Strait away I had to take on the Col-de-Aspin. To make up for my forced pause on the Tormalet I climbed Col-de-Aspin without so much as a dab of my foot on the floor. In the last 100m before the summit some French guy on a carbon racing bike tried to get by me, fortunately I had been pacing my self for a full day's riding, and had a decent sprint left in me. He was not a happy man when I accelerated away and he couldn't catch me.
The duck, my bike and me stood before the Pyrenees.
The duck checks our altitude using the sign; 1,489m above sea level.
Panorama from the top of Col de Aspin.
Some of my descent of the Col de Aspin
The col-de-Aspin (like the Tormalet) made it debut on Le Tour in 1910 (and they never let you forget it).
After the Aspin, I made for St-Gaudens, start point for the next day's stage.
Stopped by a puncture I got out the massless-rug-of-picnicking, which Chris added to my inventory back in Epsom and used my pocket knife to make some sandwiches at the road side (goats cheese, and chicken with herbes-de-provance).
The panorama from my picnic spot.
I made decent time, and arrived at St-Gaudens by 19:00, despite having to stop to attempt to make repairs to my continually puncturing front tyre.
Saint-Gaudens all decked out with bunting for Le Tour, which started from there in the morning.
Shortly after St-Gaudens a van, driven by some English cyclists I had met on the top of Col-de-Aspin, drew along side and informed me that I was making good time.
I aimed for the Col-de-port-du-Aspet. A mere Cat 2 Col, and but a speed bump compared with the Tormalet at a just 1,100m tall. Even so, though it is a relatively short climb, it has a 9.7% average gradient. I'm told at points the gradient reaches 13% (which seems accurate having done it) which is not good when towing as much weight as I am.
Key stats for the Col-de-Porta-de-Aspet at the start of the climb; the 9.7% average gradient had me worried.
None the less I finished the climb at around sun set, with the required sprint-finish.
The usual revelry that goes on a col ahead of the tour de France was getting into full swing by the time I pitched my tent.
Duck sits upon my stove as I prepare some food. I made a soup using some culinary advice I obtained from Sir Ranulf Fienn's book "mind over matter" in which he and his walking partner cross Antarctica on foot, by which I mean I put some butter in it because apparently that sort of thing is the best way to get calories in.
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