100+ Cols / 2500 miles / 225,000 feet of climbing
“And in the space of a few short hours, life had been reduced from a highly complex existence, with a thousand petty problems, to one of the barest simplicity in which one real task remained – the achievement of the goal.”
-A. Lansing • Endurance
Day 1 – July 4
Saverne to Grandvillers
83.86 miles, 6890 feet
- Col de Valsberg
- Col de St. Leon
- Col de l’Engin
- Col du Donon
- Col de Prayé
- Col de Mon Repos
Needed to true my wheel at start, got bent in shipping.Tried oeufs cocotte, shirred eggs – awesome! Stacy’s saddlebag loop broke on her saddle. First night’s hotel booked off route, changed to one on route.
Day 2 – July 5
Grandvillers to Il-sur-til
108.69 mi, 6457 feet, no Cols today
Hot, in the 90s Rolling hills & deciduous forests.Boeuf bourgenon for dinner.
Day 3 – July 6
Is-sur-Tille to Chassey-le-Camp
673.13 mi, 4705 feet, no Cols today
Woke to thunder, lighting and rain.Started clearing after breakfast, cloudy in am, clear in pm. No rain.Entered Burgundy. Saw deer.Thunder/lightning evening Lunch Beaune. Ice cream in Santenay.
Day 4 – July 7
Chassey-le-Camp to Lamure-sur-Azergues
86.11mi, 6,936′
7. Col de Brançion
8. Col de la Percée
9. Col des Quatre Vents
10. Col de la Croix de l’Orme
11. Col de Crie
12. Col de la Casse Froide
Hot and humid again but no rain
Stayed at Chateau de Pramenoux 2km off route up steep hill. Norisham made us a fantastic dinner. Escargot, Duck, potatoes gratin grilled tomato, chocolate baked apple. Interesting spices like coconut milk, curry, etc
Day 5 – July 8
Lamure-sur-Azergues to Montbrison
55.32 mi, 4,232′
13. Col de Nuizieres
14. Col de la Croix de l’Orme
15. Col des Cassettes
Not a Col, but the 26% Cote du Rochat was the toughest climb of the day.
Water & coffee in Tarare. No ribbons, TdF coming thru Saturday. Met Australians. Lunch in Salviznet, all downhill or flat from there. Crossed Loire Valley to foot of Massif Central
Day 6 – July 9
Montbrison to Brioude
72.21mi, 7,083′
16. Col de Baracuchet
17. Col des Pradeaux
Cool climb up col de Baracuchet. Rain and cold at top, stopped on descent.Long Lunch Grandrif. Water & tampon La Chaise-Dieu
Day 7 – July 10
Brioude to Jussac
72.21mi, 7,083′
18. Col d’Entremont
19. Col du Pas de Peyrol (Puy Mary)
This time we rode the Puy Mary late in pm on Wednesday instead of Saturday Morning. Much nicer, it was cool + very little traffic.
Day 8 – July 11
Jussac to Gourdon
81.55 mi, 5,745′
Many Côtes, no Cols.
First Cicadas of the trip. Saw a fox & wild hares. Duck farms, oak woodland, rolling hills, limestone canyons.
Day 9 – July 12
Gourdon to Astaffort
79.46 mi, 4,662′ No Cols today.
Rear Derailleur shifter broke just before Astaffort. Need to get it repaired before the Pyrénées.
Day 10 – July 13
Astaffort to Arzacq-Arraziguet
87.31 mi, 6,555′ – No Cols today.
Was able to get shifter repaired, but late start. First palm trees.
Day 11 – July 14
Arzacq-Arraziguet to Lecumberry
71.45mi, 6,270′
20. Col d’Osquich
21. Col de Gamia
Deer, entered Pyrénées. Riding strong.
Day 12 – July 15
Lecumberry to Lurbe-St. Christeau
61.3 mi, 9209′
22. Col de Burdincurutcheta
23. Col Bagargui
24. Col de Soudet
Early start at 8am, finished by 6pm. Perfect climbing weather, cool & cloudy. Steep descent off Soudet. Stopped to true front wheel in just the right spot, before we descended past our turn.
Day 13 – July 16
Lurbe-St. Christeau to Luz-St. Saveur
65.00 mi, 9,518′
25. Col de Hourat
26. Col de Marie Blanque
27. Col d’Aubisque
28. Col du Soulor
29. Col de Bordères
Cool steady climb up Marie Blanque. Several big Cols, stopped for the night at Hotel at foot of Tourmalet.
Day 14 – July 17
Luz-St. Saveur to San Aventin
64.19 mi, 12,018′
30. Col du Tourmalet
31. Hourquette d’Ancizan
32. Col d’Azet
33. Col de Payresourde
Light rain climbing Tourmalet. Took the “Voie Laurent Fignon” bypass at the top, closed to motor vehicles. Cool and cloudy all day. Endless motorhomes in every possible place along the climbs, waiting to see the Tour de France. The partying had already started, and we were invited to join in.
Day 15 – July 18
San Aventin to Seix
82.04 mi, 10,758′
34. Port de Balès
35. Col de Menté
36. Col de Portet-d’Aspet
37. Col de la Core
Heavy fog to light mist to rain. Cold descent. Delayed by TdF road closure. Arrived late..
Day 16 – July 19
Seix to Chalabre
82.73 mi, 8,780′
38. Col de Latrape
39. Col d’Agnes
40. Col des Caougnous
41. Col de Péguère (aka “Mur (Wall) de Péguère” 18%)
42. Col de Py
43. Col de Charcany
44. Col de Sarnac
Last day in the Pyrénées. Cool and foggy to light rain and overcast.
Day 17 – July 20
Chalabre to Saint-Pons-de-Thomieres
85.30 mi, 6,995′
Cicadas again, very hot. Stopped to wet jerseys at village fountains. Stayed at Sabrina’s BnB.
Broken Brooks Saddlebag Loop + strap. Sent Stacy ahead during repair. Hot. Almost got caught behind TdF several times. In Bedoin Met Marko from Nijmeigan. He was hit from behind by a motorcyclist that broke his back and his carbon bike.
Day 18 – July 21
Saint-Pons-de-Thomieres to St. Maurice Navacelles
87.47 mi, 7,897′
55. Col du Cabaretou
56. Col de la Bane
57. Col Notre Dame
58. Col D’Engayresque
Day 19 – July 22
St. Maurice Navacelles to Saint-Jean-du-Gard
86.02 mi, 9,088′
Mont Aigoual.
59. Col du Minier
60. Col de la Sereyrede
61. Col de Solperiere
62. Col de L’Exil
63. Col de St. Pierre
Day 20 – July 23
Saint-Jean-du-Gard to Bedoin
100.82 mi, 5,965′
64. Col de Peuch
65. Col de Bane
Day 21 – July 24
Bedoin to Revest-du-Bion – Mont Ventoux
65.13 mi, 9,370′
66. Mont Ventoux
67. Pas du Voltigeur
68. Col de Macuegne
69. Col de L’Homme Mort
We left early so it was cool climbing up the first half of Ventoux. Stopped for a coffee and mineral water at the halfway restaurant then continued to the top in about 3 hours. Nice decent as it was starting to warm up then headed up the Col de L’Homme Mort as it got hotj. Frequent stops to get wet. Met Welsh racing ultra distance cyclist Tom Packard.
Day 22 – July 25
Revest-du-Bion to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
75.52mi, 5,194′
70. Col de L’Aire Dei Masco
Hot fairly flat stage today. Frequent stops to get wet and get mineral water/beer/coffee. Met Shinichiro Matsuki, a Japanese randonneur riding a super 600 permanent. He had started it out as an audax ride, but due to the heat he decided to finish as a tourist. He’ll be riding Paris-Brest-Paris with this year too.
Day 23 – July 26
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to Puget-Theniers
64.04mi, 6,053′
71. Col D’Ayen
72. Col de St. Barnabé
73. Col du Buis (!!)
74. Col de Felines (!!)
Cooler, Gorge du Verdon. Met the Holmgrens.
Day 24 – July 27
Puget-Theniers to Jausiers
81.29 mi, 11,736′
75. Col de la Couillole
76. Col de la Bonette
The Alps at last! Stormy weather as we headed up the Bonette. This is the day the TdF was shortened because the road was covered by snow & mudslide on the Col de l’Iseran.
Rockfall.
We got very lucky as the rain stopped as we were climbing and it was cold and windy on top of the Bonette, but not raining or snowing.
Day 25 – July 28
Jausiers to Briançon
59.03 mi, 7,920′
78. Col de L’Ange Gardien
79. Col D’Izoard
Day 26 – July 29
Briançon to Aussois
60.44 mi, 7,805′
80. Col du Lautaret
81. Col du Galibier
82. Col du Telegraphe
Galibier. Road closure due to rockfall D902 into Forneaux.
Day 27 – July 30
Aussois to Seez
59.67 mi, 5,981′
83. Col de la Madeleine
84. Col de L’Iseran
Nice weather, lunch in medieval village, Met the Williams on top of Iseran, busy road on descent after Val D’Isere.
Day 28 – July 31
Seez to Notre Dame de Bellecombe
47.05 mi, 7,657′
85. Cormet de Roselend
86. Col du Pré
87. Col des Saisies
Last day in the Alps. We were afraid the Cormet de Roselend might be closed since the TdF has altered their route to avoid it. Fortunately we found it open, although the road crews were working hard to clean up the mudslides.
Day 29 – August 1
Notre Dame de Bellecombe to Culoz
80.84 mi, 8,593′
88. Col des Aravis
89. Col de la Croix Fry
90. Col de la Frétallaz
91. Col du Clergeon
Met Wim, another 100Cols rider, just past Notre Dame de Bellecombe.
Day 30 – August 2
Culoz to Saint-Claud
64.12 mi, 8,409′
92. Col du Grand Colombier(!)
93. Col de Berentin
94. Col de la Croix de la Serra
Cool and clearing for Colombier climb. Picnic lunch.
Day 31 – August 3
Saint-Claude to Lods
74.82 mi, 5,361′
95. Col de St. Sorlin
Day 32 – August 4
Lods to Ballon d’Alsace
- 88.25 mi, 8,291′
96. Col de Ferriere
97. Col du Ballon D’Alsace
Day 33 – August 5
Ballon d’Alsace to Munster
51.66 mi, 4,606′
98. Col de Bussang
Day 34 – August 6
Munster to Le Hohwald
66.28 mi, 8,025′
99. Collet du Linge
100. Col du Calvaire
101. Col du Bonhomme
102. Col du Pré des Raves
103. Col De Ste. Marie
104. Col D’Urbeis
105. Col de la Charbonniere
106. Col du Kreuzweg
Day 35 – August 7 Le Hohwald to Saverne 41.25 mi, 3,543′
107. Col du Shanz
Last day, and it rained most of the day. Stopped at a brasserie, which we thought was a restaurant, but brasserie also means brewery in French. The owner made us coffee to help us thaw out anyway and wouldn’t take any payment.
We arrived back in Saverne in the early afternoon, tired and soaked but glad to have finished the 100 Cols. Maybe a little disappointed too, that our adventure had come to an end. Next, off to Paris to recover for a week, then Paris-Brest-Paris.
Greg and Stacy ride 