Cycling With Monsters in France: Saturday, June 30

Today's entry is courtesy of guest blogger Philip V.....

We are sitting in the Nice airport now (Sunday). We had to come in shifts so we could get all of our luggage, bikes and people here and thus a few of us have been here since 8:30am for a 1:30pm flight! It's okay though, we are so tired from yesterday, that we are just hanging out until we can check in. Yesterday was yet one more epic day that can hardly be adequately described. We had a last breakfast at the chalet and then said goodbye to Luc and Christine, our hosts. We then head down the Col du St. Martin and through the valley for a 16 mile downhill until we started a 9 mile climb up the Col de La Porte. It was already in the high 80s as we climbed and the canyon was very much like Santa Barbara, hot and dry but with almost no homes or any development. About 1 mile before the top of the Col, we stopped at a tiny rural farm, Auberge La Gabelle, for a 3 hour lunch. Starting with Orange wine aperitif, we then had a first course of Chevre with mint, sautéed green beans, prosciutto from their local pigs, and pork terrine. Next was tiny ravioli with meat and cheese. The third course was lamb with potatoes julienne and salad. The next course was all of their home made chevres, and the final course was a choice of berry tart, lemon tart, or flan, followed by coffee and a strong shot of some kind of liqueur. Everything was home made and fabulous! We then lay down in the shade for about an hour for a brief nap before remounting for the remaining 55 miles! And this is at 4pm!

After finishing the 1 mile to the top of the Col, we enjoyed a 20 minute twisting turning descent through a few medieval, hillside towns (the names o which I didn't pick up because we were going too fast). While the Spinsters started another 9 mile climb up the Col du Braus in the hot, 90+ degree canyon, the Cranksters van shuttled to the top saving themselves for the final climb, stopping at the top for the obligatory photo but with Ian and Peter W, our support crew raising the shuttled bikes over their heads (after all they did the heavy lifting getting the bikes and van to the top of this climb, so the reward is all theirs :))

After cresting this Col, we got to enjoy another thrilling down hill and finally some semi flat over to the Col du Castillon and then down to the each at Menton back at sea level! As Peter, our teammate who set up the trip said, as soon as we passed through the tunnel at the top of the Col du Castillon, it was like going back through the door at Narnia, back into real life, including more traffic as we neared the coast.

So there we are at sea level, with 57 miles behind us, but instead of staying at sea level along the coast to home, we started the ascent of the Col de la Madone, one of Lance Armstrong's favorite climbs. The 3,300 foot climb took an hour (longer at Crankster pace) and pretty much consumed the last of our energies. At the crest, there is a bronze sculpture of the Madonna with a poem to peace made from old shrapnel. From the top of the Col, we were rewarded with a thrilling descent to Beaulieu Sur Mer with high speed switchbacks and unparalleled views of the Mediterranean. Everyone made it safely home, amazing considering all the high speed descending we've all done this week!

We dropped our bikes at Peter's sister-in-law's house, put on our bathing suits, and walked to the beach to jump in the Mediterranean for a refreshing dunk. Peter ordered a stack of pizzas for the group to devour while packing bikes and getting ready for the trip home until about 11:30 pm at which point the exhausted group hit the sack for a few hours before heading off to the airport.