Friday Awards

Matty - for competing the furthest distance by extra warm ups, doubling back and longer routes home - Yellow Jersey

Helen - for tackling the mountains for the first time - the mountain goat (mountain donkey) award

Iain - for smashing his previous time on D'Huez - most improved (also best chef award)

Dave - for helping riders up the hills and keeping everyone in check - gentleman cyclist

Calie - for absolutely trouncing every hill, pass, col and whatever else came her way - white (ladies) jersey

Tom - just because it was only ever going to happen - polkadot jersey

Jason - for doing just as much singing as cycling - musical award.

Miles - easy really, for attacking every sprint, hill, rider and just generally punishing his body to the limit - most combative and most entertaining.

Alternative suggestions welcome, what do you think?

Final stage

Friday, the last day of riding and everyone had different ideas of where to go, what to do. Iain and Jason took the cycle route to Romans following the same route Matt and I took from the other day, the girls headed up what has now been dubbed "camembert pass" due to the restaurant selling melted cheese dishes at the top.
I had different ideas, I wanted to go to a town called Ste Croix which is around 35 miles over the vercours plateau, just so I could get a photo to show James and Laura who share the surname. Unfortunately after a weeks hard cycling, it was not to be... It's just too far and too much climbing, maybe next time.
Instead, Matt, myself, James and Miles (happy birthday) took off on a route Dave had penned which looked good, tough but manageable. Over a few cols, across the plateau and back, around 60km. Stopping for a lunch at an out of season ski resort restaurant, I had my first sandwich and frites of the week. Fantastic scenery and plenty of laughs made it much easier for our tired legs to manage. Back in town following more fantastic downhill speeds I'm now sitting in the cold mountain stream which I bailed on earlier in the week.
Tonight we celebrate Miles' 26th birthday with our hosts and with no riding planned for tomorrow, I'm sure the wine will flow.
Looking forward to getting home tomorrow to see my Beautiful wife and the boy, I'm sure the rest of the gang are keen to see their loved ones too after a most fantastic break here in Vercours.
Thanks for your time.
Tom

Jour d'Huez

Today we took a drive...
An hour and a half from St Jean took us to a town just the other side of Grenoble called Greg LeMond or something. We parked up just by a majestic lake and water damn where we unloaded the bikes and donned kit ready for the day's challenge. On our way, we headed down a long stretch of road through Greg LeMond and out towards the bottom of the mountain. The group was clearly excited as all I could hear behind me on the 30 minute warm up was Jason singing. Not an unpleasant experience but not something I would pay to hear again. Once we hit the bottom of the climb, we all said our goodbyes as we wouldn't be seeing eachother for at least an hour. 
Miles made a signature break after around 10 seconds, clearly wanting to get into his own rhythm, Matty and I were holding a steady pace for a while until we separated too. From then on I was all alone, get into the zone and just keep legs moving. Early on I had to make a brief stop to adjust gears but thankfully it was an easy fix so was quickly back on my way. After 20 minute or so, I was starting to tire, not how i wanted to feel at only 1/3rd through, nevertheless I must continue so gritted teeth and ploughed onwards, after another 20 minutes I had started to pick up, possibly due to noticing the corners count down and some to just getting back in the groove (baby).
Anyway onward we went, time was looking good, with some cereal bars in me and with around 5 corners to go passing the photographers, I was feeling strong again. Reaching the finish quickly came and with it a great sense of relief, I continued onward to the point where the tour finishes, around 1km further on and when I found it, met Matt who had also made his way up. He suggested we keep going until the road runs out which at first I was less keen to do as I was pooped but glad we did, adding only another 15minutes to reach the point at which we could go no further without crampons.
We headed back into the town to catch up with the rest of the gang where we had a coffee and made our way back down the hill.
The descent was rapid, twisty and exhilarating. At a fraction of the time taken to climb, it was a fitting end to a fantastic climb (my first proper "cycling" hill). Lunch at the bottom left us completely satisfied ready for our drive home.
Now its on to the town Hotel for some authentic French cuisine and no doubt more stories of eachothers rides today.
Tom

Italiano

Caca du mooch!

Up early to attempt...

Today has arrived and it's nice and cool, this is the temperature we need to climb Alp Du Huez.
Breakfast has been eaten and snacks made ready for the journey all that's left to do is get there and climb!
Let's do this day!

Everybody loves Romans

So today, Wednesday, is the day of rest.
Peeps deciding to do their own thing and nothing planned meant a number of choices. Iain headed off towards Pont for some new climbs he'd scoped out, David and Miles also headed for the hills,  the girls and Jason stayed in town for a mooch and Matty and I plumped for a flat route to Romans, where the girls had been earlier in the week. The route took us down the cycle path we had visited earlier in the week and staying on track landed us in Romans-sur-isère. After a quick café, we popped over-the-counter river to Bourg-de-péage a town twinned with East Grinstead no less, the resemblances are uncanny! We were denied a pizza in a restaurant because we wanted to share. Instead, we went to a nearby boulangerie for a pizza slice and baguette melt which we enjoyed sat by the river in the thankfully less intense sunshine (very romantic).  We took the same route back and enjoyed the flat, scenic but windy 20odd miles.
Back at the ranch, others were making there way back also, we met to catchpole end of today's tour stage then headed off to the supermarche for supplies. Meanwhile, Iain had prepared a delicious meal of spag bol for everyone which we all wolfed down. Now it's just packing the bikes ready for tomorrow's ascent of l'Alpe d'Huez. A climb with strong connections to cycling and the tour de France. Reports of Dave having tackled it before in just over 1hour has set the gauntlet of riding it in less than 60 minutes. Time will tell if any of us are capable but I think just making it to the top is a massive achievement in its own right.
So there we are, an uneventful day, apart from the donkey dicks and my holiday romance with prudence (not related btw), with plenty of rest and a good breakfast we will be well on our way to a real leg buster.
Bon-nuit.
Tom

p.s Dave says hello Mum!

Day 4 "rest day"

Today sees most of us taking a rest day in different forms in preparation for Alpe D'Huez tomorrow. The temperature is being kind to us with a high of 24 expected - a pleasant respite from the 38's we have been enduring! 

Not sure how the day will pan out with Miles and Dave still considering taking on a local mountain, whilst the rest of us thinking more of a gentle role into Romans for a coffee!!!