Day 6 - The ascent begins

"Maybe we're young and we don't know" - Cher 

5.45 at the van...its becoming an issue, its not healthy, I feel like Bill Murray waking every morning to the sound of Sonny and Cher's " I got you babe".

Still the Groundhog Day elements is over fairly quickly after short trip to our start point. The routine is getting slicker; bikes out, bottles filled with water, food eaten, as no breakfast at the hotel again. I am beginning to think breakfast on Sunday may be a messy affair.   

As we are standing next to the bus stop, Richard suddenly looks startled. He turns around and peers cautiously into the undergrowth warning people that he has just heard a noise and there is something in there! Is it a snake? a fox? the Ibex mountain goat that has recently returned to the Alps? an angry Rabbit seeking revenge for the unfortunate incident on day 2?

Steve however remains calm. Quietly eating his breakfast banana, laughing as Richard realises it was his banana skin being discarded into the bush he heard. There are frequent moments like this to make us laugh, and spirits are high as we set off.

"Run to the hills" - Iron Maiden

We set off in glorious sunshine, the weather gods in our favour again, as we began another climbing session. 

We stopped in a beautiful town with a river passing through the centre, it even had its own canoe course. The sun was beating down on us by now as we ate our croissants to restore the calories burnt already today. 

 
Had i known what was coming up, i would have put the go pro camera on the bike to save it. 

Up we went, the steepest climb of the morning, skirting the side of the mountain and grinning from ear to ear.   We reached our first set of alpine "S" bends, designed to take the gradient out of the hill but still like riding up the stairs in your house at points. 

The top took us to 100 miles so far for the day and after eating again and filling water bottles we donned our jackets for the 20 miles descent into Roanne.  

This was the best descent of the ride so far, fast sweeping bends on to long straights only stopping for pictures of the views.  It simply was amazing, the things you read about in cycling magazines. 

The sun beat down on us all day, but spirits were high, what a day.