Monday, 28 June 2010
Continued from Part 3.
Saturday 26th June: Buis-les-Barronnies - Mont Ventoux (72 miles)
Out final full day took us to the top of the mountain that had dominated the horizon for the whole week: Mont Ventoux.
There are three routes to the summt of Mont Ventoux. The steepest route starts from Bédoin; the second steepest starts from Malaucène and the easiest (but longest) climb is from Sault. Since this was, for most of us, our first attempt we started from Sault.
After a long but manageable climb through endless forest we reached Chalet Reynard, 6km before the summit, where we stopped for coffee. Here the landscape changes from trees to a wide-open rocky, almost lunar landscape. On that final section we overtook a few riders who had started from Bédoin, and were clearly much more tired than we were.
We all made it to the top! After stopping to regroup we returned back down by the route to Malaucène, where we stopped for more celebratory coffee before continuing back to hour hotel.
Sunday 27th June: Buis-les-Barronnies - Orange (56 km 35 miles)
And finally it was time to ride back to Orange, on a very hot day, to catch the European Bike Express back to England.