September 25, 2024
Cucugnan to Puivert
I sleep well, and start around 10am. I decide to head to Château de Quéribus. In this photo, the château is the shadowy bump on the left side on the ridgeline. Mm, steep. The last climb just about breaks me. 14%, 17%. I think about jettisoning my saddlebag and stashing it in the bushes somewhere. I just can't do it, and with only 100m of elevation gain to go, I turn around in defeat. It sucks but it is what it is. When I stop at the bottom to decide where to go next, I accidentally burn the inside of my knee on the heated rim. Sigh. Sometimes I wonder why I do this.
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Luckily, the ride down to Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet is picturesque, but these drivers are passing rather close. I decide to ditch Gorges de Galamus because of the drivers here. Onto Quillan!
Another Cathar castle comes into view, but it's similarly steep, so I just admire the shadow as I come into town.
Free water, woohoo! And a rather fetching tap. It is really hot today, so I squeeze some water down the back of my jersey. I love evaporative cooling, I mutter to myself.
The last pass up to Puivert rises above the town. It's a slow, grinding climb under the blazing sun. My bike computer is showing 35°C. I groan. Cars pass carefully. I have seen zero cyclists today. One passenger leans out the window and shouts encouragements, banging on the side panel to accentuate his "allez!" I raise my hand in thanks. Sunscreen sweat mix runs down the side of my face. My ears feel hot.
Finally, I crest and am treated to a fabulous descent. It's pin straight, so I'm pulling 41km/h doing nothing. When I get into the drops, my speed increases to 44km/h.
I set up my first solo WarmShowers homestay today. It's a bit of a strange experience. My host, Maurice, disappears during dinner to take a phone call in the garden then says he was going to bed immediately. I tell him I'll be starting my ride around 8am the next day.
Today's ride: 67 km (42 miles)
Total: 930 km (578 miles)
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