Rides....
Sunday
Race day
Up at 6.15 and ready and out in the car to the start point – one of many around the 80K circuit – its was a crisp bright cool morning and we got registered and sorted the bikes out and met up with the rest of the crew – 16 in total. We headed off at 8.30 (no start line – you just head off and finish at the same place!) and enjoyed the first of many downhill run’s – plenty of riders out on the course – and the sun getting hotter and hotter – the day simply progressed as one downhill after the next with breaks in between at the chair lifts where free refreshments were provided – some superb cheeses, ham, breads, chocolate , energy drinks and water. There was one exception, where me made our way along a ridgeline high in the Alps down through Switzerland into Chapel and Champery – views that I cannot describe nor any photo could do justice….. We splintered off into slow , medium and mad downhill groups and I was with a group of 5 guys – for me by the last few runs I was a bit tired of the constant downhill – mentally more than physically and we pushed hard to get the chairlifts before close at 5.15 – but we made it and it was something to say we completed it all in the allotted time, no broken bones, and for the most part it was quite enjoyable, for sure if it had rained the tracks would be a nightmare as they were mainly soil based – but as I said we enjoyed a hot and sunny day. It took its toll though and I was in bed by 9
Pics were few – and others took more than me to be uploaded later. There are at my photobucket account – linked here :
Monday
A very leisurely morning – supermarket to buy fresh croissants and more coffee – sat out on the veranda watching the sun come up and hearing the church bells ring across the valley – some of the guys decided to join me on a simple cross country ride out of one of the books I had bought from the Tourist Info on Friday – just under 40K with a few chair lifts and mostly ambling downhill – unfortunately we lost a rider who shot off in the distance and took a wrong turn – or thought anyway that’s where we should be going – perhaps I made the mistake of saying ‘we need to follow the sign to X’ but not stating clearly that’s not the destination just the way to go before turning off – not willing to ride back he decided to go his own way, and I felt a bit guilty about it – but today was about riding together and not hammering it out of sight….
The ride was superb and the weather too – a few laughs and jokes along the way and ending up at a lovelly lake outside of Montriond – where we stopped for ice cream and Coca-cola Light ® and soak up some sun…some of the guys enjoying a dip in the pool, before heading back to the chalet for a cuppa and a snooze….
