I really did it, climbed these 4 mountains. I was at the Col de Ornon (1371m), Col de la Croix de Fer (2067m), the Col de Telegraph (1566m) and the Col de Galibier (2642m), one after the other, in a single day. This was my best day ever in the mountains. Never before have I shown this performance in the mountains. 4,600 meters of altitude and 206 km flew by in a flash and it was never difficult, never exhausting.

This is the morning atmosphere on the way to Col de Ornon at 1375m. Einermassen easy and some of us were still tired and woke up on the bike. There were really conversations whether now the legs by themselves and you still sleep a little … Then we were already up.

We continued with an approach to the climb to the Col de la Criox de Fer. Before which I had real respect, because the climb is quite long. The bottom are so the signposts that you encounter. The first signpost was about 28 km, really long up.

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At the top there are also special things, what do you think, what crazy things happen just below the clouds.

Here again a few impressions of the approach and to the Col de Telegraph:

I think never in my life I have stormed a mountain with the wheel, as this today. In the end, I flew up there standing out of the saddle, no longer recognized myself and also overtook the local cyclists who were on their way up from the area here. Just flying by, that was awesome. And at the top I was not even out of breath or broken, as if it had never been otherwise.

Eat, fill bottles, rest a bit, chat with the others and then it was 4 km down to climb the climb of the day, the mountain of the Tour de France 2017. The Col de Galibier at an incredible 2,642 m. I think that’s the second highest pass in Europe after the Stelvio at 2875 meters above sea level.

It went on in such a way, I drove that simply. Exhausting it became only so about 2,200 meters, from here on I felt the thinner air by the fact that I no longer functioned so well and the last 100 meters of altitude were already exhausting. Hey but it was only 100 meters in altitude and that was already really high.

The rest was then a 38 km descent to the hotel in Brioncion. In wise foresight – I’m learning – I had in my backpack proper gloves, leg warmers and another jacket and I was really glad because it was then cold these 35 km down.

Look at the elevation profile of this stage from today and no, I have not become an overachiever in recent weeks, but glad that I do not degrade in the 3rd week, it rather even comes to, let’s say, other effects.

What a great day. I will never forget.