Someone once said to me ‘there is no such thing as a bad decision, just a decision made in the context at that moment’. As I reflect on my experience I find it difficult to recollect exactly how I felt and why I decided that when I got to Barcelonette I was going to scratch. There were probably multiple factors. There were people behind me who had already scratched. Martin having lost all his kit, Haico because he was injured, Benjamin because he was on a gravel bike and had fallen hit his head and been vomiting!

There was the nature of the terrain ahead of me. The weather. The time pressure. I remember, as I set off from the little studio I had slept in even thinking of going back to Isola and extracting myself from there. But as I cycled on, upwards, towards the Col de la Bonette I felt better. I was glad I had decided to do this in daylight. I was enchanted by the views. I was challenged by the climb which fortunately, for a good long section, was on tarmac.

Ultimately the road did become unpaved but the views did not deteriorate in any way.

I knew there was an out and back loop to the col itself and I had contemplated missing it out and going straight to the refuge and checkpoint 1. I felt so good and was enjoying the surrounds so much I decided to keep going and was so glad I did. The very last bit was on tarmac and round a corner to make the col.

The views were breathtaking.

Even better, someone came over and asked if my bike had a motor!

Then it was time to circle the summit and head back down the way I had come before turning off to Bayasse.

Once I had turned off, the path became quite rubbly and technical but I was in such high spirits I descended with little fear and threw myself down to the refuge.

I was looking forward to a coffee and some food but I had forgotten that we were warned the refuge would be closed on Wednesday.

Eating another Snicker (I must have consumed twenty to thirty since the start) I set off down the tarmac to Barcelonette alongside a tumbling river. It was downhill all the way 🙂

Darren’s story.

Coming off the Col de la Bonette I passed Darren who was on his way up.

He had experienced a mechanical early on when his hub broke and he had to go all the way back to Menton to get it fixed. He then got a lift back to the spot where he had turned round and continued to race. He arrived at the first refuge, in the rainstorm, around 10pm (I was already asleep) and set off later than the rest of us the next morning. For the last few days he had been hot on my heels, despite losing at least half a day getting his mechanical sorted. We were to get to know each other better as he had also decided to scratch at Barcelonette.

I arrived at the town and knew I was going no further when I ordered a pichet of wine and lunch.

In the adjacent bar I recognised another rider, Kris. He also had scratched, since his front suspension had collapsed. I joined him for a post prandial beer and we were soon joined by Darren.

The day before I had met Benjamin who told me he was getting a bus. “Do they take bikes?” I asked. He said he was told they did. So in Barcelonette I found the Tourist Office and the woman behind the counter rang the bus company and booked two bikes on the bus the next morning to Gap. Operation Extraction had commenced!

Darren and I booked an apartment, had dinner and retired replete and sanguine about the decision we had made. Especially when we saw this message from Katie, the organiser:

Snails and steak. A most excellent feast.