Day 5

Sorry for all the typos in the original Day 4 post. The day's ride gave me rubber brain (an experience I relived again today). Hence, the post had many logic and grammatical issues. I think I fixed the logic, but make no warrants or representations on the grammar.

So, speaking of rubber brain (I guess I owe Murdock 2x $0.25 for each time I used the term I first learned from him). At the 8 mile point in today's ride, we turned the corner, I saw 17km to the Cul du Soulor. Son of a …. another 10 mile climb. This one was a bear on the first 5 miles, an easy, flat 1 mile in the middle and then another 4 miles of pain Captain Insane-O (Jamie Raddin, a great friend and coach) would have a hard time imagining. The last 4 miles took about 35 mins to climb, average grade of more than 8.5%. Oh, we weren't done yet. We descended 3 miles, then back up another 8 to crest the Cul d'Aubisque. More fun in the 34x25 (this is my gearing, 34 tooth on the front, 25 tooth on the rear; yep, I'm driving a compact crank - it's the only way to go). Aubisque is an epic climb for the Tour. The side we climbed was the less severe side; only 8-9% grades. On the back side, I saw the road tilting at 14% on the descent. This is the side the Tour ascended last year - no thanks. Nope, I am not making this stuff up. I am getting the data from my Garmin with GPS, so I think we're fairly accurate.

The top of the Soulor offers magnificent views. The Pyrenees are off the charts with beauty as well as the challenge of the climbs. The Pyrenees appear to be solid rock, granite I suppose, with lush, green, high mountain vegetation. Some sections are totally rock, some beautiful meadows. The meadows are filled with dairy cattle, goats and sheep of the region. They seemed to wander generally everywhere and you can hear their collar bells ringing throughout the region as the rock mountains provide a great sounding board to amplify the bells ringing. By everywhere, I do mean everywhere. We encountered several animals on the climb and the descent. You'd round a corner and there'd be a 2,000 lb animal. Not so bad when straining along at 5 mph on a 9% climb. A little more exciting when whipping around a sweeping corner on the descent at +45 mph. Yep, with the collar bone only a little over three weeks in the healing process, I am taking it easy on the descents. But, bombing the descent is the reward for all the effort on the climb. I'll deny myself some things; but not this. As my boy Keanu Reeves puts it in "The Replacements, " "Pain is temporary, chicks dig scars, but glory lasts forever." I count this as a win.

I can't wait to reduce the video from the last few days to another post on YouTube. I have not had the time, between riding, recovering and eating. I have had no time for seeing the sights of Lourdes, other than what I viewed riding through the city and the area these last few days. Lourdes is really beautiful, but I am a little disappointed with the commercialization of the religious significance of this city. It is like walking through the Disneyland of religion; the items offered for sale in the shops are cheap, look like trinkets and generally not worth purchasing, even for the symbolic significance. The Grotto and the Fortress are absolutely stunning; worth the trip to see. Between the majesty of the Pyrenees and the beautiful towns, this is a special place.