Day 5: Magnifque Journee

Lessay to Fougeres. Miles: 73 Feet: 4865

Absolutely beautiful day today. Temperature: 68 and sunny Roads: smooth with little traffic Route: challenging with lots of hills Scenery: Gorgeous.  Cyclists paradise today. We left the hotel at 8:00 and traveled through lovely French countryside the entire day. The day was a day of constant climbing. The climbs were l-o-n-g and gradual, winding up and over the hills of northwest France. The descents were miles long with sweeping turns that ended in a stunning, picturesque village, and at the edge of the village the next climb began. So the day went. It was one of the best cycling days of my life. The roads here are wider than in England (and rural Michigan), the surface is smoother, and the traffic is much lighter. The conditions, along with being back on the right side of the road, made the riding less stressful even though t rolling terrain made it a tough physical challenge. Strong quads and good climbing technique were needed today, which is my favorite type of ride. It was so much fun to be on country roads away from the typical tourist spots. From time to time as I rode along I laughed out loud at the realization that I was riding my bicycle in France. Because we have different climbing abilities, our group spread apart early and we rode individually most of the day, gathering at the SAG stops over the course. With 17 miles to go as my quads were starting to ache, the terrain changed and the climbs became much steeper. It was a brutal finish, but finish we all did. The hotel provided rags and buckets and we spent the first hour after arriving cleaning our bikes. We ave challenging terrain and lots of miles in the upcoming days, so need the bikes to be in good condition. We are in Fougeres, a town of about 20,000. One stage of the the Tour de France started here this year. The banners are still hanging across the cobblestone streets, giving the village a very festive feel. Jan and Leah from Holland arrived this evening and will be riding with us for part of the trip. They were part of ride across the US and used this opportunity for a reunion. It will be fun having them in the group. Unfortunately, the forecast for tomorrow is for cool temperatures and rain. I’m hoping they are wrong.