After the rest day there was again a somewhat “relaxed” stage to drive. Which for us means 168 km and 2,000 hm. The morning up, in the afternoon down into the Rhone Valley. And shortly after the start our constant companion came back, the rain …

• Internet is very pour here, so only short text -.

But this time we were prepared and had our rain gear with us. Something like Sunday must not happen to us again. Cold and wetness had also 2 Lifers properly zugesetzt, both became ill and drove under drugs from the Doc. It can rain, but you must not cool down. As long as the torso is warm, it doesn’t matter.

The rest day has done really well, I felt really recovered and went off quite easily and took the climbs, after all from 500 to 1,250 meters above sea level, amazingly easy. Actually, no wonder with all the training the last weeks.

The first stop was after 45 km in a somewhat larger mountain village, in the middle of it, and there the inhabitants were happy and visibly amused at the mass strip of about 80 cyclists who changed their clothes there. From here it should then become a sunny day.

I then missed the second stop and immediately plunged into the long descent down into the Rhone Valley. A descent from 1,200 to 150 meters is really long and not everyday. Stopped by 2 defects, flat rear tire, change tube, flat front tire and fortunately the mechanic car came by immediately, because I had no more tube.

Arrived at the bottom I then discovered in front of me Chris very slowly creeping along. He had also caught a cold on Sunday and made sure to ride at a reasonably low heart rate, which the doctor had prescribed. So I was his frontman for the last 50 km, keeping him out of the wind, so he could paddle home -as Natalie would say- without much effort.

COL DE TELEGRAPH AND COL DE GALIBIER
In the end, everyone enjoyed this easy-going day because we are all aware of what awaits us tomorrow. One of the kings stages of the Tour de France at all and we are coming to the highest point. There are long climbs first to the Col de Telegraph and then to 2,675 m at the Col de Galibier. Each of us is looking forward to it, although we are talking about climbs that will go over 26 km and 2,000 meters of altitude.

It will be another long day with over 4,600 meters of altitude at the end, but the undertaking alone is a feat that each of us wants to experience.