Cycling With Monsters in France: Friday, June 29

Friday morning started with our now daily breakfast of homemade yogurt, jams, and fresh-baked breads from the local village baker. Another sparkling clear morning of "recovery" cycling awaited a band of eight (while others spent a more muscle-relaxing morning). Our destination was Gordolasque, one of the popular hiking destinations in the region. After the previous day's race-pace hiking we all needed to loosen up the leg muscles. The cycling began with a short climb to the summit of the nearby col followed by a long descent to and through Saint Martin and continuing to a turnoff at the base of our climb to Gordolasque, passing through Belvedere, one of the beautiful perched villages in the region. We began our 3000 ft climb on quiet roads partially shaded by forest cover as the climb lead us to the end of the paved road and numerous hiking trailheads. After a short rest, we headed back down the 3000 ft screaming descent, and headed into Roquebilliere to meet up with the rest of the group for lunch. Don said an early goodbye as he headed off to meet his family, some of us van-shuttled back to our chalet in Valdeblore, and others hung out exploring the town and doing a bit of shopping. Late afternoon was spent on the deck at the Grand Chalet, relaxing, consulting maps, and doing final planning for the coming epic ride the next day, Saturday. -DJK