After a long, long stage 12 on Thursday that saw our last riders rolling in after 11pm, it was a much shorter stage 13 that they faced on Friday. High temperatures made it tough going but the beauty of the mountains helped to reward our riders. Does cycling get better than this?
Today we have headed out of the Pyrenees towards flatter lands, before heading into the greener lands of the Massif Central – ever closer to the all-important Rest Day on Monday. Rest days are things spoken of now in hushed tones, with a sense of awe at the prospect of a lie-in and a day to mooch, fiddle with bikes, wash clothes and, mostly, eat! It’s been a long, hard tour and everyone needs a day to re-group.
Stage 14 today – Blagnac-Rodez, 181km:
This stage is littered with attractive little villages and valleys of the Tarn and Aveyron and those same valleys will sap the legs, as there is just over 500m of net height gain during the day and probably an accumulated climbing total of close to 2000m. What you get in terms of scenery is stunning. You’ll cross the plain east of Toulouse, heading north and up through gorges onto a plateau which feel like the France of times gone by. It’s quite an untouched, unspoiled part of France and absolutely full of charm and old men drinking pastis at 11am! The Côte Saint-Pierre, situated toward the end of the stage, will provide an excellent launch pad during the race itself and will feel like a real achievement for Le Looprs at the end of a beautifully tiring day.
Stage 15 – Laissac Sévérac L’Église-Le Puy en Velay, 189km
Stage 15 is another corker in terms of scenery and variety, starting in Laissac, known for its strong mountain biking routes. The toughest bit comes straight out of the door with a 500m climb before you know what’s happening. The same steady, 500m-climb joy comes at you again much later in the afternoon but until then, it’s all volcanoes and loveliness. The landscape is soft and grassy: this is the Massif Central region which we saw in 2016 when it proved a Massif Highlight.
Our thanks to Michael Leather (Lifer) for the beautiful image from the Pyrenees.