Stage 3: Day 20: Warmup and Rest!
Posted onGavi Warm Up Loop – Distance 28km / 17mi | Elevation: 474m / 1555ft A great shorter but challenging ride as we rolled around the stunning vineyards. With beautful vistas this ride was primarily for those coming in for stage 3 to test their wheels and prepare for the ride ahead. We did a short […]
Day 19: “life is good in Gavi”…
Posted onOn the Road – Distance: 113km I 70miles I Elevation: 2343m I 7687ft Leaving Alba( home of Nutella) we once more enjoyed the stunning ridge lines afforded by the Langhe hills as we headed into the Monferrato towards Acqui Terme. However the day started out overcast and by lunch it started raining, which continued for […]
Day 18: Piedmont Perfection…and Barolo!!
Posted onOn the Road – Distance: 87km I 54miles I Elevation: 1021m I 3350ft Our ride today took us into the heart of the Piedmont region along some of the most stunning ridge lines a cyclist can find. We headed into the region of Monferrato and crossed the Tanaro River on our way to the famed […]
Day 17: Au Revoir France, Ciao Italie!!
Posted onOn the Road – Distance: 82km I 51miles I Elevation: 1134m I 3720ft We headed out of our little hamlet towards Col Agnel – it is a long gradual climb but the descent was worth every minute of pain. This is probably the longest descent in Europe! It is again beautiful mountain scenery –quiet villages, […]
Day 16: Let’s do 3 More!……Lautaret, Galibier, Izoard
Posted onOn the Road – With Col du Galibier – Distance: 105km / 65m | Elevation: 2994m / 9823ft A serious climbing day with Col du Galibier as a mid-morning optional loop. After climbing into the Haute Alpes Isère we then descended for 30km into the pleasant town of Briançon for lunch. After lunch we took […]
Day 15: La Grave….Rest Day
Posted onSep 6 As we all ‘lick our wounds’ so to speak after 4 really tough ride days, I would be remiss if I did not put one last shot of fabled Alpe d’Huez…. The village of La Grave has settled its stone and slate houses on a sunny slope in the heart of the Massif […]
Day 14: No Turning Back Now!
Posted onOn the Road – Alpe d’Huez: Distance – 128km I 80miles I 3689m I 12,103ft This was by far the toughest ride day of the trip so far….we climbed almost 5 Cols: Col de Cornillon, Col d’Ornon, Alpe d’Huez and 1/2 of Col de Lautaret!… over 12,000ft of climbing. Last night though was fun staying […]
Day 13: Transition to the Alps
Posted onOn the Road – Distance: 111km I 69miles I Elevation: 2179km I 7149ft Heading north up through the foothills of the Alps we rode into the Drȏme region. The mountains loomed all around us as we aimed for Chichilianne, a tiny French town nestled in a valley between the Vercors and Écrins National Parks. The […]
Day 12: Slayed the Giant Again!
Posted onOn the Road – Ventoux – Distance: 123km I 76 miles I Elevation: 2366m I 7762ft Today we headed north towards the Alps. After a coffee in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where we grabbed some bottles for a later tasting…. our route skirted the ‘Giant of Provence’, otherwise known as Mont Ventoux. Whilst we don’t imagine that Hannibal […]