Col de la Colombiere

The day was perfect in the morning.  Straight up and a hot coffee from Ben, and we were onto the bike.  We headed out through Cluses, and all too soon were at the base of Col de la Colombiere.  Brilliantly, there was another route barre sign!  No cars!  This climb is on this year's tour, so it was pretty cool to be riding it today.  The climb starts of fairly easy with around 3km at 3%.  Then it starts to bite.  The next 4 or so km is at 7.5%, before a pleasure point of 2km around 2.5%.  The final 7.5km are at 8.5%, and it's a long grind up to the pass.  The final 200m involve stepping around the roadwork, dodging diggers, graders, and smoking road workers before the final 100m ride up to the Col sign.  This is my favourite climb to date.  Brilliant!  Stopped at the top to write a postcard and have a coffee, and then it was turn around, walk past the roadwork, and descend.  Gold.  The descent is an absolute ripper.  A long straight start, perfect weather, superb surface, and no cars led to the best of descents.

Back in Cluses and straight across to the next climb - the little known but spectacular Col de Pierre Carree.  This starts off spectacularly, winding you up a series of hairpins that hang on to the edge of the gorge that leads in to Cluses.  Astounding.  At the top of the gorge, you duck out and across some beautiful green meadows before arriving in Araches-la-Frasse for a pastry.  The climb then continues after a very short descent out of the meadows and then up into the alpine areas via a series of awesome switchbacks.  Winding through a tunnel, and then across, the climb gets more and more exposed.  The wind started picking up and the temperature started to fall - but the sky remained super clear.  Finally, we crested the summit to some spectacular views!

Took the Col photo, and then started our descent back to Samoen.  Once again, the descent was empty.  We flew back down, and then took a little side road that wound us along the edge of the mountain for the twenty kilometres back home.  All downhill.  And I thought Colombiere was a great descent!

Back home, beer, and then bed. End of a perfect day.