An ‘easy’ day ahead…well that is what Jeff and I were hoping for as we were shuttled out to where we were to start La Hourquette d’Ancizan.
With fresh legs Jeff and I started. Any climb that takes the cyclist up to over 1500 meters will be far from ‘easy’ in the true sense of the word. The climb has sections at over 11%. But with those fresh legs, beautiful weather and the Pyrenäen landscapes it was relatively ‘easy’.
After posing for photos with the donkeys at the top of Hourquette it was time to head down and to our next climb…the truly stunning Col d’Aspin.
At the bottom of the descent we stopped at Arreau for a coffee to catch our breath before taking on Aspin.
The Col d’Aspin from Arreau is a 12 kilometre climb at an average gradient of 6.5%. It had some added difficulty today as the temperature was in the low 30s. It was very hot! I rode it with the Norwegian guide Knut who bravely dug deep and managed to keep my wheel all the way! Great ride Knut!
The Aspin was fantastic despite the extreme temperatures. A beautiful road surface and the now familiar landscapes on the way up. The big surprise for me was the sheer majesty of the 360 degree view from the summit! Absolutely spectacular.
After some well earned sustenance we headed down the other side. The fast descent was peppered with patches gravel thoughtfully placed near the apex of some of the bends…just to keep us on our toes! Kirill (correct spelling) had a very close call with a motorcycle cutting one of the corners. Whilst we all got down safely it was a reminder of how easy it would be to get hurt on one of these descents.
The ride turned out not to be too easy as the Col d’Aspin was a hard climb, particularly the last 7 kilometres. But once back at the house there was time to chill and have a Normatec session to help our legs recover before dinner. And hopefully be ready for the mighty Col du Tourmalet tomorrow.
A bientot!
