Not quite yet, check in Sat then race start in Nice Sun. But I am hanging out in France and it is inching ever closer.

Hooked up with my friend Uli today for final relaxing ride, 107kms w double Ventoux ascent.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6730063

After a suitably late 10am start we rocked the first 21km climb from Malaucene effortlesly zipping past countless fellow cyclists. It was too cold and windy up top for any formalities so we headed straight down from the moonscape into the protective tree cover. The top and road down to Bedoin were a madhouse of cyclists struggling their way up which made for tricky descending.

Once down we headed east towards Sault over de Col des Abeilles, a 10km climb that on paper didn't look like much but just kept on going ridge after ridge. Beautiful riding on tertiary roads, France at its best.

Lunch Pizza Provencale in Sault, a scenic hilltop town. Then off for the final 26km climb. By now the Mistral was blowing like crazy which variably worked for and against us. At some point on the climb we clocked from 20-30km per hour going uphill. Then on the final moonscape part of the ascent it was full on head and side wind. Hard to keep a speed above 7kph and trying not to pull an Andy getting blown of the mountain. Again no formalities, it was too brutal to hang out up top. The entire downhill back to Malaucene continued to be a battle against the Mistral.

Ended the ride feeling there was still significant gas left in the tank. Learned that there's actually a triple crown to be had here, all three ascents of Ventoux in one day. The Rapha boys came by here recently and did it. It seemed well within reach today but alas not timely; this was meant to be a taper ride with only 3500 m vertical.

Good vibes after this ride, the average speed we've been clocking on mountain rides and freshness after them bodes reasonably well for next week although day to day recovery on a 7 day event is hard to predict. Definitely feeling like I'm in the shape of a lifetime at the moment.