Day 11, Stage 9
Saint-Gaudens – Tarbes, 160.5km
Last night we stayed at the most awesome place aimed directly at cyclists – Auberge de l’Arac
We were extremely well looked after by Mark and Julia who fed us up with an enormous evening meal in their dining room that is right next to a fresh stream straight from the mountains and they backed up with a huge carbo-packed breakfast to send us off this morning. They also had a lot of interesting cycling memorabilia and photos and I couldn’t help but think that if I hadn’t planned to do the entire route stage for stage it would be nice to base ourselves here and tick off all of the climbs in the Pyrenees, one by one.
Thanks very much for your hospitality Mark and Julia and hopefully we get a chance to come back and stay again some day.
We were very very tired when we got up this morning after less than 6 hours sleep so to say we were all very sluggish would be an understatement.
Pre Ride Video Diary
However we got back on our bikes and started to tick the legs over again and before long we were back in a rhythm and heading towards our last climbs of the Pyrenees, including the famed Col du Tourmalet.
Today’s riding was absolutely beautiful again and the scenery was just breathtaking.
The odds of this are pretty minimal but Robert and I got talking to another Crohn’s sufferer at the top of the first climb who had cycled up the other side of the mountain. There were a lot of cows wandering freely on the summit and Dodgy Jase, a keen photographer, was trying to incorporate them into our summit photo. He was trying to lure one across to us when, what seemed like a placid cow, launched up at a very quick and unexpected speed and head-butted him in the elbow (sending him backwards a couple of metres). The horns missed him but he got a nice graze on the elbow. After Marika’s fall yesterday (and mum taking a tumble in Andorra when she was helping me chase down a wayward drink bottle) nearly everybody has bled for the Crohn’s Crusaders cause!
We got our photos and moved on but had to stop for other groups of cows who were “owning” the road on the descent. They didn’t move for cars so they weren’t going to move for us either. We just slowed down and tried to get around them as best as we could.
There were lots of cyclists again and, why not? I can’t describe how great it was and the photos probably do it justice either but check them out to get an idea of our Tourmalet experience.
I thought that the Tourmalet was the hardest of the climbs that we’ve done so far but, while it is harder than any of the climbs at home, if you can do the Australian climbs I think you can do the Tourmalet.
Damian’s Tourmalet Video Diary
The descent was quite careful as there had been a landslide and the road just reopened yesterday. It was enjoyable though and we found ourselves dodging livestock again, this time sheep and goats.
We were pulled over by some assertive police during our final kilometres who told us that we weren’t allowed to ride on the particular road we were on. This worried us a bit as we had been on far busier roads over the past week and imagine we will be again in the coming weeks.
We have noticed a lot of roadworks along the route, which have slowed us at times and been uncomfortable as well, and we imagine this is all in preparation for the tour in July. If we scheduled our ride a week later we may have enjoyed some fresh new surfaces.
Morale was high today due to the great scenery and great vibe. We are working really well together and we are all loving what we are doing.
Stage 9: On The Road
“Virenque” signs dominated on the road today.
Unfortunately we bade Robert farewell this evening as he is heading back home to Australia and Dodgy Jase (up there with the best support crew of all time) will be heading home tomorrow. I feel terrible as he is a great mate and I barely had a chance to catch up with him. All he did for his holiday was pass me drink bottles, Winners Bars and PB Gels. I am definitely in debt to him and all of the support crew and look forward to making it up to them after the ride.
Crohn’s Fact
Research has shown that people with Crohn’s disease have significantly more long-term unemployment than those without. This could be attributed to time required for ongoing medical treatment.
Crohn’s Profile
Name:John C. Scott
Age: 39
Lives: Colchester, Ontario, Canada
Age of Diagnosis: 14
My Story:
I have been living with Crohn’s Disease for over 25 years. I have been on almost every conceivable treatment including 4 major surgeries, with my last being in 2006. The disease has certainly been a challenge for me over the years, but I find that it has never stopped me, just slowed me down from achieving my goals and ambitions in life! I am thankful to have not been on any meds for the last 2 years and have recently started changing both my diet and exercise programs in hopes that I stay in remission forever! With my country of Canada having the highest rates of incidence of IBD in the world, I volunteer passionately with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada and look forward to the day when we find the cure and no one has to suffer any longer.
My message:
I encourage you to volunteer with your local charity which is dedicated to helping others with IBD. We can all help Damian by generously donating on the Crohn’s Crusaders site as well as telling others about his incredible feat of raising awareness and funds for IBD. He is an inspiration to all of us who live with these diseases everyday…..GO DAMIAN! Thanks for your help and support of Crohn’s Crusaders!
*A quick note from Damian – John and I made contact after he was involved in a coast to coast cycling project to aid Crohn’s Disease in Canada. You can check their website at www.poweredbycommunity.org and also get hold of a copy of their film – “Rubber Side Down”
Today’s images can be viewed here
Sponsor Profile:
Sponsor Name: Borsari Cycles
Sponsor Level: Project Partner
Sponsor Website: www.borsaricycles.com.au
Fabian at Borsari has extended some very special deals to the entire Crohn’s Crusaders team allowing us access to the best equipment that will help us complete the tour route.
Established in 1941, Borsari Cycles has been providing over 67 years of dedicated service and advice to the cycling community. Catering for general commuters right through to the competitive cyclist, we specialise in service and repairs, as well as providing a wide range of new bikes, spare parts and accessories for sale.
Come in and see Fabian or one of our expert mechanics for friendly service and advice at a great price.
Check out Borsari’s proud heritage at the following link:
http://www.borsaricycles.com.au/loadShopHistory.do
