nbjtours

Le Puy en Velay

74 Miles

4652 ft climbed

Today was mostly about the weather as a huge storm was coming across France and due to hit sometime around lunch.

Waking up this morning the sky was clear blue and revealed nothing of what was to come. However whilst the sky was clear blue the wind was a super strong full on headwind and we were to have that for the first 40 miles without let up slowing us down by 3-5 mph it was that strong. Gusts occasionally grabbed the front wheel and pulled us across the road a yard.

The first leg was run in clear blue but after coffee the clouds started to build and we could see rain across a field on one occasion but managed to avoid getting wet as we rolled up to the camper for lunch. Deciding to eat inside was a good call as within 5 minutes the rain started to cascade down.

Leaving the camper the rain eased a little but as we ascended the big climb of the day the storm arrived in full with the rain and wind

The route after the climb was largely downhill for almost 15 miles and we were now cold as well as wet.

It was then that disaster almost struck. Following just behind, I saw Dom start to veer towards the edge of the road getting closer and closer as if he could not control his bike. He couldn’t and then he was off the road and into the grass verge before falling gently into the ditch.

Luckily he was ok apart from a couple of grazes on his legs. What was the issue, his bike falling apart a bit more, this time the head tube working loose.

By now we were all very cold with the wind and biting rain causing us all to shiver, Dom probably with a bit of shock too.

Freewheeling even slower to St Remy we headed for a bus shelter where we attempted to tighten Dom’s steering. Improving it a little we safely continued a slow and shortened downhill route to our final destination

This morning started early We had agreed to arrive in Le Puy at 4 pm so had decided to get going by 7.30. As usual fed and watered by Nigel we even beat that target by a few minutes and set off. The first bit of the route on some rough farm tracks to avoid the heavy traffic in Issoire.

We then hit our head wind as we headed south on the wide valley of the Allier.

All this time things looked good but it was a struggle in the strong wind, but as ever Nick was happy to take the lead

An early coffee stop after 20 miles and liaison with the runners coming out for the trail run tomorrow started to suggest that they were having travel issues and could well be late arriving in Le Puy.

The croissants today were especially huge and we struggled to get them down despite the energy already expended.

The route then took us through Brioude, the home of Tour de France hopeful Romain Bardet, and again to avoid some particularly busy truck infested straight roads we hit some farm dirt tracks and this underpass, which required us to dismount.

The valley started to get narrower and here Dom almost found lunch

I had to include this photo of a Kite as we have probably seen more of them than Buzzards on this trip.

As you can see from this photo the clouds were now in the ascendancy

This small hamlet on the other side of the valley sprung up out of a rocky outcrop and Nick’s thought for the day was that it originally started out as caves. We are not sure if he meant that the houses or the people emerged from the rocks.

The cliffs of Blot were the next site as the valley sides got steeper. As said earlier we got to lunch dry but just as the rain started. Needing to fuel up for the day Nick decided on a new healthy energy bar. The Nutella Banana!

The route took us a little further along the upper Allier river valley to Prades where we knew that our big climb of the day would start. In planning the route I had not realised that this was the climb on the 2017 Tour de France that Chris Froome had had a mechanical and was forced to chase back to catch the leaders

At 1900 ft over 5 miles this was quite a climb though not in the same league as the Alps. However what it lacked in length it made up with by a very steep section that the board above said was 14% maximum gradient but we saw over 18% for some distance.

Before starting our climb we had seen the camper just above the first two hairpins and presumed that Nigel had parked up to watch us by. Not at all, he had a puncture. Luckily for us he had just finished the repair as we got there.

Mountain goats Nick and Dom shot up the slope whereas Chris and myself required a couple of extra stops to get over the steepest section.

Getting to the top was hardly a celebration as the rain and wind had picked up so a quick prove we did it shot and then we were off.

It was on this section that Dom had his accident and we kept on more slowly running behind him to ensure no more concerns.

Coming into Le Puy on a different route We had to wait for sometime at a set of traffic lights where Dom was shaking so much the driver in the adjacent car was looking at him with suspicion. I used my local knowledge to get us up to the departmental offices next to the cathedral after a last short steep climb.

Although only ten past four our reception committee was absent, our Tonbridge runners were still on route because of train and road delays and the locals had been unable to get hold of us because I couldn’t answer my phone with the water on the screen.

However within a couple of minutes we were ushered in, given hot drinks and then whisked into the signing on hall for the Trail race where runners were coming in and out. We were introduced to the mayor of Le Puy where he and I translated the letter we had brought from the Mayor of Tonbridge.

A further photocall with our bikes on stage.

And the first part of the tour was over. Our runners, including Caroline, after their myriad of delays finally got to us about an hour an a half after we had arrived.

Seeing a lectern “El Presidente Cabrera ” seized the opportunity and took to the stage.

Our runners signed on, including Dom who is doing the 38 km run. We sorted out kit and left Nigel and Monica to a quiet night in the camper with no tents to erect.

We were all looking forward to comfy beds and giving our backsides a rest for a couple of days before setting off again on Monday minus Dom who wanted to throw a sickie but felt he needs to get home to his wife. If truth be told his bike is unlikely to survive much more punishment and it would be good not to ride that down any steep hills until it’s properly sorted.

This evening Chris and Nick are in an apartment in town, the only issue being that a son et luminiere is going until midnight on the building opposite and he hasn’t worked out how to close the shutters. Dom is safely staying at my French mum’s who is plying him with her infamous vin d”Orange before his big run. Caroline and I are staying at our good friends Christian and Maryse where we are catching up on events since seeing them at their Remy’s wedding in April.

All is good.