Dit zijn de afstanden die er per dag gefietst zijn. Dag 4 was de rustdag.Dag 5 en 6 waren de dagen dat we rond hebben gereden in de Veluwe zonder bagage.
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France - Day 14 : Ventoux for the second time
We didn't wake up early because the previous day had been tough. Before we left, I went to the desk to pay and explain that we had arrived yesterday night. That was fine. The way back to town seemed a lot shorter than last night. We bought some buns and a baguette at a bakery. I thought they were pudding buns, but they contained chocolate. Like we hadn't eaten enough of that already.
The start of the climb up the Ventoux wasn't that steep. This time we also found the right road on the first try. We agreed to just get to the top, instead of cycling as fast as possible. After yesterday the climb was still challenging, however. We stopped along the way to eat. At Chalet Reynard, Bram went inside to get some more water. The last, very steep part, went faster than expected. That was mostly because we weren't completely exhausted yet. We took another break and then continued to the summit. The photographer was also present again. There was also a sign of a small col, which was apparently part of the main climb.
This time we were less tired
Just before the summit of the Ventoux was another col, which was nice to add to our list.
We decided to descend to Malaucene instead of Bedoin. That way we didn't have to climb col de la Madeleine again. It was around 2 o'clock when we reached the top.
The view was much clearer than a week before
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The descend to Malaucene was nice and had less turns than the one to Bedoin. Therefore, we could go faster, and I reached 80.3 km/h. In Malaucene, it was again time to buy food. I went for groceries while Bram searched for a Ventoux mug. They didn't sell any because it wasn't a very touristy town. We sat down in the sun to eat our ice cream but quickly went in search of shade.
After leaving Malaucene, we cycled back to Nyons. Along the way we encountered two French guys who also seemed to be on a cycling vacation. They were walking, holding their racing bikes, and carrying a big cotton backpack. They had a punctured tire and asked for a pump. Fortunately, we had one. This turned out to be their third flat tire in two days. Judging by their gear, this was their first cycling trip. Jeans and an extra pair of shoes are really not something you want to carry, especially on your back. I asked where they were sleeping, to which they pointed to the side of the road. It was the second day of their five-day trip. After helping them fix their tire, we continued alongside a river. After a few kilometers, we yet again needed to climb a col. This one wasn't that steep but had a long run-up.
De col de la Sausse
The sun had nearly set
The sun was setting
Someone else drove up, just to take a quick picture of the sunset
The road still wasn't flat. While descending col de la Sausse we bought some ice cream and bread. The campsite we had aimed for was in Bezaudun-sur-Bine. We considered taking one further away, but that would involve climbing another large col.
At the campsite was a sign saying 'complet' meaning 'full'. We cycled a loop to see if there was a free spot. We were talking about how there were at least a hundred places large enough to pitch our tents when someone suddenly said in Dutch that they might have space if we asked. So it was one of those campsites full of Dutch people. The camping's front desk and restaurant were on the other side of the road. We asked if there was room and the personnel started shaking their heads. We decided to wait. One of the personnel said it was just for us and our bikes. Then they suddenly had more than enough space. It was a really nice campsite with only 25 camping spots. It was packed with Dutch people, except for one of our neighbors, who was French. A girl asked if we needed help pumping our mattress, which we didn't because ours inflate themselves. The showers required tokens, which was the only bad aspect of the campsite. I went to buy tokens and order bread for the following day. Everyone who passed stared at Bram's bivy bag and my tiny tent.
Bram went showering first. He was always lucky with showers. Either he had the warmest one, or the one that stayed on the longest. When I put in my token, the water stayed cold. The next day I heard this was because the boiler was broken. While Bram was in the shower a group of youngsters came by. One told the other 'you will never win from him with your small tent".
First over the Ventoux coming from Sault, then a flat section before passing from Condorcet into the mountains.
Daily distance: 113 km