Friday July 1, 2005, 40 km (25 miles) – Total so far: 5,230 km (3,250 miles)
I replaced my third burst rear tyre and our second broken Therm-a-rest in Modane. The new tyre is French, a Michelin, we’ll see how it fares.
A ‘deviation’ (or detour) sent us high up the valley as we left Modane, then it was all downhill to the foot of the Col du Télégraphe. An incredible wind has been blowing up the valley for the past few days and it made for quite a tough ride to the foot of the Col.
The Télégraphe itself was a nice climb, mostly wooded, with great views and not too steep. We had a coffee in a bar at the summit.
Valloire is a typical ski resort, but this weekend it’s hosting a massive quad-biking event. We only just got a place in the campsite and were here really early. Strange things these quads, they look like motorcycles for people with no balance. We had a browse around an exhibition that has taken over the town centre; it was very busy with loads of strange people dressed in odd biking costumes looking at the machines.
The view from the climb of the Col du Télégraphe
The summit of the Col du Télégraphe (1,566 m)
The café at the top of the Col du Télégraphe
The campsite in Valloire, newly built ski hotels in the background
The 4×4 show had come to town