Argeles-Gazost will be host to a new cyclosportive in 2011. The event organised for Sunday 22 May 2011 has already announced the participation of 6 Tour de France winners.

6 Tour de France winners taking part.
Bernard Hinault
Eddy Merckx
Miguel Indurain
Pedro Delgado
Bernard Thevienet
Roger Walkowiak

Between them they have 19 tour wins. I better get started on that winter training program.

There is still nothing firm on the Tour route here in 2011, but it appears that the ASO have been booking up hotels rooms in the vicinity of Lourdes for the nights of 14 & 15 July 2011. Based on that it seems certain that the Tour will have a stage finish in the Lavedan Valley on 15th July and a stage start on 16th.

I have added a new page on the climb to Lac d’Estaing. It is my favourite ride in the Pyrénées, winter or summer it is always beautiful, with quiet roads through the bucolic Val d’Azun and magnificent scenery in the Pyrenées National Park at the Spanish border.

http://www.velopeloton.com/cycling/lac-destaing/

Lac-d'Estaing-Profile.

Today was the hottest day of the year with temperatures in Saint Savin up to 38°c in the shade, so feeling like 45°c in the sun. “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid day sun” as the song goes, well we now have to add Australians to that. Marc Whitehead from sydney is staying in La Lantern Rouge at the moment, this morning he cycled up the Pont d’Espagne and then this afternoon he went in the full heat of the day to Lac d’Estaing. I went up also (in the van with the air-con on full blast), to take some photos and enjoy the cooler temperatures at the higher altitude.

"Look ma, no hands" Marc arrives at the summit.

Marc Whitehead

Cows at Lac d'Estaing.

I have to stop taking photos of cows, people will start to think I have some kind of fetish. They remind me of my youth in Ireland working on farms, milking and mucking out.

Arcizans-Avant. Bales of hay in the Val d'Azun

Great article by Canadian cyclist Michael Barry on the experience of crashing your bike in a race, something I experienced more times that I care to remember.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/08/road/michael-barrys-diary-bite-the-dust-then-reach-for-the-stars_136037

Here is a video of Michael I took on Saint Patrick’s Hill in Cork during the 2008 Tour of Ireland. The climb has a gradient of 25%.

This photo was taken from 1 of our bedrooms at 21:00 this evening as the last sunlight hit the tops of the cloud and moon brightly passed by.

Moon over Saint Savin

I have added a new page on the 2011 Tour de France. It will contain any info on the route as it becomes available over the next 2 months.
http://www.velopeloton.com/cycling/2011-tour-de-france/

Saint Savin have a festival for the last 100 years. It lasts 4 days with lots of music and events such as the soccer tournament & pétanque tournament.

Man feeds donkey or is it the other way round. The man in the brown beret is Gérard Omisos the mayor of Saint Savin.

Fun & games in the square.

After 3 days of hard drinking you have to climb the pole.

Roast pork

Went up to Cirque de Troumouse today. This enormous glacial valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is 42km from Saint Savin and is a 28km climb at 5.2% to 2125m altitude. Don’t be fooled by the 5.2%, most of the climbing is in the last 15km which average 8%, this is a very hard day out.

Cirque de Troumouse, the border with Spain runs along the ridge.

Cows grazing in Cirque de Troumouse, Luz Ardiden is on the horizon.

Sheppard's hut Cirque de Troumouse. This cliff is 800m high.

Pont Napoleon, with Luz Ardiden on the left.

This bridge is about half way between Saint Savin and Troumouse, it is called Pont Napoleon. It is 63m above the Gave du Pau river and is popular with rock climbers and is also used for bungee jumping. It was constructed between 1859 & 1863 by emperor Napoleon III.

We now have souvenir t-shirts & other items for sale. You can also purchase prints of selected photos from the website.

velopeloton.com by velopeloton
More Velo T-Shirts

Tour de France Hautacam 2008 by velopeloton
Browse the other art available at zazzle