Tour de France - Etape 13 (CHÂTILLON-SUR-CHALARONNE to GRAND COLOMBIER - 160km, 2,400m)

Stage 13 - lucky / unlucky for some perhaps?

We hit the big mountains of the Alps - starting with the mighty Grand Colombier!

The stats really do not do the stage overall and the mighty Grand Colombier in particular justce...

It was hot - 30C to be precise and the main climbs started with 120km already in the legs. villages with crystal clear waters.

The warm-up consisted of the Col de la Lebe - itself a long and tough climb, but the reward at the top was views across to the main mountains that lay ahead.

The climb was the toughest I have ever done - hot, steep 16% switchbacks and unrelenting sections that gave no time for rest. I think I was climbing for about 90 mins, possibly more nd at the end everything was screaming "no more"!!!!

However, the pain and suffering was worth it - it literally felt like the top of the world being able to see right down to lake Annemasse.

Soon reality set in and the realisation that tomorrow there is 4000m of climbing and in a few days we will climb even higher to Morzine and Courchevel - they will be very long and tough days..

Bed now as alarm is set for 5 - what on earth am I doing......