Le Bourg D'Oisans to Mont Cenis - Day 3 (GBF13)

Stage 1 of 2 -- Le Bourg de Oisans to Mont Cenis.

Alarm 7am, breakfast planned for 7:30 -- but the little hotel was just about to set  up a simple buffet... coffee, hot milk, cereal, croissants, jam... -- French breakfast! Charged up and good to go :)

 

Rolling out of town, Ben putting in a great pace flying by a bunch of riders. Fun! We were going towards Lac du Chambon (D1091) again, slightly uphill and slowly increasing slope as we were approaching Col du Lautaret. Waiting for a light -- one way traffic for construction...

 

At the top of the mountain pass Col du Lautaret, entering the closed road up to Gallibier (D902).

    

Entering the close road. Some rumours some one went over it, curious... Well this is what we got:

 

Some snow removal activities with about 200m (elevation) to go to enter the tunnel from where it was clear again -- but no way to get there, needed some touring ski... or been stuck in 1..2m of heavy wet snow where even big machines had trouble. We got told not before 1 week or so. Snow is still pressing down/avalanches from the mountain side making a safe passage or even

cleaning the road impossible on the last stretch.

 

Meeting a few other riders photo time and descending back down to Lautaret, then a fun long fast descent continuing on (D1091) with a -3..-1% grade into town Briancon for lunch.

 

What a ramp right after lunch out of Briancon on (D994G)... then moderate uphill a nice Col del Echelle and a fast long decent into Susa -- flying again with 40..50 km/h sustained, making nearly 50km distance in not much over an hour -- just a little hill (D1T). Non stop flying into Susa on (SS335/SS24), a quick snack on road side -- preparing for a long final climb of the day up to Lac du Mont Cenis on (SS25, D1006), climbing and nibbling on the last Cliff bar and water... 

Here a few impressions:

And final descent into Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis. Checking in at the first hotel we found. Great dinner :) Almost to exhausted to sleep well.