The last day – Prades to Cerbere 90 kilometres

A very hot night in the hotel – some of us were lucky enough to have, or get moved to, a room with air-conditioning or beg for an air conditioning unit. The others suffered – Simon took a sleeping pill…

Leaving at 7.45am rather than the usual 8.30am the guys set off giving them time for any technical or other problems that might arise and still meet the 12.45pm cut off.

The route was relatively downhill and flat and, after updating the blog, Simon and I followed them in the car.

They flew down the road averaging over 30 kilometres per hour, discarded their bikes and leaped into the sea at Cerbere with 1½ hours to spare!

Well done to one and all – they have all had jolly good fun pushing their bodies to the maximum in a way that most of the rest of us mere mortals could only dream about.

Unfortunately Simon and I arrived too late to be there at the end but we were soon all together for a rest on the beach awhile.

The local train was the route back to the pretty town of Collioure where we found our hotel and the guys had a welcome dip in the pool before wandering down to the harbour to look at the assorted boats and find a suitable spot for a leisurely lunch.

We were once again too late for many of the restaurants but Simon found a great one which had two very attractive young waitresses waiting to serve these tired and hungry men.

A fantastic meal followed, the waitresses enjoying the attention, and the lads enjoying having them leaning over the tables distributing beers and collecting empty plates.

After we were done the swimming pool again beckoned and for some, communication with the working world back home resumed as Blackberries’ started twitching and urgent documents had to be read. The interruptions were not too many and relaxing was certainly the name of the game.

We ate a wonderful meal in the hotel watching the setting sun out on the terrace. Swallows were swooping down for a drink over the pool and the evening bird song was relaxing background music. Veal again surprisingly enough!

The hotel Le Cedre at Port Vendre was great. In a fantastic setting on a hill overlooking the sea, with its pool and comfortable air conditioned rooms, complemented by excellent cuisine, it is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Signing off now – we’re on our way back to the airport and home!

Sunday - Oust to Prades 184kms

Woke to a lovely Sunday morning, it’s going to be a scorcher! The prompt 8.30am start was not strictly adhered to but no one seemed to mind on this lovely sunny day. Ben and Chris (K) had a stroll up to the Church for a look after a more leisurely breakfast and left an hour later.

I had a brief wander about the lovely little town, being Sunday the church bells were ringing and people were gathering in their finery and making their way towards the sound. The locals are so friendly and I have to confess I had a tear in my eye as I marvelled at the situation. Luckily my sunglasses hid my predicament from passers by! I managed to pick up more peaches – they are delicious here and the guys can’t get enough of them, together with all four bananas for sale in the little shop.

A sad day for Simon. He called me later in the morning to pick him up as he could go no further. His friction injury had got so painful that he was in danger of not being able to father children if he had continued. He was gutted.

We had brought a bike rack together with spare wheels in the extra bike bag that I had taken on the plane so we fixed the bike on and drove onto Ax les Thermes where the guys had met up for lunch. A plastic affair but the frites were good and the guys needed to fuel up as they were about to hit the last big momma of the trip, Col du Puymorens, standing proud at 1,915 metres.

The sun was belting down and the tail wind for once was not welcome as there was no escape from the blistering heat. Strangely enough there were hardly any other bikes on the road – mad dogs and Englishmen (and SA and Australians) come to mind….

Despite the intense pain, Simon was determined to conquer this last challenge and we parked up at the start of the hair pin bends and he unloaded his bike. He said afterwards that the first few metres were excruciating but he then mastered a new way of using the saddle so that only non injured parts were touching the bike which managed to get him up the hill. Big round of applause to Simon!!

The café at the top was a bit of a wild west affair but their cokes were cold and the guys were able to top up their water bottles. Peaches all round.

Simon and I travelled together now through the windy roads. The weather was changing and we could hear thunder coming closer but the guys stayed ahead of it. Nearing Prades we hit major roadworks which saw the guys overtake us. From the top of the mountain it was downhill all the way, very steep though and the roads were wet and greasy in places – dangerous at high speed!

We past them again a few kms away from our destination, team working well you could sense that they were on the home run!

On their way into Prades they followed the sound of music towards the village square where dancing and singing had pulled everyone, from the local children to the old people, into the party. Geoff was memorised by the beautiful heyho on the stage – I didn’t download his camera photos this morning so cannot share her beauty with you all yet.

Hotel Hexagone was unfortunately built at the time when unattractive buildings spawned, the name gives you a clue. The owner was very hospitable and the breakfast the best yet, including bananas for the first time! Simon had called ahead to let them know we’d be arriving late (7.30pm again – 11 hours in the saddle!) in his fluent French which was fortuitous as the chef was sick and the hotel could not provide the evening meal we had booked. We confirmed alternative arrangements in the town.

After showering we wondered back to the village square, quiet now but the stage and a few young children playing and dancing on it a reminder of what had gone on earlier. A great meal of salad, steak, chips, pasta, pie and cheese commenced. Early on in the proceedings the waitress had spilled some of Geoff’s coke down her white top as she tried to open the bottle on a tray. The picture says it all and her unfortunate situation provided much merriment during the meal.

The footie was on somewhere and after the meal Geoff and Roger wondered off to find where it was coming from as the rest of us walked, slowly and a bit stiffly, back to the hotel. Simon has perfected a John Wayne gait which should see him through as he begins the healing process.

Last leg tomorrow – a walk in the park compared with the last four days of gruelling mountain climbing followed by hair raising descents. 90 kilometres to go but they need to get to Cerbere before 12.45!

Saturday – Beaudean to Oust 167 km and 5 mountains

Internet problems meant that the blog has been very late – apologies, and hello to the Cancer Research lady who, I believe, is now following the blog.

A beautiful sunny day with a prompt 8.30am departure for eight of the party – the other three having a 9.00am start.

I stopped briefly at the pretty town of Campan to pick up cherries, peaches, apples and every banana they had in the shop before heading up the first mountain, Col D’Aspin, standing at 1,500 metres, the first of five today. There were lots more cyclists on the road and many more cars for the first part of the journey – perhaps because it’s the weekend. The twisty narrow mountain roads seem like a doddle now in the sunshine compared to the scary stuff of yesterday.

The guys had been and gone by the time I got to the top so I followed their route down the other side and up the next one, Col de Peyresourde. I passed the fairly spread out group in the car, and parked up at the café at the top. The sun was shining and after a pile of crepes and coke they once more climbed into the saddle to fly down to the valley below. The old man who ran the café thought I was bonkers when I asked if he had an internet connection. ‘We have the sun and the views – its plenty’ he laughed. I could then hear him telling every one else who arrived the story much to my embarrassment.

More great views down and along the valley, the lunch stop was at the bottom of the next three mountains which are in quick succession. A family road side café saw 12 poulet et frites quickly downed, a lot of food to digest - Ben and Dave groaned that they may have overdone it but too late now! As we were leaving two Americans arrived – there were taking three months to cycle all around Europe carrying their stuff. Hats off to them!

Hill number five, Col du Potre d’Aspet rising to 1,069 metres, was the worst of the day. Martin had been trying to play it down and the intrepid group needed to give it their all. This hill is incredibly steep with a 14% gradient at the bottom and unrelenting all the way to the top.

I waited at the summit and for them to arrive, in dribs and drabs, exhausted but happy they could now rest awhile. Poor old Simon is having major trouble in the down below region which is making every turn of the pedals an exercise in pain control but he arrived, like all the others, wet with perspiration and smiling big time having conquered the challenge.

Geoff was so hot and sticky that, after asking me to avert my gaze, he jumped starker’s into a large icy cold cow trough of water coming off the mountain, amidst yelps of pain mixed with pleasure. Martin took a photo and Geoff is contributing an undisclosed amount to Operation Wallacea to prevent its publication. For an additional contribution Martin is also prepared to give any interested reader a peek…..

After ice creams and coke at the mountain top café another wonderful descent and a mere 100 kilometres to go before they could put their bikes away for the day. The rest of the route was devoid of mountains but there were still plenty of hills to ride up and down.

I nearly drove passed the group of eight sitting at a café in St Girons, my wrong turn through the town had seen me go past them twice without realising. Some were already drinking beer sensing the end in sight. Well done to Chris Engle for waiting for the stragglers. After regrouping they cycled the last 16 kms together and I raced off in the car to the hotel to let them know the rest of the party was on its way and check that we would still be in time for dinner.

This hotel was another great one and worth a visit if you're in the area. Hostellerie de la Poste in Oust is a lovely old hotel with a swimming pool set in very pretty gardens surrounded by stunning views. Several of the guys wasted no time and soon were leaping around in the water – where do they get the energy?

The rooms were full of character, fairly basic but functional and the food was, yet again, to die for. Duck pate followed by lamb and fruit tart. All presented beautifully outside on the terrace.

Some of the guys took an after dinner stroll up to pretty little church on the hill which was lit up and seemed to be floating there in the night sky. Bed swiftly followed.

Friday – Bielle to Beaudean 113 km

A wet start to the day, and the 8.30am start was delayed due to some computer issues, Martin has laid down the law that, after today, stragglers will just have to catch up! The 9.00am starters soon met them and the first of two major ascents began.

Through the pretty spar town of Eaux Bonnes the road continued to the top of Col du Aubisque which rises to the dizzy heights of 1,709 metres.

Visibility was poor and the easy roads of yesterday have been replaced with narrow steep and twisting efforts – there seem to be more of those great big mobile homes on the road too – perhaps it’s my imagination.

I struggled to catch them up after uploading the previous day’s blog and the hundreds of sheep being moved from one part of the mountain to another, along what seemed like miles of the road, held me up for ages. The cyclists were able to navigate a way through them but the stupid straggly smelly creatures had no road sense and as you passed them the ones ahead stopped and I was overtaken again on all sides. I stupidly opened the window and took on board lots of buzzing passengers’ who accompanied me for the rest of the day.

I missed the boys at the top and no-one hung around as it was grey and drizzly – the bad weather was a mixed blessing as, although most of the magnificent views were obscured by cloud, it kept them cool.

Through the mist and down the other side towards the next major challenge, Col du Tormelet (yes that really big one that attracts lots of skiers in the winter). We had dropped back down to 400 metres and this mother stood proud at 2,115 metres tall.

Martin was keen to get some of the way up it before stopping for a late lunch but unfortunately the little towns that are so buzzing in the season goes onto standby power at this time of year so the only place I could find open was one of those plastic pizza places that stay open when all the pubs have closed. (Chris) King of the mountain soon turned up and we hung around outside as everyone arrived. Our mouths dropped and we were speechless as the staff walked out the front door and locked up….

Disaster – no food and no water and hundreds of feet still to climb!

As fate would have it there was a fountain with drinking water a little further up the road and the second fruit cake was a life saver.

Revived and refreshed the guys got back in the saddle. I have to say Lejog last year seems like a walk in the park compared to this challenge. It’s arduous and is a major mental as well as physical challenge.

The sun was out which made up for the lack of views in the morning, the eagles were really close and in between navigating the roads we were able to have a good look around, the quiet ski drags a reminder of what makes this place so popular in the winter. The café at the top was open – hooray – although the first three boys up, King, Ben and Dave, had a quick coke before freewheeling back down the other side.

The others arrived in dribs and drabs and enjoyed a well earned rest with drinks and baguettes. Greg left his sunglasses beside a stream on the way up so borrowed the car to retrieve them as the group reformed. Had a bit of trouble with the handbrake and after kangarooing the first few metres along the road, I was delighted to be able to assist by showing this proud SA man how to drive the car!

Roger got some major stick as he proceeded to put on his middle of winter clothing in the full sun, I understand now why his bag was the hugest of them all. 7 of the guys left together and I followed soon after. A few turns in the narrow steep road saw the fog reappear. It got thicker and thicker until visibility was practically nil! A huge modern hotel suddenly appeared beside me like a spaceship on the left hand side of the road and now I was in some roadworks – help!

Tony and Simon appeared beside me, they had caught up! I let them pass and followed the wriggling black lycra down through the pea soup to the bottom. They could see the road better than me and, having no lights, I was able to stop them being rear ended by a car.

Out of the gloom and back into the sun the hotel was not far away – hooray!

Beaudean is a very small sleepy place and Hotel Le Catala, run by three women, was crammed with trinkets and lots of mystical wood carvings. Incense filled the air and all the room doors were painted with stars of film or sport – interesting…

No mussels or veal tonight – more good wholesome home cooked food though which included a chicken leg that was long, like they should be, and tasty. Why can’t we get them like this at home?

The after dinner conversation is beginning to deteriorate as nether regions are beginning to suffer. After Bob’s bum blister of last year he has wisely added the Assos brand to his Christmas and birthday present list so is bearing up better than last year. Roger, on the other hand, is not so fortunate. I’m not sure exactly where the problem but if creams don’t work tommorow someone will be trying to administer a compeed plaster…..

Cream sharing has also now commenced. Bob has brought something designed for cows udders, Geoff, being a great advert for Assos, will have their brand no doubt, and some have settled for Vaseline. Hygiene of course comes into play, Simon plans to apply some of Bob’s udder cream via loo roll I understand since, if you need more than one handful, you may leave unpleasants behind in the mixture ….

Bed followed after checking out tomorrow’s route which has 5 mountains and covers 167 kilometres….