For some reason while I was in the shower at the end of Day 4 the thought that nobody had punctured this week went through my mind…that will have jinxed it no doubt!
We had the not so small matter of the Hautacam to face on the final day of the trip. This climb is 16 kilometres long at an average gradient of 7%. The gradient is very changeable over the climb which makes it hard to settle into a rhythm if you are racing, so I’m told!
The weather had closed in and very soon after starting the climb we were in the clouds. It didn’t feel cold because of the exertion of the climb but the mist was dense and wet.
As we reached about half way I felt a bump on my back wheel and looked back to see…yes, you guessed it…I had a puncture! I thought it might get me to the top as it seemed to be holding air but was just a bit too soft. I pumped it up and got going again but within 300 meters it was flat again. On inspection the tyre had a nasty gash on the side so it needed a new tube and the tyre also needed replacing.
After a short wait for the car Mike quickly changed the tyre and tube and we got back on our way.
Hautacam was a challenge but eventually we reached the ski station and passed through the car park and on to the observatory at the summit.
I enjoyed Hautacam and found that the variation of gradient actually helped as I was able to get a breather in the less steep sections. It’s amazing that 5% almost feels like downhill when you’ve come off a 9.5% slope! It goes without saying that if I had been racing it wouldn’t have felt any easier…I would have just gone faster, to miss-quote LeMond!
After a quick rest at the top and some food I decided to get a lift back down in the car.
I had removed my glasses during the climb as the mist on the lenses meant I couldn’t see through them. Even with my eyesight it’s not a problem when climbing at under 10 kilometres per hour but probably not such a good idea when descending in the wet!
To cap off the jinxing Mike had the second puncture of the week on the descent!
At the bottom of the climb I got back on my bike to ride the rest of he way back to the house.
As it was the final night we were eating out. The team drove us to the highly regarded La Viscos Restaurant in the lovely (and beautifully lit) village of Saint Savin. The food was fantastic!
So this brought my Pyrenäen adventure to a close. The week was amazing, challenging and fun. Mike and the team did such a fantastic job and made the whole experience very special.
Brilliant cycling, great company, home cooked food, fantastic weather and the wonderful Pyrénées. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ll definitely be heading back to the mountains soon! Or at least as soon as I’ve got a new cassette…and lost 10 kilos!
A bientot!
Well done on completing the ride sounds a great way to see the mountains. I