The Tour 2008

PHOTO Richard on the Col de Bonette

I still do not know where I got the idea from but I began riding my old bike more regularly last summer and reading bike books. When I snapped my frame of my old Holdsworth I bought a (steel) Diavolo frame principally because I could swap most of the parts over and inevitably got a bit more involved with setting the bike up. I knew that Coppi had ridden a Bianchi and I did like them. While happy with the new bike I found myself  a little out of touch, so then came the new bike and more messing about until I got it like I wanted. Then came the rides with Norton on Saturday mornings. The next thing I new was that I wanted to climb Mt Ventoux and find Simpson's memorial. I tried a few ideas about getting there but when Hilary mentioned that there may be a place on the Tour in the summer I was interested. I rode the Fred by far the longest ride I had done for some time without too much of a problem and France began feeling like it was a good idea.

I only knew Paul vaguely, he had run with Dark Peak a few times but I was unsure of what to expect. The day came when we were to go. I had made my plans and preparations but in reality didn't know what I had let myself in for. The drive down was manic we stopped at a F1 somewhere south of Paris at 3:00am before continuing the drive the following day to Toulouse. The first day began, we were to ride section 9, it started with a long section of undulating landscape. The maps I had marked up left me a long way from being 100% sure where I was going. My first recollection of the actual ride was that I was never going to keep up at this pace. The first Col we tackled the Col de Ares I was pleasantly surprise how well I did on the climb. The area felt like the Lake District the weather was like the Lake District in fact I was wondering why we had bothered to come so far? But the section ended with a impressive wet ride into Bagners-De-Bigorre. The weather the next day was no better. Even though the days were long and there was a lot of messing around the routine was quickly established. Up at 6:00am ready to ride by 7:00am I was always struggling on the flat but found the hills easier. We would stop for coffee in the mornings and a coke in the afternoons. Ed who was driving the car would meet us at Cols and in lay-bys. I ate a lot of croissants. Much to my (pleasant) surprise we had brews (tea) on most of the cols and at the end of the days ride. Most evenings ended with a beer.

We would finish late in the afternoon and pack up the bikes then another manic drive to find a hotel, eat, shower and bed. Then do it all over again. The details of each day have blurred already.  I had an unwelcome puncture on a wet day. My front dérailleur broke in half on the descent of the Tourmalet but I still climbed the Hautacam. Paul bent a wheel against a moving moped. We met Neil at Marseille airport on the way to the Alps. The Cimi de la Bonette was impressive Neil lost a spoke on the way down. We got all the problems fixed, we always found a bed at night and I never got hopelessly lost.

The last day was as I remember, better (section 17). We were to ride Embrun to L'Alpe-D'Huez however tired legs and a poor weather forecast persuaded us to shorten the 210km day by starting at Col du Laularet thus saving a 70km and 1000m climb on main roads. However when we got there, while we were sheltering from cold heavy rain we hatched a new plan. Mt Ventoux the weather was forecast good and we could be there in a couple of hours.

We decided to start from Sisteron, ride west and climb from Sault. It was a good plan. We were in 30o C sunshine for the 66km approach, the countryside beautiful, fields of lavender the whole works. A couple of cokes and croissants at road side bar and then the 26km climb. It turned out to be one of the easiest (gentle gradient a 1000m climb in 26km is 4%) climbs of the week.  I stopped briefly at the Tom Simpson memorial and left a Dark Peak Fell Runners Badge on the cluttered steps (we must get some Norton badges one day). The summit was just catching some cloud and I had to put on a jumper while I was drinking my mug of tea (thanks to Ed). The view between the clouds was pretty impressive. After we all had gathered came the decent. We went down to Malaucene (steep gradient 1500m in 16km is 10%) it was like flying in landing aeroplane. We were looking down on forests with houses and clouds. Long sections of good even roads lead to high speeds how four little blocks of rubber can stop 200lb plus (me plus bike) travelling at 50 mph is beyond me. The tight 180 degree hairpin bends just kept on coming. Let go, 50mph, hang on, break, turn and again the same. After a while I felt something wet, then I saw a flash, then more wet, then loud bangs. Then suddenly through the trees I saw Paul and Neil, they shouted that we were stopping so I got off the bike then immediately Ed arrived with Hilary I pushed the bike under some cover and we retreated inside the café as a full on summer thunderstorm came down. We pondered our expensive coffee and realised a line had been drawn under the trip. It was time for home.

Some people think the South of France is a long way away. We got home in 14 hrs overnight with little trouble. It did not seem too far. The Bianchi has a hole load of scratches from the week. There was some good bits. At the top Cime de la Bonette-Restefond I had talked to an English couple who were in an old transit camper van. They were getting confused as I had with short cut 100m from the summit that allows the top to be missed out. On the descent I had caught up their van and they had pulled over to let me pass. When we were gathering at the bottom of the hill at Jausiers they came past us and we waved at each other. I had told Chris at Butterworth's what I was doing the week before I had gone and he had given me a tube of nuun tablets. They are suppose to be “portable electrolyte hydration” but they made water much more palatable and far easier to deal with than powders on the road. I had got myself a small bar bag and a packet of Jelly Babies were fantastic fuel on the climbs, one per 100m climb or 1km. The other good thing was my 11-29 cassette it was the envy of all. The low point was the puncture on a cold wet hillside in the Lake District in November.

Richard Hakes

Tommy Simpson memorial on Mt Ventoux