It was a chilly start as we rolled out of Aurillac and through town. It was a group start as arrowing the 5 km to our first steep col would’ve been a challenge. But after riding with the morning rush hour, we made it out and headed up Col du Croizet - a steep 2 km 12-14% climb. We quickly warmed up as we climbed and were once again greeted with sunrise.
We made our way up a hilly Col de Legal which was dotted with fall colors on the first day of October. As we weaved in and out of the sun it would get warm and cold, but views along the way kept our minds off that.
On the way to Col de Legal
Soon it was time for the big challenge of the day - the Puy Mary (aka: Col de Pas de Peyrol). On the way there, we hit Col de Neronne. It was a gradual col with grades of 5-7% to get things warmed up. From there it was a flattish stretch to traverse to the 2 km 12-14% section up to the top of Puy Mary. No matter how steep it was, the views today were fantastic. Rounded hills, hints of fall color and rock faces were very prominent. Once atop the Puy Mary, we did a short out and back to get one more col and then headed down to lunch.
Lunch was a local dish consisting of a macaroni dish with cheese which was just right after a hard steep morning. From there we headed out on a ‘Phil’ flattish section, meaning some 10% plus gradients tossed in here and there.
Just a bit of exploring before lunch...
One final col remained after Feed #3, Col de Vendeix which was a gentler climb with great views of the mountains we are heading to tomorrow. It was then down to the town of La Bourboule where I was finally able to get a post-ride fresh baguette from a local Boulangerie.
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