The finale. La Monte Discrète

Last night's dinner in town was a bit of a disappointment. I ordered a cheese burger and chips from what looked like a decent restaurant but when it arrived it was like warm and the beef was even too rare for me, in fact I think a good vet could have resuscitated it. 

We didn't hang around there very long and wandered off through a seemingly ever busier town for a couple of beers in a bar. 

This week has been slowly building to a major cycling weekend with a number of sportives culminating in La Marmotte on Sunday. La Marmotte is essentially all the climbing we have done added together over a 177km course with 8000 riders taking part. 

Today's weather has been a bit mixed. We headed off knowing we were in with a chance of getting wet but hoping it would miss us. 

Sadly the thunder started soon after we started and the cloud literally enveloped us as we climbed out of the valley and then it just got wetter and wetter for about an hour. 

Today's route took us about two thirds up The Alpe D'Huez climbing to 1500m in about 7 miles which although a relatively easy gradient tested the legs a tad on day 4 of back to back riding. 

We got to the top and the skies brightened just as we hit the road down the Alpe. Despite the rain the roads were still busy with cyclists and although the rain had stopped the road was still wet and at those gradients it focused my mind on braking as we descended. 

The descending was hard work on the wrists and fingers as braking was almost constant and it was more than a little scary as we dropped like a stone over 1200m. 

Once at the bottom we shot into town for coffee and some lunch and then back to camp to get packed up ready for an early start as there are some road closures we need to avoid tomorrow. 

Today's stats. 

Miles 23

Climbing 884m

Top speed. 39mph.