Assault on Alpe d'Huez! Monday, Day 1 Continued.

Hank's bike finally arrived around 12:30 today, so we put it together and rode down into Bourg d'Oisans for lunch. We ate at a sidewalk cafe where a large and enthusiastic Dutch crowd was watching their team triumph over Denmark in the World Cup. Then came our first assault on a French Alps climb - the 21 hairpin turns of Alpe d'Huez, about 3,800 feet of climbing in nine miles. We climbed up into a glowering sky. It was raining up the valley and for the last three miles of our climb it was raining on us. At left my Garmin's read-out from the ride.

I am pleased to announce that team war elephant triumphed - I told Hank that those Romans would never know what hit them - and we firmly planted the clydesdale flag on top of Alpe d"Huez in the ski area parking lot that marks the finish line for the Tour de France when they tackle the hill.

I did not time our ascent, but I am guessing we fell somewhat short of Marco Pantani's record of 37 minutes, 35 seconds. Below a pic of Hank on the ascent. We had a wet descent in the rain for about five miles, riding our brakes through the steep hairpins on the descent until we broke out of the wet and into the sun and continued dropping down into Bourg d' Oisans. Next a short ride down the valley and then the climb back up the Col de Ornan to our lodge and dinner. It was a great first day with about 6,500 feet of climbing. Hank, as always, was impressive. The Grinder endures.