The Debora Matthews Fellowship

After the Galibier I need this. It’s a beautiful day here in Monetier. The climb wasn’t so bad after all. It took me about 2.5 hrs to do the 1200m. The others did it about an hour quicker of course. I did it without any rest stops, just a couple to replenish the water bottle from the support crew and one comfort break. Apart from being a bit breathless at the top I didn’t really notice the altitude that much. I had sprinted a bit to get there which might have been something to do with it. It was cold at the top too. I found Frankie sitting in his sleeping bag waiting for me. The cold certainly made the top section of the descent a bit less than comfortable. For me it was just a bit too steep, cold, bumpy, twisty and windy to be enjoyable. Once we joined the main road to Monetier and Briancon it was a different story though. 20km without having to pedal or touch the brakes! Surprisingly I recorded the top speed 68km/hr.
Sadly now Paddy, Min and Sarah have left us to return to England. Their support has been invaluable and I’m not sure I would have managed all the cycling without Paddy’s help and leadership. Thanks little bro’.
Debora’s brother Rob and wife Val have now arrived to support us over into Italy.
Another person to whom big thanks are due is Mel Crosby who runs Eurekaski in Monetier. Mel has lent us an apartment for us for last night and tonight. She and her husband Gavin (who runs the New Generation ski school in Monetier) are both old friends of Debora and myself. Thanks also to Paul Smith of the Hotel Rif Blanc and the Alpen Bar for his hospitality.
Now sorting out routes for Italy.

Quick blog for now as spent too much time in the bar and restaurant to get wifi going. Anyway we did it and it wasn’t so bad. It’s a bit of a bugger at the top, but by then adrenalin gets you up it. The 12km from the top of the Col du Lauteret to Monetier is about the most fun you can have on a bike. It’s all downhill and not too twisty. 2hrs on the Grands Bains is pretty good therapy too
More tomorrow.

OK So how to describe the Col du Telegraph? Well imagine the sort of hill you can just ride up for more than a hundred yards without having to get off, and then imagine having to ride up it for an hour and a half. That was more or less it. It was very satisfying getting to the top tho’. For the Motty’s amongst you it was 23km of cycling with 1030m of climbing from when we set off to the top. Although the steep bit was only 12km and 846m.
We’re now in the ski resort of Valloire which is a very attractive place in the mountains, and might well be worth a visit one winter. We’re about 100m below the col at around 1400m which means it’s a lot chillier than we’re used to. The fleece has come out for the first time in a fortnight. When we set off this morning it was light rain which was good for cooling for me, and cleared later on, so we did get good views. There was a very heavy shower not long after we arrived, but fortunately we managed to get the tents up before it hit.
Any animal news today? Well there’s a very pretty Brittany Spaniel opposite us on the campsite, and we saw an eagle, but not much else of note.
You may have noticed I’m avoiding mentioning the Galibier. In a nutshell it’s the Telegraph on steroids. I’m starting to thing that if my cruciate ligaments don’t snap (they’re the bits that hurt the most) then I might make it. Not sure how the altitude will affect things, so far not really noticeable, but probably not high enough to make much of a difference yet.
Need to get the weather forecast before my battery runs out so I will report tomorrow.

Apropos of nothing a man has just gone past walking a Siamese cat on a lead on a campsite 560m up in the Savoie Alps. Does seem to be an animal theme to some of these blogs. Reminds me that a few days ago we pulled into a lay-by and Frankie saw a snake motionless on a rock which he presumed dead, but which then slithered off so we presumed it wasn’t. From the markings it was an adder.
The heat has returned today, and our new-found navigation skills disappeared at the same time. Took large deviations trying to get through Chambery. Some of the cycle path signs were far from helpful though. What we thought was a linked route turned out to be a loose association of ideas. Still we made it through and then had a blast up the valleys of the Isere and Arc rivers. Gentle climbing nearly all the way, but with a fantastic tailwind behind us all the way we made very good time afterwards.
Now busy carb loading for the Col du Telegraphe tomorrow.

Brief blog from phone again as no wifi. Suffice it to say cycled up to 914m and it really wasn’t that bad, although the 15km back down were more fun. Certainly the longest I’ve ever ridden a bike at that speed. 5hrs to do 80km. Bit tired but all still working.

Two things you’re doubtless wondering: what happened to day 8 (it was the rest day), and where on earth is Poncin (a little village on the Ain river just as you go into the Jura mountains)? Ok I flatter myself that you wonder about anything at all, but I live in hopes.
Today was another relatively straightforward ride mostly almost flat and with a very favourable wind. A bit of a sting in the tail as there were a couple of hills right at the end as we entered the hilly bit. There will be a lot more of that tomorrow as we have our first really hilly day. We’re currently at just over 200m altitude and climb up to just short of 1000m before coming almost all the way down again to Aix-les-Bains. As so far our highest point has been 567m, you will appreciate that this means stepping things up a gear (well down actually if I had any more to step down to, unfortunately vie been using all my lowest gears for days now.
Had another version of the ice-bath treatment today, swimming in the river. It was refreshing to say the least. The weather forecast is for rain showers tomorrow morning, which if it keeps me cool I will not complain about.
Wish my knees good luck.

En route in Northern France

Maybe it will work better if I split some out.

It was hot!

Doing the laundry

Now what ?

Nice place for lunchAnother day another camp