Day 4: Saturday 7-16-2011 Pyrenees Mnts: Col de Latrape

Day 4:  Saturday    7-16-2011   Pyrenees Mnts:   Col de Latrape

Day / date / Location: 

Miles on bike:    Up the Col de Latrape; Difficulty index 67; Cat 2;  7.2% gradient;     2hr 22 min       Elevation gain:  3794      

                               

                                Total miles today:  25.63      Total miles for trip:  323.98

$ toward Pledges at 0.026 per foot gained:   14,975 x 0.026 =  $389.35

Highlights:  Depart quant Beaudean at 8 AM;  ride at 9:30

We need to be at the viewing point by 1:30 before caravan closes the road.   The whole group (13) followed the tour route along a picturesque mnt river in a valley for about 10 miles.  Then up the Col de Latrape; Difficulty index 67; Cat 2;  7.2% gradient; 5.6 kilometers,  Today is sunny and hot.  Tim made it up the whole way to the summit!  Good for him!

Again riding on closed roads is SO nice.  And the downhill from Latrape was excellent, meaning fast. 

Our picnic & view point wss 1.5k up Col d’Agnes (8.2%) from 1:45 - 3:15PM;  So Tim had his second flat (rear this time) at the bottom of d’Agnes so he got out of riding up.   He wasn’t sad.  Great picnic location; satellite TV, food, good uphill viewing location for the race…

The TDF caravan threw us lots of goodies, and the racers were inches away from us going uphill. They do work hard.   Of course the photos are great.  Our group got a discarded Thor Husvald water bottle and a Thomas Voekler’s ear piece.  He is the TDF race leader.  We then got on the bikes for the short downhill to the bus and the LONG ride to Carcassonne. 

We arrived at the hotel 8:00; dinner was 9 – 11:30 in the Carcassonne Castle (built in 1032) at a high class restaurant.  Amazing!   It was another satisfying day.

Back at the hotel at midnight; one quick email and to bed! 

Tomorrow is early again…..