Hurst cyclists mini "Tour de France"

On the morning after the Summer Ball an intrepid group of cyclists assembled at Hurst and, with a certain amount of trepidation, set off on the journey to Albertville in France for three days of cycling.

The first day of cycling was a 15km ride with a 6.4% gradient  up the col des Saisies.  It was extremely hot and the views of Mont Blanc were spectacular. Riding steadily the group reached the surprisingly pretty ski station at Saisies together and enjoyed a brief rest before the long descent to Flumet.  At this point most decided to stop for lunch but Matt Rawbin, accompanied by Mr Pattison continued to climb the col Aravis (11.5km @ 5% & 19km @ 4.6%) to Clusaz before returning.

On day two the weather was still warm and the group tackled the mighty Galibier (18km @ 6.9% to an altitude of 2,645m), a climb frequently used in the Tour de France. First the cyclists had to take on the Col du Telegraph (11.8 km @ 7.3%) and after a brief lunch stop in Valloire, they set off in two groups for the summit. The first 9km were relatively benign but soon the towering peaks were all too clear to see. At the Plan Lachet the road reared up alarmingly as it headed for the Col which seemed impossibly high and far away. The second 9km were not for the faint hearted but there were plenty of other cyclists taking on the challenge. The view from the top was spectacular and riders could be seen from several km away, struggling up the 9-10% gradient. Everyone in the group made it up to the top and then rode down the other side, stopping for a quick photo by the memorial to Henri Desgrange (founder of the Tour), before cycling through the tunnel just below the summit. The descent back to Valloire made the climb even more worthwhile but there was still the nasty 4km back up the Col Telegraph to get through before the group could relax. It started to rain on the final descent which is never much fun with so many hairpins but all got down safely.

On the final day the weather prospects were not looking great but the group set off anyway. After about 20km a full rainstorm started and it was necessary to seek shelter. With thick cloud, thunder, lightning and rain already set in at 1,000m, it was out of the question to try to climb any mountains. It was a shame the trip had to end like that but nonetheless it was a great experience. Plans are already being made about which mountains to tackle next year.