Monday 6/18 - First day in the High Alps

We left our hotel in Annecy and drove south to Albertville. After a stop for breakfast, we assembled our bikes and started to ride towards the Cat 1 Cormet de Roselend. At 22km it wasn't very steep but it took quite a long time to get to the top. About a third of the way up, I left Erin and Dad to ride with a passing Frenchman. We couldn't really communicate at all but he set a good pace for the 10km I was with him.

Once the climb came out of the trees, the Cormet provides really beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. It climbs gradually enough that you can actually enjoy the view as well. As I approached about 2km from the summit, an Astana rider with two team cars came up behind me. I kept pace with him for a bit and said hello when he passed. He didn't look at me but just kind of grunted... Jagje... something or other - I couldn't quite make it out. I followed his team car to the top and stayed within 100 m of him. He stopped to get a jacket for the descent and i took the opportunity to grab the Astana hat we bought at the Dauphine and a pen and have him sign it. One of his support team seemed upset that I had a hat that listed an old sponsor so the rider gave me the sweaty hat he was wearing up the climb. At this point , we had no idea who this guy was but after coming back and comparing the picture we took with the picture of the Dauphine podium, we determined that the rider was Kashechkin (third at the Dauphine and one of Kazakhstan's finest).

We put on some warmer clothes and made the hairy descent from the Roselend. Depending on who you ask, it was either exhilerating or terrifying. We were hoping for some flat roads for part of our ride but we had no such luck. The road to Val d'Isere was uphill for about 25km. In the interest in getting to our hotel before dark and not destroying ourselves this early in the week, we packed it up and drove up the Col de l'Iseran and onward to our chalet in La Grave.

-jon