Hard to pick a favorite day, but Day 6 was as close as it gets for me. Partners were Ribs/TL and Wilbur/GD.
Tough logistics stage as it was a point to point ride with all riders and their bikes transported back from Ventoux to the start town.
145KM of riding on the day, but it was really all about the final 21KM. Like Alpe d'Huez, Madeleine, etc., Ventoux ranks as one of the most famous climbs in Europe, hosting many epic Tour battles.
While Alpe d'Huez may claim more history, Ventoux's physical makeup sets it apart from anything else we'd ridden.
Climbing Ventoux is an accomplishment. Climbing with 5 hard days on the legs and a 125KM "warm up" is just plain tough.
Day started with a frenetic rollout in a big pack that lasted the first 100KM. No climbs big enough to break up the lead group. Finally a "half Cypress" split apart the group, though Wilbur and I caught back on to the leader's group at the bottom of the Giant.
Three routes up Ventoux. We ascended from Bedoin.
Definitely my toughest climb. Unrelenting for most of 21KM. No flat sections. No hairpin breathers. And as promised, a real punch in the face over the last 3KM.
Wilbur was a beast. Took it to me with 3KM to go. Wilbur loves it when it gets over 10% grade, as do most who eat sparingly and weigh less than a high school cheerleader.
Below is photo evidence of his attack. That's me down the road. Apparently I attacked him on the gentler slopes at the bottom of the climb. No photo - no proof.
The expression says it all.
You can see the final 1KM of the climb from the summit. Rose for the day was cheering on TL and Ribs as they completed the stage. Great day in the saddle for all of us. WL finished top 25 out of a field of 450 and I was 30 seconds or so behind.
A shoutout due to Ms. Nathanson-Duyker and the other wives (Sharon, Shereen, First Lady) who let us do what we love. Lots of time spent away from family preparing for, and participating in, these events. Couldn't do it without support at home. Day 6 also coincided with my 11-year wedding anniversary. Ms. Nathanson-Duyker spent the day roughing in on Capris with her sister and the First Lady.
Selfie from the summit. Hard to tell from this photo, but the top of Ventoux is often described as a moonscape.
Trev's greatest value on the trip may have been his orchestration of our Day 6 apres. In lieu of cattle car back to an underwhelming town of Digne, TL's friend, Lana, picked us up, drove us through some beautiful towns in Provence, and accompanied us to a top notch lunch at Crillon de Brave.
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