Day five: Logistics

The problem with doing a ride like the Etape is that the finish is a long way from the start. This means organizing some means of getting back to your lodgings from the finish line. The complications are increased in proportion to the number of people in your party.

We now number nine riders so that meant driving two cars and the van 200 kilometres to the finish and then driving one of those vehicles back.

The unlucky drivers were designated and set off on their journey. The rest of us rode our bikes into Pau to the Expo and to give our legs a final easy spin before Saturday.

The weather forecast could not have been kinder. Today brought the one and only day of hot weather. The forecast for tomorrow is overcast with rain showers and temperatures in the high teens. This means there will be no spectacular views but also no relentless heat while grinding up the passes.

One decision still to be made is whether to get up really early in the morning and cycle 14k back up the road to Pau before the road is closed at 6.30 am. Then wait around for 90 minutes or so before setting off.
The alternative is to get up at a reasonable hour and make our way leisurely down from the house to the road on which the rest of the riders will be coming down. This means that we won't get an official start time and will be cutting off 14k from the route. Some are in two minds about not doing the official route but weight of opinion is leaning towards the saner option.