Day 18 - Le Lavandou, France to Cassis, France

In Southern France, they call it "le mistral" and it is famous as the fearsome wind that often rears its head round these parts. We spent a long day doing battle with le mistral and the good news is, we all won. But the fight took its toll: by the day's end, most of us were exhausted and vaguely humbled. It was a really tough ride.

Our figures were 90 kilometers traveled, 700 meters climbed, not insignificant. But you can double or triple those numbers to approach how it felt in such punishing, ceaseless headwinds. Roger and Beau say they loved it all, but they are crazier than the rest of us.

We stuck together all day, something of a rare thing, though stretched out and contracted like an accordion, coming together at intersections and rest stops. Leaving Le Lavandou after breakfast, we actually had some bike paths for a change. The extra freedom from cars may have gotten to our heads a bit: Mike and Dave egged each other on with little sprints, and Dave took a fast tumble and earned a fine slab of road rash in the bargain, which he instantly photographed himself, good sport that he is.

Our plan was to meet Connie in the town of Bandol, about 55km into our ride, but that meant first getting to and through the big city of Toulon. This required expert navigation, which luckily we had in the hands of Roger and Nathan. Still, it wasn't easy, and more importantly, it wasn't pretty: much of the ride before and after Toulon was through asphalt jungles, ugly suburbs, strip malls, or highway overpasses. At one point, when several riders accidentally took a left onto the highway, they had to climb over a wall to safety. It was a relief to see the sign Toulon with a cross through it, meaning we had finally escaped the city's talons.

Much of the rest of our day was rather un-scenic, save for some very nice coastal views made all the more impressive by the crashing waves of the wind-tossed sea. A pity we weren't windsurfing. After lunch in Bandol, we braved the wind again, finding it most merciless during a final trek up a long winding hill toward Cassis. At long last, though, and with a nice descent for our efforts, we made it to our hotel in this beautiful town, greeted by a very impressed hotel owner, a journalist, and the father of An'So, Régis, who we will meet again in Aix-en-Provence.

Cassis is a picture-perfect little town, and we enjoyed a dinner and then dessert on the beach. No one can believe we only have one day remaining to ride. Even if le mistral roars at us all day, we'd better enjoy it while it lasts.

Quotes of the Day
"Wimp!"
-Mike, moments before Dave hit the pavement.

"Just once, I want to be there when he finally wears out."
-AJ, marveling at Beau's endless energy.

"Drop and give me 50k!"
-Nathan pretends to be a cruel task master at the end of our ride.

"I won!"
-An'So, having struggled with le mistral.

Rider of the Day: Dave
1. What was your best day so far?
The 120km to Siena. I was riding with Joe, Mike, and Hans and we had a lot of fun. We almost fell off from laughing on one of the hills.

2. What was your worst day/moment?
Probably the ride to Gubbio because I'd eaten something with flour in it (which I'm allergic to), and the whole day I was very exhausted. Being at the back was also psychologically difficult.

3. Why did you decide to go on the tour?
It looked like a lot of fun after seeing the website and all the other tours.

4. Favorite gelato flavor(s)?
Pistachio and chocolate.

5. Are there any items in your CamelBak you haven't touched or used this tour?
My plastic knife.

6. Are you collecting anything?
Condiments, like packets of Nutella and jam.

7. What was your favorite bathroom/lodging this tour?
Best lodging was definitely the monastery in Volterra, and best bathroom the one in Gubbio because we had that fancy Jacuzzi.

8. If you could change anything about your uni, what would it be?
I'd unstick the seat post so I could change the height, and I'd have more crank choices.

9. What were your favorite two or three films of the last 10 years?
Amélie, Pan's Labyrinth, and O, Brother, Where Art Thou?

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Created: Saturday, July 07, 2007 14:13