloire, but I really should mention the fine meal we had Sunday night in Les Saisies: the hotelier even provided several huge bowls of pasta gratis, since he understood the caloric demands of cyclists. Now on to recapturing Monday's events (photos to be added as I catch up)... As feared, snow conditions caused us to scramble to change plans, and fortunately we were able to secure accommodations to replace the ones we had booked in Val d'Isere (that were now completely inaccessible). So rather than sleeping high up, we would be sleeping near the river in the valley. New directions to our new destination were written up, and copies distributed. This should have resulted in a ridiculously easy day, starting with a 30 km descent from Les ... read more