Distance 238
Time 9:05
Climb 647
Weather Very hot
I wake earlyish still not sure of travel plans following the sad news of my Aunt's death. I want to go back to the UK for the funeral but this means less cycling days and needing to sort out logistics of how to get from/to the UK.
Over breakfast with the family I find out I was lucky to hit on their B&B as there is nothing much by way of accommodation quite a way south. I venture a thought that is going through my head, to cycle down to Dax today. They confirm its well over 200k and think its way to far. But I am not sure. Its flattish and the only way I can make it back to the UK and complete my tour is to get myself well ahead of schedule. This looks like a way to gain a day in one full stroke.
So I head off south. I keep up a very good pace averaging over 30kph for the first couple of hours. The going is fair but no easy since I am heading through some of the most famous vineyards in the worlds. I pass many a sign offering "degustation gratuit" in a cave but have to pass them all up. Quite apart from the need to press on I don't think I would be so welcome, a fly bespattered cyclist is not going to buy many bottles of grand cru.
My average speed drops, mainly due to the roads east of Bordeaux being a maze, meandering here and there with few signs. At one stage I get passed by another cyclist. I speed up a bit to get a tow, today I need all the help I can get.
Around midday I check my progress and think Dax is doable. I phone ahead to book a hotel. Shortly after I lose time by getting hopelessly lost in the vineyards, eventually finding my way with the help of a charming old couple.
One thing I had not factored into my plans was it being a bank holiday (Pentecost I believe). Watering holes were few and far between and the weather was getting very very hot. I was starting to get desperate when I passed by a bar that seemed open. As I stopped and entered a host of firemen/ladies left (not I am glad to say on business, they had been having some bash or other). I had some baguettes and lots of beer and pushed on.
South of Bordeaux is quite amazing. Its a vast regional park "Landes Gascogne" http://www.parc-landes-de-gascogne.fr/
Cycling through it is very strange. The going is dead easy, because it is completely flat. But also strangely hard because the roads are arrow straight through the middle of unending forest. So no matter how long you cycle you dont seem to be making any progress.
After a while the tedium is relieved when another cyclist flashes past. I put on a sprint and catch him. Turns out he is a triathlete who goes in for Iron man competitions, including those in mountains. He is super fit, out doing intervals. When he speeds up he leaves me for dead but recovers and lets me catch up. He is heading to Pissos (confusingly for the French pronounced piss-oss) where we split. He is heading for a swim in a nice cool lake, something I would appreciate rather than the mile upon mile of hot forest I have to get through.
Progress is rapid though and I head down through Morcenx to pick up the autoroute. Not planning to ride down it but a road runs parallel to it that makes navigation easy. However I also see a sign that says its 46km to Dax. Knowing I will be late at the hotel I phone ahead, they say fine but warn me that dinner stops being served at 9.00 which gives me just under two hours to cover the remaining distance. Should be easy but its been a long day.
Push hard and in fact make it with 30 mins to spare. Still I am the only guest in the dining room and the chef is anxious to finish. So I just order a melon and steak. I have certainly enjoyed my meal. 238km in a single day is more than any stage of this years tour and a PB by a comfortable margin for myself.
Only niggle is that my right toe is giving me real gip. I put it down (wrongly as it later turns out) to road vibration and me only wearing one sock. Needless to say I have little difficulty sleeping.
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