Combining days 3 and 4 into one post really doesn't do either of them justice, but I won't subject you to an unnecessary extra post. They were both brutal but beautiful stages and I enjoyed them far more than the "flat" transitional stages that preceeded them.
Stage 12 was the longest of my four stages and stage 13 was the shortest (at least in distance).
It became quite clear during the previous day that the demands of the Tour and the heat were taking their toll on my body. So it was that Thursday got off to a really bad start.
The slower riders among us were advised to set off early for stage 12. Unfortunately my roommate and I both woke up with a start at 7 having overslept by about an hour.
I quickly got dressed and sorted out my luggage before trying to cram as much food into my uncooperative body as I could in the few minutes I had available. I did have time to make a cup of tea - but started making it with coffee instead of water (it really was a bad start). Not being able to find somewhere to dispose of this, I decided to suck it up and drink as much of it as I could. To top it off, I burned my tongue on the foul concoction!
Once again my very kind roommate turned domestique and basically carried me the first 50km to the first feed stop. This portion of the ride contained two massive hills that would be notorious in Britain but were not even categorised climbs according to the Tour de France - that didn't bode well for the mountains!
As I approached the Pyrenees mountains I was struck by just how beautiful they are. The Dordogne could go do one, I had a new love now.
It was another 54km or so to the next feed stop, much of which was ascending. At the feed stop I was faced with a dilemma - I could take a short cut straight to Poles Des Bales or I could climb the Col Des Ares and the Col De Mente first. On any other day I would have gone for the long route, but I wasn't sure I could do it today. On the basis that I might only do this once, however, I decided to go for it and set off on the full route.
My first taste of ascending a mountain was a gentle, but not insignificant, introduction, with amazing views and a nice descent to follow.
My second taste was altogether more challenging. As I fought my way up the Col De Mente, being savaged by horse flies, everything caught up with me - anxious nights not being able to sleep, the previous two days' rides, the lack of proper breakfast, my lack of experience and general nervousness about what was to come. Nonetheless I made it to the top.
Once there I had some soul searching to do over my cheese sandwiches, as to whether or not I could manage any more. I was pretty sure I was spent, but I had to give it a go. I descended and made my way to the Port Des Bales.
I knew this was going to be a tough climb, but this was something else - 19km of ascent, some of which was at a hideous gradient. About halfway up, everything caught up with me again. I managed to keep going, but I didn't see how on earth I was going to reach the summit. My GPS had already died (I had only turned it on 50km into the ride) and I was cycling on my own. About 7km from the summit, with an eye on being able to ride the next day, I decided that I was going to have to call it a day. At that moment the TdF bus came up behind me and I decided to jump in.
I was so gutted that the day had broken me. My frustration and self-loathing continued late into the evening when I was given a lift to the end of the route. This only subsided when the brutality of the Tour meant that despite arriving at the hotel just before 10pm I still had to force some food down my throat and start preparing for the next day.
Friday started much better. Perhaps it was knowing that I only had one more ride left - after all it was only 100km long. Perhaps it was the messages of support that I received from my girlfriend and my family, who persuaded me that I hadn't let anyone down. Perhaps it was waking up in a ski lodge in the stunning Pyrenees mountains on a beautifully clear day. The view from my window was incredible.
It was easy to underestimate stage 13. It was only 100km, but there were three categorised mountain climbs crammed into that. Bearing in mind there was a 30km (gradually ascending) ride to the foot of the first of these, and a 27km (!) descent at the end, this meant that the three climbs were going to be quite condensed.
The first mountain was another tough reminder of the pain involved in ascending mountains, but thankfully it was relatively short. A tricky snaking descent was not my favourite, but at least it was going down and not up!
The bottom of the second mountain, Col D'Agnes, was another horse fly paradise - with all the sweaty cyclists they could eat. Somebody overtook me at one point and said "Tom, if you are able to slap your left leg, you might want to get rid of a few passengers. Yeah, try higher up, there are still a couple on your hamstring". Nice!
Struggling up the Col D'Agnes, I started to get into a rhythm and then something strange happened - I started to really enjoy it. It obviously helped that I had such incredible views to distract me, but I actually started to like the pain in a ridiculous way. Don't get me wrong - the time I spent climbing it will be quite embarrassing compared to the pros next week, but I felt like I had finally found something I was not bad at.
What goes up must come down - and what a beautiful descent it was. Open enough to feel safe getting some speed up, but circling a valley (sorry geography buffs if that is not the correct term) it was simply beautiful.
We sat and leisurely ate lunch and ice cream in the valley (as I am going to call it). It was great.
After lunch I set off for my final major climb of the Tour. Before that, however, I got my first ever puncture on the road bike and had to stop to sort it. Fortunately my roommate was once again on hand to help me - and his hand-holding work was still not yet finished.
I stomped up part of the final climb until I reached the base of the Col de Peguere - a 3.5km climb which averaged 16% gradient and also a ridiculously narrow road (this bit is going to be really exciting to watch next week). I took a quick breather and then got going. About 100m up the road a car wanted to overtake and I had to stop to get out of its way. In truth, I probably could have cycled on the very edge of the road, but I was panicking a bit I think.
Trying to start again at that gradient is not easy and it was at this point that I threw my first strop - but fortunately not my bike! My roommate tried to calm me down and reassure me that I could do it and I managed to get started again and find a slow but steady rhythm - then another car came along and this time I definitely had to stop. At this point I threw my second strop - although this time it was probably more of a tantrum - and got off to walk.
I walked for nearly a kilometre before deciding that wouldn't do and that I needed to give it another go - no matter how much it hurt. Again I managed to get back into a rhythm and I actually overtook a couple of other riders as I made my way to the summit, to the sound of applause from the people taking a rest at the top.
The final 27km descent started on a winding bumpy road. The views were amazing, but the vibrations from the road started to numb my fingers - not ideal when I need them to brake! I also had a scare as I turned a corner to be confronted by a camper van overtaking another vehicle on my side of the road. Fortunately I avoided incident and, after taking a break to shake off my hands, settled into the descent.
As I approached the end of the route it occurred to me that I had nearly finished perhaps the toughest challenge of my life. Everything that I have gone through over the past six months or so ran through my head and the emotion got the better of me. Descending with tears in one's eyes is not ideal, but it felt good to let it out. I had managed it and I knew I should be proud of myself.
There are a number of people that I still need to thank for sponsoring or helping me, and pictures that some people may be interested in seeing, but I will save that for another post.
Thank you for reading.
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