Page 18 - TT2018 Official Routebook

Day Six: Wednesday - La Palud-sur-Verdon to Chantermerie – 198miles

Day Six will see us head north consistently for the first time this trip on our long journey back to
Calais but not before we have enjoyed the most challenging and demanding roads the French Alps
have to throw at us.

Today we will be entering the high spiritual home of the Dark Knight. A land where the trees cannot
grow and there is always an eerie pervasive stillness in the air. A land where superchargers and
turbos run red hot gasping for air in the thin atmosphere. A place which is devoid of petrol stations
so beware of slow moving V6 drivers as they desperately try and conserve their fuel supplies. For
those of us still running the S1 and S2s, it’s all about ‘pedal to the metal’ and for those few cars that
are running extended fuel tanks, we won’t have a care in the world! (author feeling particularly
smug!)

It would be rude not to redo the Gorge du Verdon for the forth time this trip as we retrace some of
the previous days return run to the Hotel. It will take us 50miles of captivating roads before we
actually reach the first pass of the day, the little-known Col de Saint-
Raphaël standing at 876m. This will be the only small pass of the
day; the rest are absolute monsters. However, before we leave the
world of The Gorges far behind, we still will have one small reminder
of those previous pleasures. Gorges de Daluis’s baby sister, the
Gorges Inférieures du Cians, similar even down to the colour of the
rocks.
There is no avoiding it now, the bad boys are upon us. First up is the
Col de la Couillole (1698m). Starting from St. Sauveur-sur-Tinée, at
504m above sea level, the climb is 15km long, with an elevation gain
of 1,174 meters. With nearly no section coming below 6%, and with
several sections above 8% and peaking at 11%. This climb just goes
up and up until you reach the top.
Then onto the Route des Grandes Alpes, the legendary mountain
road through the French Alps. Next up is the Col de Bonnette and its
Cime de Bonette (2802m) the highest pass of the day and the
second highest in the Alps. Well known for its long and torturous
southern ascent of 26 km with a height gain of 1652 meters.

They’re coming thick and fast now and the next is the Col de Vars
(2108m) always a great favourite of the Toadsters. This comes with
another long and torturous climb to the top, with most of the climb
above the tree line.

And then to the last pass of the day the legendry Col d’Isoard
(2360m) and probably one of the most famous Tour de France
climbs. From the sandy coloured, eroded cliffs above the Casse
Deserte and the Col, to the green wooded mountainsides above
Briançon, the scenery will be simply stunning.
This night’s hotel is new to us, discreetly tucked off
the main road to avoid any unwelcome visitations
from the French Plod and looks a goodie!