So where are we going

Maps are without a doubt the coolest invention. A map can be read right to left top to bottom or upside down and make equal sense in any direction. Their story is both fiction and nonfiction.

Pyrénées
The snippet at left spans the the most famous of Pyrenian climbs from just east of the Col du Tourmalet down the pass to Luz-Saint-Sauveur (where we will spend 5 days) then down the Gorge de Luz to the turnoff (west) to climb the Col du Soulor and Col d' Ausbisque. At the north edge is Hautacam. Another famous and apparently god awful climb not on our itinerary, but maybe...Hautacam, like Luz Ardiden a dead end climb to a ski resort, has been a TdF stage finish 4 times - 1994, 1998, 2000, 2008. Armstrong gained a 4 minute lead on Urlich here in 2000. Securing his victory that year.

Armstrong crashed with Iban Mayo, then recovered and won the stage on Luz-Ardiden in 2003. A stage finish 7 times - 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 194, 2001, 2003. Besides Armstrong this climb has been won by the famous -Miguel Indurain (1990) and infamous -Richard Virenque (1994). Ardiden is not on the list either, but it's so close.

But I am getting ahead of the story.

The group ride kicks off from Toulouse, main city of the Midi-Pyrénées region. and heads to Quillan for the first night. Easy, flat. We'll get to shake off the jet lag and sort out the other riders on this tour.

From Quillan it gets more interesting. The first real climbs start on day 2 with three route options. All end on the Plateau de Bonascre.

Options, options

1. Drive to the town of Ax-les-Thermes and ride the final climb to Plateau de Bonascre - 7.8km averaging 8.6% (11.9% max)

2. Get on the bike at Quillan and ride 53km to its base going over Col de Chioula (1431m), then up the 7.8km to PdB. Quillan is at 291m, Plateau de Bonascre is at 1378m. Just 61 km of up-down-up.

3. The 3rd option is over Port de Pailhères, the race route, at 2001m just 114m lower than Col du Tourmalet, 67km to the base of Plateau de Bonascre, then the 7.8km to the finish. Porte de Pailheres is said to be a slow easy climb from Quillan for the first 32km, then a tough 11km at 7, 8 & 9%.
After all this riding it's into the van for transit to Luz St. Sauveur. Should be interesting, 16 very tired, and likely sweaty riders in one vehicle, just before dinner. At least our first view of the Tourmalet is not on the bike.

Morning of day 3 we're up in Luz St Sauveur. Up is figurative as Luz St Sauveur is the bottom of the bag. Surrounded by the most storied climbs in the Pyrenees - Tourmalet and Col d'Aspin east and up, Luz-Ardiden to the immediate west and up, Hautacam south and a little down then way up. It's south and west to the double up of Col du Soulor and Col d'Ausbisque.

4 days, 6 Cols, 4 are doubled up. Kind of a two for one heart attack Col combination plate.

Did I mention the Tour de France passes through town twice? And of course to get more than a fleeting look we too will have to climb up and over a Col to watch them come up the other side. 4 days, 5708 meters of possible up.

Then a change. After 6 days in the hills it is flatlander time outside of Bordeaux at Pauillac. The 51km Time Trial course is open to cyclist.

Then recover and next day watch the time trial on the next to last day of the 2010 TdF.

Then disassemble the bikes, box them up and get up early next morning and hop the TGV to Paris to watch the final laps on Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

Then we relax.