The only way is up

There's mountains over there!
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As cycling commentators endlessly opine, the tour only really starts once you reach the mountains. The first week is for the glory boy sprinters, whereas the real tour favourites are virtually invisible. However once the tour reaches the second week, the real men start showing up. In other words, it is put up or shut up time for the lads. Today we rode the first half of the first mountain stage of last years tour. It contained our first category 3 climb, a 9km climb to Cote de Corlier. The weather was still miserable but we saddled up and headed for the hills, literally. We managed the first climb pretty well to altitude of 913m, and then after a ride across a plateau, had a stunning descent of 14km + into town of Armetare. Had first view of real Alps and they looked intimidating. That was it for the climbing and rest of day consisted of riding up the valley towards Geneva, alongside the Rhone river. Absolutely stunning scenery particularly the lovely town of Seyssel where we stayed the night. Good day overall.  Total of 101.76km for the day in 4 hrs and 15 min averaging 23.8 kph.

The weather was still miserable but we saddled up and headed for the hills, literally.