La Planche des Belles Filles : 5km Ascent @ Maximum Threshold

Finally on the rest day the sun has come out big time. Now in Oyonnax for tomorrow the stage finish.

In Belles Filles we stayed at the bottom of the final climb. It did not disappoint. Music, Dance, food, merch, fire, artisan wooden carvings and big screen tv (although we watched in the car on tv 200m away and ran to see the riders and back). We did meet our French friends and met some new ones. The rain I can say now it has gone was awful.

I did a 5km ascent of Belles Filles from the bottom to 1000m to go. It is basically flat from there until the final pinch so I didn't miss much. I was stopped short by zero visibility, rain and the gentlemen and their trucks putting out the barricades. I passed all the bikes, none passed me as the steepness in places is too difficult for the normal tourist. 27 minutes up for exactly 5km, 22 minutes down. Although steeper than normal climbs at home a similar altitude from 580m to 900m asl...not much more than a run to work or back over Black Mountain or Mount Painter. The legs are still sore but good training for City2Surf. I felt great on the climb but that night a chest infection took hold. Another rest day yesterday, will resume again today.