Monday 7/19 - A scramble to eat breakfast, load our bikes and get our riding gear and provisions for the day for our first real mountain climbing of the trip. The buses would drop us off at an area close to the town of St. Martory. There were two ride options; 85km over two climbs and then the very difficult and steep Port of Balles and a longer but flatter 95km that also included the Port of Balles climb and descent. I went with a group of guys who I new who had done this tour in years past, one who spoke fluent French. I figured if we got lost at least we would have someone with us who could help us ask for directions, I know, a non-manly thing, but riding a 100 miles or so back to the hotel if we missed the bus pick-up didn't sound so good. Anyway, as luck would have it we made a turn which we thought would take us to our key roadway number but after about 10miles discovered we had essentially made a large loop and were close to where we were dropped off. After a meeting of the minds, we resumed our journey across southwest France. We rode through a few small charming French villages that all looked like something out of the movie Sound of Music until we came to a town and what appeared to be an impasse to our destination. Our French speaking member, Jim, went into a bakery that was open in the town and within minutes, Jim, the proprietor, his wife and a customer were all standing out in front of the store speaking french and pointing here and there. Ultimately, we had to ride up this street about 2k and make a left at the statue of St. John, go around a roundabout and take the 3rd road which would put us on road 936 or whatever the number was to our destination. The customer even followed us in her car to make sure we made the correct turn. Contrary to what you may have heard, French people are very friendly and helpful. I did not find one rude person on our trip not even in Paris where I had heard they tend to be rude to Americans who don't speak French. I am sure you have your idiots just like any other place but I did not meet anyone who was not extremely patient and gracious.
After about another hour of riding we came to a hilly area that I thought might be a climb. As it turned out it was just a short climb to the town at the base of the Port de Balles climb all decked out with banners and full of tour patrons awaiting the arrival of the riders. The hill up to the town square was not very long maybe 200-300yds then it turned right through the town square and headed straight up the mountain between homes and businesses. I had hoped to do that climb but everyone I was with was a little spent from our 40+ mile ride to get there. Not 10minutes after we arrived they closed the road to riders in anticipation of the Publicity Caravan that preceeds the arrival of the tour riders. I had a chance to walk my bike through and then after a ways ride up the climb but decided against doing it myself which eventually would prove out to be a wise decision. The buses were parked back down the hill in a little parking area and we rode back there, changed our shoes, stored our bikes and walked back up to the square for some lunch and to secure a good vantage point to view the riders as they started the ascent up the Port de Balles. Some of our people from the other groups actually made it up the Port de Balles but told of how steep and hard it was. There was no access to water along the way except from a spring from a rock on the side of the road and almost everyone who rode it was near heat exhaustion if they made it to the top. The climb was a little over 6miles long but had parts that went from the average of 6.5% to over 14% slope. At that grade, just keeping enough momentum going to keep from tipping over is difficult over even very short distances and the tour riders race up them, maybe not at 20mph but probably 8-10 anyway. Having ridden some beyond category climbs before has given me a new appreciation to the fitness level these guys. They may be the fittest endurance athletes in the world.
I wound up climbing on foot about 1-2km from the base with a few others from our group and took pictures while the rider came through. Thomas Voleker of BBox who was leading the breakaway and was the first one up the climb would wind up winning the stage. The total stage length was 187.5km or roughly 116miles long.
After the stage went through we headed back to the bus who would take us back to the hotel in Toulouse for the night.
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