Ascent 2925ft
Max gradient 14%
Distance 46km
For the fourth time we ascended the mighty Alp3 d'Huez to lift us up sufficient height to traverse Les BAlcons dAuris. This road ws built in 1902 and clings to teh side of teh rock face as if its very life depended on it............ which it does.
You and the drop are kept apart by a 30 inch high concrete wall. Not very useful if you rare sitting on a bike. It is only one carriageway wide and is the scariest road I have ever cycled along. So much so, that I refusd to travel on the correct side of the road even if a car came along, choosing instead to stop, dismount, and wait for it to pass.
Once again, the scenery was awesome. We have many tremendous photos of cliffhanging, switch backing, steeply descending roads to bore friends and families however this one takes the prize.
We seem to be acclimatising to theclimbs as the ascent of Alpe d'Huez to bend 16, which covers the steepest part appeared effortless and we passed several cyclists on the way.
It was a 3000 ft climb which is half the planned daily climb in South Africa and climbed over a distance of 10km. In Cape Epic we wil be climbing 6000ft over 100km albeit off road.
Although,I don't expect we will be travelling through theaves cut through the mountainside as we were today.
Mrs Bigman in growing in pace. After dropping down to Le Freney, we cruised back to Bourg d'Oisans at an average pace of 36km into a headwind.
we enjoyed a fine cup of coffe in our favourite coffee shop whilst chatting to some 'senior' blokes who had been to Monaco to watch the start of the tour, ticked off Mont Ventoux on the way back up, and had just done Alpe d'Huez.
Another group of teaches from Edinburgh completed the Marmottes at the weekend and quite proudly wore their Marmottes jerseys.
Another great day.
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