Report by: Philip

 

Since 1964 the BMW Club Mulheim an der Ruhr has organised a 3 day training course on the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit.

 

I only found out about this course through David Halsall, our BMW GB dealer representative for Cotswold BMW where I work on Saturdays, who put me in touch with Barry Salmon, one of the bike instructors. Full details of what the course offers can be found at the club website.

 

Having seen what was on offer I decided to sign up for the course and this is my report.

 

Arriving late Sunday - 1st August 2010 - I just managed to make the course dinner at the Dorint hotel where I met my fellow participants in Group 11 - the motorbike group. The other 10 groups were all car groups. There were 204 participants in all with 23 of them being bikers, consisting of 9 Germans, including a lady, an Austrian and 13 Brits. There were 16 BMWs, 2 Triumphs, a Yamaha, a Honda, a Kawasaki, a Ducati and a Monotracer. For those of you wondering what a Monotracer is click on the link.

 

The BMWs consisted of 3 S1000 RRs, 3 R1200 GSs, 2 R1200 RTs, a K1300 R, a K1200 R, a K1300 GT, a K1200 GT, a R1200 R, a R1200 S, a HP2 Sport, and a K1200 GT (the older in line four GT).

 

The problem with the Monotracer was that the track is quite narrow so when we had to turn around at the start and end of each section the Monotracer quite often had to resort to engaging reverse gear. All this meant some extra delay and although Gerold, its driver, was a nice chap, I think I wasn't the only one who breathed a sigh of relief when its clutch packed in after the second section.

 

From a wider perspective even if you bought into the idea that you would get the "riding dynamics of a superbike combined with the safety, comfort, weather protection, practicality and prestige of a sportscar and the mileage of a small eco-car" (their website blurb) the consensus was that this thing has been created to solve a problem which didn't exist at a price which virtually no one would be prepared to pay.

 

Anyway enough of the Monotracer and back to the course.

 

There were 3 instructors - Chris Rossiter and Barry Salmon from the UK, both riding BMW R1200Ss, and Andre Freund from Germany, riding a Ducati 996. They probably had an aggregate 50 or 60 years of experience of riding the Nordschleife.

 

After dinner we had a briefing, focussing on circuit discipline, particularly when on track with the cars, and were told to be on track for 7.30am.

 

Virtually all the bikers were either staying at the Hotel zur Burg or the Hotel am Tiergarten in Nurburg. Both hotels are very pleasant and reasonably priced and have the advantage of only being a kilometre away from the entrance to the circuit.

 

In the morning every participant met on the circuit - on the main straight by the visitor entrance - in their groups.

 

 

The bikes were then let out to do a single "total lap" and our start point for the day was where we were lined up.

 

The rule for this lap was simple: no overtaking and follow the line set by the instructors as closely as you could. The aim over the next two days was to learn the so called "safety line" - the fastest way around the circuit whilst minimising risk. The way this is done is by "section training" and below you can see a map of the circuit that includes kilometre markers and section names.

 

 

 

With 11 groups, the circuit is split into 11 sections. Our first section was from the circuit entrance along the straight through the left right kink at Tiergarten then the right left right at T13 (named after Tribune 13 - the stand at what used to be the entrance to the Nordschleife). We split into 3 groups, each behind an instructor, and followed the instructor's line to the end of the section. The last person through would raise his arm so the first instructor, who would by then be facing the opposite direction with his group behind him, would know the track was clear to return to the start point. The first person through would wait to take up the rear. This system ensured that everyone did at least one run immediately behind the instructor so they could see exactly where he was placing the bike.

 

We would spend 1 hour 20 minutes on each section so we might ride it 10 or so times. Sometimes we would stop part way through a section and the instructors would point out why we were turning in at a particular point, where the turn in point was or where the apex was. There are a lot of markings on the surface to indicate turn in, apex and exit points but only some of these were relevant to bikes and so learning which to ignore and which to pay attention to was important. As an example the turn in point for both Aremberg and Hohe Acht is marked by a join in the surface between one lot of surfacing and the next, whereas Kallenhard's turn in point is the white paint mark on the surface.

 

 

You can see the track bending to the right and then the left. The turn in point to the right hand element is just beyond where the photo was taken and is fairly obvious. You might think that the turn in point to the left hander is not far after you've clipped the kerb on the right but if you look closely you can see the protective wire netting for the marshal's post on the extreme right of the track and the turn in point for the left hander is right by the netting. The reason is that the apex for the left hander is hidden round the corner and if you don't hit that apex then you won't hit the apex for the next two rights.

 

Another example would be the Hatzenbach complex down the hill from T13. This is a left right left right left series of bends with a short gap before a right and left which takes you onto Flugplatz. Below you can see a photo of Chris Rossiter with the Hatzenbach complex marked on the track by T13 explaining the line.

 

 

The first right has a double apex. If you don't hit the first apex then you won't hit the second apex at the right angle for the next left and so on. This means that when you hit Flugplatz you might be travelling at 10 to 15 mph less and that means you will be travelling 10 to 15 mph less all the way along Flugplatz and Schwedenkreuz to Aremberg.

 

As an example take a look at the photo below. The the rider at the top of the picture is entering Flugplatz from Hatzenbach 2 and you can tell that he has got the line wrong - he should be further over to his left as he's missed the apex on exit which means that his entry point was wrong.

 

 

Something else to consider, as the photo below highlights, is that there is very little room between the track and the barriers. This is true for most of the circuit. You could be fractionally off line and get on the grass. The next step would be hitting the barriers. We all appreciated why the instructors kept insisting on being precise at all times and that meant being within inches rather than feet of key points along the 21,165 metres of the Nordschleife. Unfortunately one of the group did drop his bike on the Monday morning but luckily this was at Metzgesfelt 2 which was a slower corner with a bit more run off than usual. His bike was damaged but mostly it was cosmetic and he was back on track on Tuesday.

 

 

Here is a photo of Karusell with all the bikes parked up on the inside of the corner and Chris explaining where the turn in point is – it’s the white paint mark to his left straddling the tarmac and the concrete.

 

 

To hit this turn in point you simply ride your bike from the bottom of the hill to the top of the hill aiming directly at a white market fixed to the catch fencing. As you crest the brow the white paint marker is dead ahead of you.

 

From time to time the instructors would take up vantage points along a section and we would all ride it at 10 second intervals and come back for a critique from them - we might have turned in too early or too late or might have been carrying insufficient speed into the corner.

 

In the following photo we are just below Aremberg at the top of the drop down to Fuchsrohre and the climb up to Adenauer Forst.

 

 

And similarly waiting to start the run from the exit of Bergwerk up the Klostertal to Angst Kurve and the corner leading up to Karusell.

 

 

You might think that insufficient speed should not have been a problem. However, there are very steep descents and ascents in the circuit. The high point is a 618 meters ASL and the low point is at 320 metres ASL - a rise and fall of nearly a 1,000 feet. On some of the uphill sections the gradient will do all your braking for you and you need to keep the throttle open to hold the line - the approach along Klostertal to Angst curve and the approach to Hohe Acht from Karusell are both examples.

 

We did 3 sections on Monday morning, 3 on Monday afternoon, 3 on Tuesday morning and 2 on Tuesday afternoon. In between these times we would do "total lapping" usually starting behind the instructors for 1 or 2 laps before being free to circulate at our own pace.

 

During the "total lapping" periods the circuit would have both cars and bikes on it, although they would segregate the bikes from the faster cars - the circuit every morning looked like a Porsche GT2/GT3 and BMW M3 showroom with some Nissan GTRs, Chevrolet Corvettes etc thrown in. There were also a group consisting entirely of Wiesmanns. This is a stunning looking hand built German sports car with BMW engines as you can see from the photos below.

 

 

 

The silver roadster has a 4.8 litre BMW V8 and the green coupe has the 5.0 litre V10 from the M5 under the bonnet. The smaller Wiesmanns behind the silver roadster in the second photo are all powered by the 3.2 litre M3 engine. They were seriously quick although the consensus on the pit lane wall was that the Nissan GTRs were the quickest thing out there, just shading the GT3s and M3s.

 

When cars were on the circuit you had to be very vigilant as the fact is that they could brake harder into corners and carry more corner speed. What we had was greater acceleration on some sections - for example the climb out of Bergwerk. Overall though you just had to accept that the majority of the cars were quicker. The rule was that overtaking is only allowed on the left - the 'Ring is a public road and therefore the normal rules of overtaking applied. The cars were also told that they should wait until we indicated right and pulled over before they overtook. Unfortunately there was a collision between one of our group and a Wiesmann on the exit from Brunchen 2. There were no witnesses and so it was a "he said she said". Luckily the biker stayed upright but his left hand footrest was ripped off and he had a badly bruised left ankle.

 

The only answer was to make regular mirror checks - as in every few seconds - as the fast cars would come up on you so quickly it almost defied belief.

 

So the section training and total lapping continued until 7.30pm on Monday and Tuesday. Our ability to ride the safety line would be assessed on Wednesday morning at 16 points along the circuit by the instructors. We all met for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Mullenbach on Tuesday evening and celebrated Barry's upcoming 60th Birthday in some style. The good news was that the bike assessment laps wouldn't start until some time after 11.00am so we could have a lie in on the Wednesday morning.

 

On Wednesday after a leisurely breakfast I decided that the best approach would be to go for a gentle ride rather than just turn up at the advised 11.00am start so as to get the bike and tyres warm, and to use that ride to get into the swing of riding tidily and precisely. So I had a gentle 15 mile trundle around the area before returning to the circuit. Just before I got there I spotted the sign on one of the GP circuit buildings and decided that it presented a decent photo opportunity. See what you think:

 

 

Then it was off for the assessed lap. For this lap we set off at about 1 minute intervals and again the rule was no overtaking so if you managed to catch the next rider up you would simply have to slow down and give them space. In fact the instructors appeared to have a starting line up with the fastest riders at the front so there was little danger of catching anyone up. I got a bit of a confidence boost when I saw that I would set off 6th - the instructors must have thought I could get a wriggle on if I needed to.

 

 

This brought home one of the greatest advantages of this course - you are extremely privileged to start a lap of the Nordschleife knowing that it is just you and the circuit - you are alone on it and can concentrate entirely on your lines. You will never get anything remotely like that experience on a "touristfahren" - a lap when the circuit is open to the public.

 

Everyone was going to be nervous to some degree before the lap and I was no exception. I concentrated on getting the first few bends through T13 right. I thought if I could do that it would settle me down and so it proved. Clearing those out of the way I could concentrate on the Hatzenbach complex and that went fairly well. The rest of the lap went well. I knew I made some mistakes but overall I was well satisfied and the grins on everyone's faces back in the paddock confirmed how much we had all enjoyed this unique experience.

 

 

We wouldn't know the results until the course dinner in the evening so a few of us went down to Adenau and had an icecream and soft drink at the cafe by the Breidschied bridge and waited for the open session to start at 1.00pm.

 

This session was the icing on the cake. 4.5 hours of unlimited lapping until the circuit was once again reopened to the public at about 6.00pm.

 

Of course this meant mixing it with the fast cars but it just meant remembering to make regular mirror checks. Sometimes laps would be disrupted quite a lot because of the need to make way for the cars but on other laps you might have the track to yourself - not surprising even with 200 cars and bikes potentially on circuit as everyone would take breaks and there were 21 kilometres to spread the rest over.

 

The other advantage of the course over "touristfahren" is that we didn't need to come into the paddock between laps - we could blast it down the main straight without stopping. Exiting the last bend at about 85 mph it wasn't too difficult to get the S1000 up to 165 mph+ even accounting for the fact that the section by the circuit entrance/exit is quite steeply uphill and there was a stiff headwind.

 

There are a number of viewing areas at trackside and I expect that the news that some extremely quick cars were circulating seemed to bring a fair number of spectators out. We didn't need to be reminded that if spectators congregated at a particular place it meant that there was a good chance of dropping the bike if you didn't get that section entirely right - Brunnchen was a good example, where the trackside ghouls were out in force.

 

I managed 10 complete laps in the afternoon in 2, 2, 2 and 4 lap sessions. It rained for about 10 minutes which meant taking extra special care until it dried out again but apart from that it was a pleasant afternoon's riding.

 

After that it was time to get changed, have a few beers and head over to the Dorint for the course dinner, at the end of which we were given our assessment sheets. Each section is scored on a scale of 1 to 10 as follows - German first with English translation although 10 really doesn't need any translation:

 

1. Weltmeister / World Champion

2. Ausgezeichnet / Extraordinary

3. Sehr Gut / Very good, both line and speed

4. Gut, zugig, sauberer streich / Good line but middling speed

5. Strich getroffen - befriedigend / Line correct but not flowing

6. Etwas ungenau - ausreichend / Line a bit wrong

7. Strich kaum getroffen - mangelhaft / Line wrong, failed

8. Strich gar nicht getroffen - ungenugend / Nothing right!

9. Fast blech - ungenugend / Nearly crashed

10. Blech oder totales chaos / Total mess, crashed!

 

(Thanks to Ben Lovejoy's Ringers website for the translations)

 

My own scores were:

 

3 - Hatzenbach 1

2 - Hatzenbach 2

3 - Flugplatz

4 - Schwedenkreuz

2 - Aremberg

4 - Adenauer Forst

3 - Metzgesfeld

5 - Kallenhardt

3 - Bergwerk

6 - Klostertalkurve

4 - Karusell

3 - Wipperman

4 - Eschbach

4 - Brunnchen4

4 - Pflanzgarten

7 - Schwalbenschwanz 1

 

That's an average of 3.8 so I was pleased.

 

Now those of you who check the course website will say that €1,490 is a large amount of money to pay for the course. Add in the cost of getting there plus 4 nights accomodation, beer money and petrol you are looking at around £2,000 in £Sterling.

 

However, let's also take into account the following:

 

- the Nordschleife is arguably the world's most beautiful and challenging circuit

- the club have exclusive use of the circuit

- you get expert in depth instruction covering the whole circuit

- you get 7 hours 40 minutes of scheduled total lapping over the 3 days

- you get to ride a lap with nothing else on the circuit (effectively)

- you would spend €800-€900 alone to get the equivalent number of laps on public days

 

and the cost though high is still at least IMO good value for money. I'll be going back next year.

 

My sincere thanks to Barry, Chris and Andre, our instructors, for the quality of their instruction and to my fellow participants for the pleasure of their company.

 

 

Route: D618A/N-141 Bagneres-de-Luchon to Bossost - 12 miles

 

Ridden: 23/07/2010

 

The Col du Portillon (or Puerto del Portillon) is located in the Val d'Aran, a Spanish valley that borders France and connects the French town of Bagneres-de-Luchon in the north with the Spanish town of Bossost in the south.

 

The ride from from France to Spain is best as the well surfaced route up the French side is tight and steep while the equally well surfaced route down the Spanish side is fast and flowing.

 

If you find yourself in Bagneres-de-Luchon with an hour or so to kill we suggest you head up and over the Portillon. From Bossost pick up the N230 which will take you back to France. Once back in France pick up the N125 and follow signs to St. Beat. From St. Beat it's a short 12 mile blast along the D44/D125 back to Bagneres-de-Luchon. Take your passport just in case.

 

There's not much to see at the summit, but on the very fast descent to Bossost in Spain there is a superb view of the valley below. Check out the waterfalls on the way up from Bagneres-de-Luchon.

 

 

Route: D925/D51 Bourg-d'Oueil to Mauleon-Barousse - 24 miles

 

Ridden: 19/07/2010

 

The Port de Bales (or Col de Bales) is located between the Oueil valley in the south and the Barousse valley in the north. It isn't necessarily a pass you would ride unless you go out of your way to include it in a ride out, however, like many Pyrenean passes it offers stunning views and pretty scenery. It would certainly be a worthwhile addition to your bagging list if you have the time.

 

It was virtually impassable until as recently as 2006 when it was resurfaced for inclusion as a part of the 15th stage in the 2007 Tour de France. It made a second appearance in the Tour de France in 2010, again as a part of the 15th stage, when Alberto Contador controversially took the yellow jersey from leader Andy Schleck.

 

Starting in the south from Bagneres-de-Luchon the climb is 12 miles long and over this distance climbs 1,125m at an average percentage of 5.7 %, but with several sections over 11%.

 

Starting in the north from Mauleon-Barousse the climb is also 12 miles long and over this distance climbs 1,185m at an average percentage of 6.3 %, with the steepest sections at over 11%.

 

If you ever find yourself based in Bagneres-de-Luchon it's only a few miles to the southern end of the climb at Bourg-d’Oueil - simply follow signs to Col de Peyresourde and take a right at Bourg-d’Oueil. From there the climb starts and the landscape changes from a grassy plateau at the head, to a steep sided, pine tree lined valley before drifting into green, rolling fertile hills. Mauleon-Barousse, 24 miles later, marks the base of the northern end. From there it's a fast, open road back to Bagneres-de-Luchon.

 

 

 

Fri 23rd July: Arreau to Carcassonne - 191 miles

 

The weather this morning was an improvement on the last two days which was a great relief because today we started our journey home. Our destination today was Carcassonne however before we left the Pyrenees we'd planned a nice route that would take in a few passes first.

 

Leaving Arreau the first pass of the day was the now familiar Col de Peyresourde. This took us into Bagneres-du-Luchon and from there we crossed into Spain over the very pleasant Col du Portillon. This pass was another one that was new to me and although there's not a great deal to see at the summit, the ride up the D618A on the French side, and especially the ride down the N141 on the Spanish side, makes this diversion very worth while. No sooner had we entered Spain than we left again, on the N-230/N125 towards St. Beat. I hadn't been to St. Beat since 2007 but immediately recognised the right turn that took us over the Col de Mente and ultimately the Col de Portet d’Aspet.

 

In 2007, when I rode the Portet d'Aspet a number of times, unbelievably I'd missed the monument to Italian cyclist Fabio Casartelli. Tragically he died on this pass during the 15th stage of the 1995 Tour de France after crashing on a descent. This time I made sure I stopped to pay my respects.

 

 

 

Stopping off to see Casartelli's monument was also a good opportunity for us to stretch our legs and get some refreshment, Haribo sweets courtesy of the Tour publicity caravan.

 

 

Coming down the other side of the Portet d'Aspet I recognised St. Lary - a village where I'd stayed in 2007. From St. Lary we took the D618 up to the D117 and then followed signs to St. Girons and Foix. At Foix we headed north on the N20/E09 towards Pamiers where we picked up the A66 and A61 motorways to Castelnaudary. The final run into Carcassonne on the N113 rounded off a pretty much perfect day of riding.

 

This evening we weren't actually staying Carcassonne, we were staying in Trebes, a small town just outside, at a place called Evasion Hotel. At €52 a night it was reasonably priced however for the second time this trip TomTom had problems finding our hotel. Once again though I can't blame TomTom because although the hotel address was given as Trebes it wasn't actually in Trebes, rather it was on the N113 between Carcassonne and Trebes.

 

Besides its address we couldn't fault the hotel. It was ideally located for us to get staight on the motorway tomorrow morning, and to get into Carcassonne this evening. Both of us had been to Carcassonne before but it had been a while so we were keen to dump our luggage and leathers and take a look around.

 

 

There are dozens of places to eat in Carcassonne however I can recommend the homemade cassoulet at L'Ostal des Troubadourst. For those of you interested and who don't know, cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole that originates in the south of France. There a few regional variations, Toulouse and Carcassonne for example, but the best known comes from Castelnaudary, the self-proclaimed "Capital of Cassoulet". It is named after "the cassole", a deep, round, earthenware pot with slanting sides that the dish is cooked in. Typically it contains meat (usually pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin (couennes) and white haricot beans.

 

 

Travelling home via Carcassonne added an extra 200 miles to the journey, not a great a deal in the scheme of things, but we were pleased we made the effort and it was a nice way to end our stay in the south of France.

Sat 24th July: Carcassonne to Commentry - 359 miles

 

The next couple of days were never going to be pleasant, not so much today, but certainly tomorrow, so thankfully this morning we awoke to brilliant sunshine. Today we were going to be on the motorway pretty much all day but at least it was interesting motorway, or as interesting as a motorway gets.

 

Our route today was simple, A61/E80, A9/E15, A75, A71 and finally a nice run on the N144 into Commentry, near Montlucon. We'd planned three stops, first stop was Millau and its famous viaduct for a break and photo opportunity, second stop was about 50 miles further down the road for fuel and lunch, third stop was Commentry, our destination.

 

 

The Millau Viaduct forms part of the A75-A71 autoroute axis from Paris to Montpellier and spans the valley of the river Tarn. It opened for traffic on 16th December 2004 and at the time was the tallest bridge in the world. It's 2.46km long and the average height of the roadway is 270m.

 

The toll for crossing the viaduct on a motorcycle was €3.90 and like most people travelling eastwards we stopped off at the service area just before the peage. For a good photo opportunity get off at J45 and take a look at the bridge and the surrounding views.

 

 

As it transpired today didn't leave us feeling as tired as we'd expected to be. The bike performed brilliantly and because we hadn't really rushed, just spent the day cruising making good progress, we arrived at our hotel, Le Lyon Vert, feeling happy and relaxed. At €50 a night the hotel was reasonable. It was clean, tidy and peaceful, but very dated.

 

The highlight of the day, well mine, was getting 196.2 miles from one tank of fuel and averaging 53.3 mpg - and I wasn't hanging about. Running the GSX-R1000 in 600cc mode returns fantastic fuel ecconomy, even two up and fully loaded with luggage.

Sun 25th July: Commentry to Le Touquet - 392 miles

 

Yesterday was a high mileage day but today we needed to rack up nearly 400 miles to get to our destination, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage. That meant another day of mile munching on the motorway but unfortunately today's weather forecast for northern France was rain.

 

Once again our route today was straightforward, A71, A10/E05 to Paris, A16 to Abbeville and finally the D40 and D940 for the final run into the seaside town of Le Touquet. We'd fuelled up last night so with that in mind theoretically we only needed to stop twice today, first stop would need to be around Paris, the second near Abbeville.

 

As it transpired, the rain that was forecast for northern France only made a fleeting appearance on the run into Abbeville and in a similar way to yesterdays ride, today wasn't as hellish as we'd expected it to be. Again the bike performed brilliantly and again we just cruised along making good progress. Apart from passing all the Tour de France team buses and cars on the motorway the ride was pretty uneventful however our hotel for tonight, Be Cottage Hotel, was worth the effort of getting to Le Touquet. At €85 a night it wasn't cheap but for somewhere notoriously expensive like Le Touquet it was quite reasonable.

 

 

The thing about riding on motorways for long periods of time is you get a lot of time to think, so here's something to consider. By the time this trip is over we'll have travelled more than 2,500 miles and spent about £300 on fuel. Considering the price differential between fuel bought at motorway service areas and fuel bought in towns, and because most of our fuel was bought at E.Leclerc or Carrefour off motorway, I calculated that over the entire trip we will have saved more than £40. Or to put it another way, we got 350 free miles.

Mon 26th July: Le Touquet to Bewdley - 267 miles

 

Initially we'd wanted to spend some time in and around Le Touquet before heading to the Tunnel, but in reality we'd had a great holiday and just wanted to get home now. Our Tunnel crossing was booked for 11.50am however we arrived at check-in just after 9.30am and managed to get on the next train that was leaving.

 

The ride home from Folkestone, or Dover for that matter, is always the worst part of any trip abroad. That's just my opinion. It's 200 miles of motorway broken up by one stop for fuel. In our rush to catch an earlier train we'd skipped breakfast so 30 miles up the M20 we stopped off at Maidstone services for a coffee and chocolate croissants.

 

And after one final stop on the M40 for fuel, we finally arrived back in Bewdley at 2pm and our Pyrenean experiment, er, adventure, was over. I always like to come away from a trip having learnt something new, so here, in no particular order, are the top five things I learned from this trip.

 

1. If you know a road closes at 9am, don't turn up at 9.10am and still expect to find it open

2. Don't purposely leave your waterproofs at home, you will get soaked to the bone if you do

3. After you've packed everything you think you need, empty the lot out and leave half behind

4. Avoid buying fuel at motorway service areas, timing our fuel stops got us 350 miles for free

5. Don't think you can't ride to the Pyrenees two up on a GSX-R1000, because we know you can

 

£ 73 - Tunnel crossing

£300 - Fuel (2,603 miles)

£ 50 - Motorway tolls

£600 - Accommodation (11 nights)

£250 - Food & drinks

 

 

 

 

 

Mon 19th July: Port de Bales - 96 miles

 

We'd ridden down to the Pyrenees specifically to watch the mountain stages in this years TDF (Tour de France). This year is the 100th anniversary of racing in the Pyrenees and it was being celebrated by including the Col de Tourmalet on consecutive stages, crossing westward on the 16th stage to Pau and eastward on the 17th stage with a summit finish.

 

Today was stage 15 from Pamiers to Bagneres-de-Luchon which meant whether we chose to see the final climb of the day or the finsh, we had to go over the Col de Peyresourde to watch it. It was a 187.5km stage that included category 2 climbs over the Col de Portet d'Aspet and Col des Ares, and a final climb of the day over the "hors categorie" or "HC" (beyond categorization) Port de Bales.

 

 

Having never watched a live stage before we had no idea what time the roads would be closed so figured we'd ride up the Port de Bales, a pass I'd never ridden before, and keep riding until we were told to stop. We'd then have a good idea what we needed to do when we came to watch the racing over the Tourmalet.

 

 

We had no problem getting over the Port de Bales although the thousands of people at the top slowed our progress. We carefully cut our way through the crowds and made our way slowly down the other side taking in the party atmosphere. Eventually we made it to the bottom where the climb proper starts and where we were abruptly stopped in our tracks. It was midday and we were stuck for the rest of the afternoon.

 

With hindsight we should have stopped at the top, but at least we now knew that the roads close about 3 hours before the publicity caravan is due. Undaunted by the steepness of what we'd just ridden down, we parked up and started the long walk back up the hill.

 

 

We walked for a couple of hours and then stopped at what we thought was a good spot to spectate and waited for the publicity caravan that was due at 3pm.

 

The publicity caravan began in 1930 and has become an essential part of the race. In a recent poll it was suggested that 39% of spectators come first and foremost to see the caravan. It's a 20km long parade that contains 180 decorated vehicles representing 40 or so well known brands that shower a variety of gifts on the waiting public. It takes 45 minutes for it to pass by and causes a frenzy as spectators clamber for t-shirts, caps, keyrings, sweets, drinks and pretty much any other promotional item you can think of. It creates a great atmosphere and you can't help but join in the fun.

 

 

 

Considering this was our first time we did very well in the booty stakes and I was particularly pleased with the Cofidis t-shirt that Kay had managed to catch. It turned out that team kit is quite a cherished item.

 

 

And finally, sometime after 4.30pm, the leading group of riders appeared followed in dribs and drabs by the rest of the peleton.

 

 

 

Approximately 20 minutes later and it was all over. Was it worth it? Definitely. And we were going to do it all again tomorrow, except with less walking. All that remained was to walk a couple of miles back to the bike and then make our way through the all the traffic back to Arreau.

Tue 20th July: Col d'Aspin - 30 miles

 

Today was stage 16 from Bagneres-du-Luchon to Pau and it was a crucial stage for race leader Alberto Contador and his closest rival Andy Schleck. It was a 199.5km stage that included category 1 climbs over the Col de Peyresourde and Col d'Aspin, and "HC" climbs over the Col du Tourmalet and Col d'Aubisque.

 

 

Armed with the knowledge that the roads close about 3 hours before the caravan is due we knew we had to be on the d'Aspin before 9am if were to have any chance of spectating on the Tourmalet. Unfortunately we didn't get there until 9.10am and found the road closed.

 

Undeterred and determined to see the riders go over at least one pass I rashly decided that if we couldn't ride up the d'Aspin, then we'd walk up. So once again, undaunted by the task that lay ahead of us, we made a start up the 12km climb.

 

 

 

 

Personally I enjoyed the walk. The weather was beautiful, scenery spectacular and the caravan kept us fed and watered us - not a bad a day for booty again with more team kit and hats collected.

 

 

 

It's remarkable how quickly the circus that is "Le Tour" packs up and moves on. Less than 20 minutes after the leading group of riders had gone past it was all over and everything was being dismantled. The crowds of people just seemed to disappear and we were left with another 12km walk, but at least this time it was downhill.

 

 

 

 

On the way down we decided that when we got back to the bike we'd ride up and over the d'Aspin and take a look at the Tourmalet. We made it over the d'Aspin but as we headed towards the Tourmalet it became very overcast and began to drizzle - a sign of the weather to come - so we headed back to Arreau for a well earned rest.

Wed 21st July: Lourdes - 139 miles

 

Today was a rest day for the Tour. It was also very overcast. The weather that we'd encountered yesterday on our way to the Tourmalet was now covering most of the Midi-Pyrenees and the outlook wasn't good for the next couple of days. With the weather scuppering my plans to ride some passes new to me we found ourselves with some time to relax. On reflection we'd been on the go ever since we left Bewdley and a day spent doing very little might have been a good idea.

 

We could have wandered down into the town but Arreau isn't particularly big and there isn't a great deal there to occupy you, although I would imagine it's quite a busy little town during the winter season. We spotted half a dozen places to eat and there were a number of interesting looking bars. For those self-catering there are a couple of bakeries, a pharmacy and a good supermarket that has a 24-hour fuel station - for those interested €1.37 a litre. Overall Arreau is a nice place to stay but to be honest what really attracted us to the town was its location, and the fact that we couldn't find any accommodation in Bagneres-de-Luchon.

 

 

 

With our options in Arreau limited we came up with a ride out to Lourdes, Kay had never been there and I hadn't seen the place in more than 20 years - and there was always the slim chance that I may get to ride a pass or two at some point during the day. Not this morning though because it was drizzling and the ride down had been particularly unkind to my tyres.

 

Ideally I would have gone over the d'Aspin and Tourmalet to get to Lourdes but this morning I settled for a route that took us back up the D929 to la Barthe-de-Nest. From there we turned left and picked up the D938 to Bagneres-de-Bignore and then simply followed the signs for Lourdes. We did manage to get lost a couple of times though when signposts seemed to contradict themselves.

 

 

To be honest we didn't hang around Lourdes for very long. We found it very busy - a lot of the Tour entourage seemed to be there - and we also thought it was very commercial but I'm sure the weather didn't help our mood. And so we headed back to Arreau.

 

The problem I have is I hate to retrace my steps so in a vain attempt to find a different route home we found ourselves on the Col du Soulor. We could have got back this way but it really was pea soup and when we got to the top we couldn't see more than a bike length in front of us, a total whiteout. Kay wasn’t happy about continuing and in hindsight she was right, this route would have taken us over the Tourmalet which is another 1,000m higher. And so reluctantly I headed back down and picked up signs for Bagneres-de-Bignorre instead.

 

From Bagneres-de-Bignorre we headed south down the D935, a road that joins the D918 at the base of the Col d'Aspin. You wouldn’t call the weather clear at this point but it was certainly much better than it had been on the Soulor, and the ride over the d’Aspin back into Arreau was fun.

Thur 22nd July: Col du Tourmalet - 52 miles

 

Today was stage 17 from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet and it was make or break for Andy Schleck. If he couldn't take some time from Alberto Contador today then in all likelihood Contador would be wearing the yellow jersey in Paris. It was a 174km stage that included category 1 climbs over the Col de Marie Blanque and Col de Soulor, and a final climb of the day up to the summit of the "HC" Col de Tourmalet.

 

 

Throughout the night there had been thunder and lightening and it didn't stop raining once to our knowledge. I really wanted to see today's stage but I knew it would be miserable for Kay. We didn't have any waterproofs for a start and if Kay wasn't happy riding passes in the wet yesterday she sure as hell wouldn't like riding them today.

 

Needless to say, despite the weather, and after careful consideration, at 9am we set off and made our way over the Col d'Aspin. At the end of the day we'd come all this way to see the Tour and potentially today was going to be the biggest day of the whole race. My only prerequisites were Kay accepted a) the roads were going to be slippery and she needed to relax and b) she was going to get very wet today which meant she'd be also be wet tomorrow. What I didn't do was emphasize how much walking I expected would be involved today.

 

As we made our way up the Col du Tourmalet the traffic gradually began to build but we easily filtered through it and eventually I spotted the ski resort of La Mongie in the distance. I hoped we could at least make it that far before being made to park up and walk however twice already we'd been waved at to pull over and I'd stubbornly carried on. In the end we made it to just past La Mongie, 4km from the summit, pretty much what I'd expected but not what Kay had hoped for.

 

We were in for another 10km round trip walk - this time in sodden leathers.

 

 

 

 

By the time we reached the summit it was lashing it down however our walk hadn't quite finished. At the top you simply couldn't move because of the number of people and my plan was to watch the race from somewhere quieter, about 1km down the other side where, weather permitting, we could see the peleton make its way up the valley.

 

Finally, and after a lot of pushing and shoving and another half an hour, we found ourselves a suitable spot to make ourselves comfortable and waited for the caravan to arrive. As luck would have it as soon as we started our walk down the other side of the pass the rain stopped. And then as if by magic the sun came out.

 

 

The weather was actually beautiful for next hour or two, providing spectacular views all the way down the valley and even our wet boots and leathers started to dry out. The day was working out ever so well, until I spotted a wall of cloud rolling up the valley.

 

 

 

Although we couldn't see very much at least it wasn't raining and as soon as the caravan had passed by Kay made full use of the yellow chalk that had been distributed.

 

 

Despite the conditions the atmosphere on the Tourmalet was fantastic and the Tour didn't disappoint with the two main contenders, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, battling it out for the stage win all the way up to the finish.

 

 

 

 

People may well have thought we were crazy to ride up today and we were certainly wet through, however we smiled to ourselves on the ride back to Arreau filtering past an 11 mile traffic jam that ran from La Mongie all the way down to Sainte-Marie-de-Campan and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total mileage: 2,603 miles (47.9 mpg)

 

Report by: Kyle

 

Some people say you can't tour on a sportsbike so raise your hand if you think you can ... alright, alright, calm down all of you that say of course you can, it's easy, they don't build 'em like they used to, and I remember the good old days when a sportsbike was fully focussed and damn uncomfortable with it.

 

Ok then, scratch that. Raise your hand if you think you can tour two up on a GSX-R1000 ... now that's more like it, not so many hands in the air this time. Well I'm here to tell you that you can. Although I wouldn't want to be the pillion. That position is reserved for Kay - "the wife".

 

Now then, I would just like to make it clear from the very beginning that this trip was not my idea, although I was a more than willing partner. No, the trip was entirely Kay's idea. Sure, she did it for me. She did it for me because she knows how much I love the Tour de France. She also did it because she knew that I felt short changed after this year's BBOT tour to Chamonix - not because I didn't enjoy it, because I did. It was because the weather we encountered could at best be described as dreadful. It was wet and I'll leave it at that.

 

So less than a month since my last overseas trip I found myself heading back to France, this time for 12 days and with Kay. The plan was to spend 4 days riding down to Arreau - in the Midi-Pyrenees - travelling via Rocamadour. We would spend 5 nights in Arreau and while there we would watch 3 mountain stages of this years Tour de France. We would then spend 4 days riding back home travelling via Carcassonne.

 

We wanted to avoid toll roads but knew we had to made progress because whichever way you cut it, it's a long way down to the Pyrenees and ultimately that was our objective. We decided that we would use the motorways to break the back of each days ride and with 100 or so miles remaining we'd pick up the more scenic A and B roads. To save time we decided to use the Channel Tunnel and to make things easy for ourselves we booked all our accommodation in advance. So with luggage packed, intercom tested and hotels programmed into the TomTom we were good to go.

Thur 15th July: Bewdley to Rouen - 377 miles

 

The weather forecast for today was a mixed bag, ok until midday and then heavy showers and high winds. With this in mind we aimed to get to Folkestone around midday. Despite the constant threat of rain we arrived at the Channel Tunnel relatively dry, but wind blasted. We'd made such good time we even managed to catch an earlier train.

 

 

By the time we were on the road French side it was coming up to 3pm and with 155 miles still to go we decided that for today only we would take the motorway - A16 to Boulogne and Abbeville and A28 to Rouen - all the way to our first nights stopover on the southern side of Rouen.

 

Our hotel wasn't flash. We'd booked into a Premiere Classe at €39 a night but it was clean and tidy. On the way into Rouen - while I was arguing with TomTom about where the hotel was - Kay had spotted signs for a Buffalo Grill so dinner was sorted. All that remained was for me and TomTom to sort out our differences and find the hotel. In all fairness I think the problem we had finding the hotel was due to the address details being wrong on the website we used to book it rather than me or TomTom getting lost.

Fri 16th July: Rouen to Chateauroux - 238 miles

 

Once again the weather this morning wasn't too clever, dark clouds, drizzle and no sign of it improving, so after a damn fine Premiere Classe breakfast we set off in search of the better weather promised further south in Chateauxroux. After a dreary run down through Evreux, Dreux, Chartres and Chateaudun the weather brightened up and we picked up the D924 to Blois and the D956 that runs into Chateauroux.

 

Both of these roads are good, they're flat, arrow straight and very fast with very little traffic to hinder progress, not that overtaking is a problem because you can see for miles and miles. Be warned though, I spotted a couple of rear facing speed cameras along the way. Mind you they are cleary marked and you'd have to be blind to miss them.

 

About half way down the D956, 26 miles from Chateauroux, we came across a small town called Valencay, home to Chateau de Valencay. It's sited at the edge of a plateau that overlooks the little Nahon river and is stunning.

 

 

The chateau dates back to 1540 but came to prominence during the 18th century. By 1803 the chateau had come to the attention of Napoleon when he ordered (not asked) his foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand to acquire the property as a place to accommodate foreign dignitaries. The formal French gardens date from the early 20th century and cover about 40 hectares, not counting the area of Talleyrand's vineyards. Llamas, peacocks, and other exotic animals kept in the park provide amusement for tourists.

 

 

 

Once again our hotel wasn't flash. We'd booked another into another Premiere Classe, at €42 a night, and again it was clean and tidy and good value for money. There was a restaurant similar to Buffalo Grill right next door to it and this time TomTom directed us straight to the door.

 

Sat 17th July: Chateauroux to Rocamadour - 205 miles

 

This morning, for the first time this trip, we woke to a clear blue sky, and with more than 600 miles behind us we had broken the back of the journey down. We were relaxed and for the first time actually felt like we were on holiday. In fact the task of packing, unpacking and loading, unloading our luggage on the bike was becoming routine and from this point on we were really pleased we'd decided to travel down on the bike.

 

Our destination today was Rocamadour - about 160 miles away if we used the motorway - and because we wanted to have good look around once we got there we were up and out by 8am. We immediately picked up the A20 and by 9.30am we'd knocked off well over 100 miles so decided to get off of J44 where we picked up the D920 and stumbled across a beautiful hill town called Uzerche.

 

 

From Uzerche we picked up the N120 to Tulle - quite a large town with a very busy market - and from Tulle we picked up the D940 towards Gramat, where we were booked into Hotel Le Lion d'Or for the night. The D940 was by far and away the best road of the trip so far. The road initially climbs out of Tulle and then twists and turns its way along a plateau for the next 40 or so miles, virtually all the way to Gramat. The road is well surfaced and the bends flow nicely providing good visibility. And the scenery is fantastic.

 

 

Gramat is a pleasant enough town and our hotel was good value at €60 a night, and because we'd arrived early in the afternoon we were glad we'd booked somewhere nice to stay. After a quick shower and change of clothes we dumped our leathers for the short ride from Gramat to Rocamadour.

 

Perched high above the town there are some monastic buildings and pilgrimage churches so we decided to take a look around there first. From here you get the best views of Rocamadour and the gorge below.

 

 

 

The steep hillside above the town supports no less than seven churches but for €3 return you can use a lift that's been dug into the rockface to get down to the town below. Alternatively you can use the 223 steps of the Via Sancta.

 

 

 

Before we rolled down into the town we decided to try and get a few shots of the bike with Rocamadour as a backdrop.

 

 

 

It's a short ride down the gorge to the town and once there you'll see that Rocamadour is easy enough to find your way around. There's just one street, Rue de la Couronnerie, strung out between two medieval gateways. There's no doubt that it's a spectacular place but we were glad we didn't book a hotel there. As you'd expect, everything there is quite expensive and Gramat was quieter and better value.

 

 

Rather than heading back up the road we'd come in, we dropped down to the bottom of the gorge and took the road that runs out the other side. A nice 20 mile loop that eventually took us back to Gramat.

 

Sun 18th July: Rocamadour to Arreau - 257 miles

 

The weather this morning was glorious and the gamble I took in leaving my waterproofs at home was beginning to look like a good call. Besides, Kay didn't have any and I figured that I'd never get away with being the only dry one.

 

We skipped breakfast at the hotel - €10 each for coffee and a croisant seemed a bit steep - and instead decided to grab something when we stopped for fuel, I calculated somewhere near Toulouse.

 

With only a couple of hundred miles to go today until we reached Arreau our plan was to take the D807 out from Gramat and pick up the A20 at J56. We'd then drop down to Montauban where the A20 joins the A62 and then run down to the Toulouse Peripherique from where we'd pick up the A64. At some point around Muret we'd get off the motorway and try and make our way across country to Castelnau-Magnoac where we could join the D929.

 

As it turned out it was the D632 that we picked up to get across to Castelnau-Magnoac. The D632 sort of follows the motorway and was very relaxing to ride with virtually no traffic. Once we reached Castelnau-Magnoac and picked up the D929 we could see the finish line as the Pyrenees came into view. The final run down the D929 into Arreau was a lot of fun.

 

For our 5 nights in Arreau we'd booked into Residence Les Balcons De La Neste, a furnished apartment that sleeps up to 8 people and includes everything you'd need for a self catering holiday. There's also a swimming pool, a Jacuzzi and a sauna. And it's not bad value at €73 a night.

 

Unfortunately when we arrived reception was closed and it wasn't due to re-open until 4pm. Not being one to wait around kicking my heels I suggested to Kay that we should take a gentle run up the Col de Peyresourde.

 

 

The last time I rode this pass was in 2007 and to be honest I don't remember too much about it. Looking back I'm not surprised because we rode half a dozen passes that day. Incidentally we also passed through Arreau that day and I don't remember that either. I certainly won't forget the Peyresourde this time though, it's a cracking ride up from Arreau. I would also hazard a guess that the western ramp up from Arreau has been resurfaced since my last visit.

 

 

 

After stopping off for a coffee and a crepe we dropped down the other side to Bagneres-de-Luchon. The 15th stage of the TDF (Tour de France) was due to finish in Bagneres-de-Luchon tomorrow and we wanted to check out the finish.

 

 

On the way down the Peyresourde I stopped to take some photos and for the first time I realised what it might be like perched on the back of a GSX-R. I was glad I was in control and not riding shotgun on the back.

 

 

The eastern ramp of the Peyresourde is, at about 10 miles, slightly longer than the climb up the western ramp. It's equally well surfaced and just as much fun to ride although today there was quite a bit of traffic on the pass, as you would expect. After a quick stop in Bagneres-de-Luchon we still found ourselves with an hour until reception re-opened so we rode through the town and out the other side towards St. Beat - somewhere I'd stayed in 2007 - on the D125.

 

After a few miles I peeled off to what looked like an interesting pass road. Unfortunately after 10 minutes of climbing we found it took us nowhere, although it did offer a nice view looking south back down to the town.

 

 

After a spirited ride back over the Peyresourde we arrived back in Arreau and checked into our apartment. The apartment block looked brand new and as you'd expect was clean and tidy. It was fully equipped and had a kitchenette with microwave, hot plates, fridge and even a coffee maker - much to Kay's delight. Laundry facilities were available and there was free Wi-Fi in the public areas and also a free underground car park. If you need bed and bath linen - which we did - it's available at an additional cost and we were responsible for cleaning the apartment at the end of our stay. If this isn't done a cleaning charge is deducted from your deposit. Our apartment overlooked the swimming pool and as soon as we'd unpacked that's where we headed.

 

 

 

 

 

Route: Airolo to Ulrichen – 22.5 miles

 

Ridden: 21/07/2010

 

Either way you ride this pass it is a great ride and strongly recommended. It also has the advantage that it’s close to a number of other great passes – Furka, Grimsel, Oberalp, St Gotthard and Susten – so base yourself in Andermatt and ride all these passes both ways.

 

From Airolo the first ten miles or so is very fast and open but even when you get to the hairpins to take you the final climb to the summit, they are nice and open. The surface is also very good. One of the fastest passes Phil has ever ridden. Coming down towards Ulrichen it’s steeper but again the hairpins are nice and open and you can measure your turn in, apex and exit lines before you get there. The pass then opens up down the valley before a final series of bends takes you into Ulrichen where you can turn right for the Grimsel and Furka passes.

 

The ascent from Airolo is 14 miles at an average of 5.5%. From Ulrichen the ascent is 8.5 miles at an average of 8.5%.

 

Fantastic either way.

 

 

Route: Route 13 Splugen to Mesocco – 26 miles

 

Ridden: 21/07/2010

 

From Splugen you can only follow the old road a little way before it is entirely subsumed by the new road, which you have to join. When you are past Hinterrhein take care to follow the Blue sign to “San Bernardino Pass” not the Green sign to “San Bernardino”. The latter takes you through the new tunnel. The old pass starts immediately by the tunnel entrance. A series of tight, often blind, hairpins takes you to the plateau above where you then climb gently to the refugio at the summit, next to a lake. The ascent from the tunnel entrance is only 5.5 miles at an average of 5.1%.

 

The descent is nice as the hairpins are more open and you get more opportunity to plot your line. 3,000 feet lower down and you arrive at San Bernardino. You can then continue on the old road to Mesocco or, if you’re short of time, get on the new pass road. This is actually good fun as its well cambered and surfaced so you can get a bit of a rip on if you can avoid getting stuck behind the HGVs and camper vans.

 

If you approach from the south you’ll be coming from Bellinzona. There’s no point in using the old road. Stay on the new road – the A13/E43 until Mesocco when you can get off and rejoin the pass road to San Bernardino and beyond to the summit. The ascent from Mesocco is 12.5 miles at an average of 4.5%.

 

A good pass either way you ride it but overall more fun if you approach from the south.

 

 

Route: SS36 Splugen to Chiavenna - 25 miles

 

Ridden: 21/07/2010

 

From the village of Splugen the pass is clearly signposted. The first stretch is a series of gentle hairpins, which lead you up to a long drag up the valley to an interminable series of very tight and sometimes blind hairpins. After an age the road opens up a little and you find yourself at the summit – unusual for a pass in that there isn’t the usual pass sign stating the height above sea level. Phil’s Garmin said 6,963 Ft above MSL. The ascent from Splugen is only 6 miles at an average gradient of 6.4 %.

 

Phil ran a little way down this pass towards St. Moritz but didn’t really get to assess the southern ramp. His guess was that it would be easier to ride up the southern ramp and down the northern ramp – at least that way you can see what is coming. The ascent from Chiavenna is much longer – 19 miles at an average of 5.9%.

 

 

Route: Route 17 Altdorf to Linthal – 26 miles

 

Ridden: 20/07/2010

 

From Altdorf you ride through the village of Burglen and the pass starts properly. The early sections are straightforward and flowing but before you drop into the village of Ulrichen you can look upwards and see the pass road climbing above you. You ride through the village and the pass kicks up. Still well surfaced and not too difficult you climb into more open territory with a very large drop to your right into the valley. If you suffer from vertigo we suggest you ride down this side, not up, as at least then you keep near the cliff face and away from the drop. You then have a straightforward stretch up to the pass summit. The climb up is 15 miles at an average of 6.1%.

 

Descending towards Linthal the road is quite a bit tighter than the ascent but again nothing too taxing. After a while the road opens up with a nice run down the valley, before you get to the final descent into Linthal. The only thing to worry about on the descent if it’s wet is that three of the hairpins are still cobbled, and they are not too grippy. The ascent from Linthal is 11 miles at an average 5.7%.

 

This pass is nice whichever way you ride it. Our recommendation would be to ride it from Altdorf to Linthal, and then turn round and ride it the other way. Unless you have to approach from Glarus, don’t – the road is busy and congested and best avoided.