Fargo and Away

What an incredible day of riding! I don’t even know where to begin. Maybe I’ll start with our lunch conversation at the top of the Col du Tourmalet.

To a person, we were all thinking about how fortunate we are that we can take trips like this, make climbs like this, be together like this. We feel thankful for our partners and families back home who support us in these adventures. We feel blessed for the health and physical fitness we have to climb 8000 feet in a day. We are grateful that we are in a stage of life that we have the time and means to pursue these goals. And we feel so lucky to have found a group of good people who share the same ideas about how to spend a good portion of our leisure time.

The Tourmalet climb was on the bucket list for most of us. For cyclists who like to climb, it is almost always on their top 10 list of to-dos. The Tourmalet is long, it is tall, and it has epic views at the top. It is frequently featured in the Tour de France, This year, it is the 6th stage of the Tour de France, which means the best cyclists in the roads will be following our path up the mountain just a couple weeks after we did.

Because of how long the climb is, our guides, Muriel and Stephane planned multiple refueling stops for us this morning.

We would not be returning to the hotel, so we packed our bags, loaded the vans, and got our cycling gear ready. We were ready to roll at around 8:45.

Again, we began under cloudy skies with cool temps, but the weather forecast was for sun, warmer temps, and a light breeze as we got to higher elevations. It can be difficult to have the right clothing with such weather changes, especially since the ride varies from flat to steep climbs (when you can overheat) to steep descents (when you can get very cold). Fortunately we had the support vans to carry extra layers for us when we didn’t need them.

We passed through some small towns on the way that were preparing for the Tour de France. We had to stop a couple times for crews repaving the roads, and we almost lost Beata to a rival cycling gang.

Our first refueling stop was at 20 km, which we reached after a familiar bike trail ride through farm country and a gentle climb up a busy valley road, before beginning the 19 km climb. Most of us shed the warmer layers we had on to start the ride.

After the first stop the group split up a bit on the climb, with Ken, Grahame, and Rich setting the pace up front.

I settled into a rhythm with Beata and Michael (we would ride most of the way up together) and the sun finally came out.

The fields around us were green from the spring melt and rains. Sheep and cattle were everywhere. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen as much manure per square foot as I’ve seen on this trip. Who knew the Pyrenees were such an epicenter of livestock? Probably the cheese lovers. The cheese up here is amazing!

About halfway up the climb, our van was waiting for us with snacks and beverages. A helicopter was making sorties ferrying supplies up the mountain from the same parking lot, so we had to stay a bit longer at the rest stop because helicopters are cool.

From the second rest stop, the climb was steady and steep, and once again the vistas kept a smile on our faces. Beata and I fell a bit behind Michael for a bit, and while we mostly spun in silence, it was nice to have some company to share those moments of awe.

After the second stop I was able to relax and really enjoy the ride. I had been worried most of the week that my knee, hip, or back would flare up and prevent me from really enjoying today’s ride, or worse. With five miles to go I knew I was going to finish strong and in relative comfort. My legs were doing what they were supposed to do, I was keeping hydrated and eating well.

Grahame, Ken, and Rich had already reached the peak as I was making the last push.

That brings me back to where I began this post — gratitude. Taking a picture by the summit sign is a tradition, and you can tell by the smiles on our faces what we’re feeling.

After lunch (which was delicious!), we put on warm layers and began the long descent down the other side of the Col. The ride down was a blast, and at times I felt like I was getting the hang of it. Then, occasionally, I’d tense up again and work the brakes a bit too much, causing my wrists to cramp. Road crews were out fixing winter damage, so we had a few pop up red lights along the way, which gave me a chance to relax a bit, catch my breath, and stretch out my hands, arms, and back.

At the bottom of the descent, we gathered near a church, used the public restroom, and shed the warm layers again so we could begin the next climb, the Col d’Aspin.

While the Col d’Aspin was not as steep or long as the Tourmalet, our legs were already tired from the previous climb. I was able to find another gear, however, and kept with Grahame and Larry up front to the top. Every once in a while Grahame or Larry would stand for a few pedals after informing the others that, “Just standing, this not attacking,” to head off any sprints to the finish. We finished side by side, which was a highlight of the day.

At the top, we had our fair share of distractions, including someone who appears to be a professional rider for the UAE XRG cycling team. We heard him flying up the hill before we saw him go by in a blur. He stopped for a while at the top before taking off again, but we never got a great view of his face.

We were also visited by a friendly, old horse.

Our two climbs for the day done, we layered up again and prepared to make our way to our hotel.

To the delight of all, we were joined by Ellen! Ellen is a veteran rider of France, Italy, and many other trips, so she has nothing to prove. Ellen does not love the descents and so will often climb the peak and then take the van transfer to the bottom. Today, Ellen was feeling it, so she took off down the mountain.

The rest of us made our own ways down the mountain, again fighting some crosswinds. We all made it safely, and regrouped.

When Ellen joined us, there was much rejoicing. Chants of “Ellen didn’t die! Ellen didn’t die!” rang out, to which Ellen replied, “Not today, Grim Reaper!”

Hat tip to Muriel for shadowing, Ellen!

Once back on level ground, we formed a pace line all the way to the hotel, all 12 of us together. It was a great way to end a great day.

My energy stores depleted, I showered and headed into town to see if I could get a pre-dinner snack. As it’s the shoulder season, most places were closed for a few weeks, but I did find a patisserie where I bought and devoured a footlong ham and cheese sandwich and called home to catch up.

I was still hungry when we went out for dinner a couple hours later. We walked five minutes to a local restaurant that opened just for our group.

Jack got things started with a heartfelt toast to the top riders of the day, and several others offered their own toasts.

We had Iberian ham and cheese, grilled squid, and camabert appetizers, followed by trout or BBQ pork cheek with sides of frites.

There was too much food, so Rich and Jack took some for the road.

We finished with warm chocolate cake, ice cream, and mango desserts, and walked back to the hotel.

For many of us, the idea of a rest day the following day had already taken root, but we agreed to meet for breakfast and then make a decision.

Off to sleep…