September 20, 2024
Sault to Vaison-la-Romaine via Mont Ventoux
My innkeeper, well-used to the parade of cyclists headed for Ventoux, apprised me of the best time to leave. You should start after 8, so it won't be too cold, but before 10am, because the wind will pick up in the afternoon. I was still the last guest to leave (reader: I am not a morning person).
It's a slow, steady, hot uphill from Sault. Several support vans pass me as I start my ride. Barely any cars, just a few tour group coaches. There's even a saddle that was a 1-3% grade. You know you've been climbing too long when a 2% grade feels like a descent.
In the last kick, even as I passed a cafe, I did not want to stop. I knew if I did, I'd face an even windier descent. There were many more cyclists now. I stay pretty consistently near this group of Italian cyclists. When I stop to take a coca break (I need the sugar), they stop too. When I sigh dramatically and groan at the steepness of the last bit, they smile indulgently.
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The grade is painful, sweat is running down my helmet straps, and it feels like I'm getting nowhere. When one of the roadside photographers reaches out to hand me his card, I just shake my head. Who wants to buy pictures of themselves looking busted? I just keep grinding and sipping my extra sugary coca. Finally, I make it to the top. A nice couple from Quebec takes my photo.
I pull out my sausage sticks, cheese, and crackers for a picnic. What a view.
The wind is picking up, and I throw on my windbreaker. I'm level with the clouds, crazy! I check that I'll be descending in the correct direction towards Malaucène, then head off with one last look at the radio tower.
Even with gloves, my fingers are extremely cold. Where's the sun when you need it? It's steep and twisty, requiring my full concentration. I pass a woman who was walking downhill. I slow down to check on her. It's not a mechanical problem. She finds it so cold that she can't descend properly, so she's walking. I continue on.
I stop in Malaucène for an entirely forgettable entrecôte, then decide I'll continue on to Vaison-la-Romaine not that far away. I pass an excellent farm stand, where I pick up lots of fruit and even a lavender pâté.
Vaison-la-Romaine punches far above its weight. On a map, it looks like any other village, but it's got a little extra charm. This afternoon, I write in my journal underneath an olive tree facing an excavated Roman ruin. What a day! I'm happy that I finally made it up Ventoux. And Gorges de la Nesque yesterday was a stunner. A one-two combination that should be on any climber's bucket list.
Today's ride: 56 km (35 miles)
Total: 725 km (450 miles)
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