This second day of riding is a big day that travels over some of the most feared cols in the Pyrenees, but it is also some of the most spectacular riding. Firstly we have a nice gentle warm up to Laruns, base camp to the stunningly beautiful Col D'Aubisque (1709m). The cafe on the top provides a perfect place for a deserved rest before dropping down and back up the Col de Soulor (1464m), which you will honestly hardly notice! The swoopy descent to Argeles-Gazost is great and the pretty town provides a good opportunity to stop for some lunch.
Unfortunately from here we meet out first busy road which takes us up the gorge to Luz-St Sauveur. Next up is the Col De Tourmalet (2115m), a mountain climb which needs no introduction. After a break at the top (where there is a great cafe with some interesting Tour de France artefacts), we descend to St Marie de Campan, and from here to our hotel in Aste.
Click here for detail of the ride.
Today was mostly warm without being too hot. The main challenge was the mountain tops. The Aubisque was shrouded in cloud at the top. An excellent omelette and chips in the cafe at the top. The Tourmalet was shrouded in fog and very cold for the last 6Km up to the summit and 15Km down the descent. Visibility was less than 10m and at times it was hard to be sure exactly what the white line on the road you could see was indicating, left, centre, right, some car park separation. At one point a flock of sheep emerged from the mist standing around on the road. Shouting a lot seemed to do the trick. I was very grateful to a German camper van driver who pulled over so I could pass him as following him at 10Km/hr as he descended cautiously was making me colder and colder and I needed to get out of the fog into warmer air. I think its fair to say that this day broke me a bit and I'm not sure I properly recovered in the following days.
