2012 Day 4 in France - Alpe d'Huez Encore

Things happen.  I had a pretty big ride planned for today.  I was going to ride up the Col de Sarenne loop which is another way of sneaking up on the Alpe d'Huez summit by going a ways up the Bourg d'Oisans valley towards La Grave then taking a left off of the main road, riding up over the Col de Sarenne, then dropping down into Alpe d'Huez.  Again, the handy Google map:

The Col de Sarenne loop follows the green line around, but this map is inaccurate as there is a way to take the loop right into Alpe d'Huez at the top of the squiggly black line.  That was the plan, at least until I left the King of the Mountain Lodge at around 11:00 AM.  

But, as I was saying, things happen.  About a mile down the Col d'Ornan I had yet another blow out on my front tire.  I change the tube, but at this point I was sure I had an issue with the rim tape.  I had thoroughly checked the tire itself for a shard of glass, or a thorn, or something like that, and the tire itself was fine, but some tiny divots had developed in the cloth rim tape that separates the tube from the rim.  These divots were small and they were located where the spokes screw into the rim.  My best guess was that the inflated tube was slowly being cut at the point of one of these deformities and eventually blowing out.  So I put in a somewhat tougher tube that I happened to have and gingerly rode on down the hill to a bike shop in Bourg d'Oisans.  At the bike shop a very helpful mechanic confirmed my prognosis.  He seemed to think I would be okay with the tougher tube.

I wasn't so sure, but I decided to go ahead and ride.  Instead of the Col de Sarenne loop I elected to just ride up Alpe d'Huez.  The Col de Sarenne is pretty remote.  Alpe d'Huez had lots of traffic and there is bus service.  There are also a couple of bike shops on top and plenty of other cyclists if I had problems. I also went ahead and bought another durable tube and a couple more CO2 canisters to inflate it with in case I suffered another flat.

My basic theory is: When in doubt, ride!  I was hedging my bets by riding up Alpe d'Huez.  If I had a problem I would not be in the middle of nowhere.  And so I started up the 21 virages yet again.  I love the views of the switchbacks and the town below at the bottom of the alpe.  

Once I got to the top of the Alpe d'Huez climb I decided to ride on up to the end of the road.  I was up there two years ago with Hank.  Below is the view back down on the town of Alpe d'Huez. 

This whole area is criss-crossed by ski lifts.  In the summer they use some of the lifts to take mountain bikers up the hill.  There is a huge network of mountain bike trails and hiking trails.  I also saw an equestrian center.  I stopped at a little chalet bistro, le plage a niege (the snow beach) and had the most expensive coke I have ever bought - 3 and 1/2 Euros - more expensive, I think, then at a Major League Baseball or NFL game.  At the end of the road you come to Lake Besson.

I reckon the climb from Bourg d'Oisans all the way to the lake was about 4,650 vertical feet.  I descended down the Alpe very gingerly and thankfully I did not have any tube blow-out issues with the front tire.  From town I rode back up the Col d'Ornan to the KOM Lodge, which I reckon is about a five mile climb and just over another 1,400 feet of elevation gain.  I consider it a bonus climb that I get to do almost every day.  Below is a view of the narrow street in Le Rivier d'Ornan at the end of which, on the right side, is the KOM lodge.  When I get here on my climb up the Col d'Ornan I am back at the barn!

Another great day of riding!  37 miles with about 6,000 feet of climbing.  Tomorrow, Le Col de Sarenne!