Day 11 Chichiliane to Bourg d’Oisans

I went to bed last night after a great meal ready for a deep sleep,  but first had to listen to an elderly french gentleman’s loud phone conversation in the room next door, followed very soon afterwards by a cacophony of snoring. The dilapidated hotel was far from sound proof and my ear plugs were essential. His alarm went off at full volume at 6.45am and I could have cheerfully throttled him. I therefore started the day tired and grumpy but fortunately the scenery worked its magic on my mood.

We said goodbye to Dylan and Mike who were heading back to Provence,  so it was back to an intrepid cycling duo with Allessandro as van support.
I also had a good chat with some gorgeous, friendly donkeys.



The first col of the day had a relatively friendly gradient so the creaking body mostly co-operated.

The scenery really was spectacular along a river gorge.







We had a coffee stop in Valbonnais before heading up the Col d’Ornon which was the hill that just kept giving! It started off with a 3% gradient and was really rather pleasant until it ramped up and became really rather painful.

10 miles later...



The descent was steep with sharp hairpins, so I was hanging onto my brakes whilst Neil happily flew down to Bourg d’Oisans. 

The optional extra for the afternoon was the Alpe d’Huez but the combination of a knackered body and forecast storms made that an easy option to resist. Weather permitting, that iconic climb can be tackled tomorrow!






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