ReneKMueller.com: 2013: France & Italy *

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Visiting Gap the first time, which was bizarre, first going up-hill in order to descend into the city itself.

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Looking at Gap
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Descending to Gap
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Lac de Serre-Poncon
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Lac de Serre-Poncon
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Lac de Serre-Poncon
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Heavy raining and thunderstorm (too blurry to see)
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Visiting Briancon, kind of center of this tour, as I will re-visit it later next week on the tour.

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Near Briancon, camping at Durance river
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First serious pass of this tour, 30km steady climbing at 5%-6% from 1300m to 2083m elevation reaching Col du Lautaret

, where I also stay overnight. At the evening meet an american couple and we chat until 22:00 - the rest of the night is chilly at this elevation.

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Reached Col du Lautaret
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Col de Lautaret (2058m)
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From Col du Lautaret up to Col du Galabier

, 600m up around 9km up to the pass; and the last 1km is really steep at 10%-12%. Once reaching the top, 30-40 cyclist reside there, either from the southern side like me or from the northern side (Valloire). After a while and also take my own photo

I start to ride downhill, and it's so steep I stay on my brakes all the time, and after 4km my front wheel has heated up so much, that my inflate get 3-4 holes and big tear and the air exits within apprx. 3 seconds and I still managed to stop the recument before the tire went off the wheel (quite dangerous situation). I replaced the inflate, and after that I continued 1-2km downhill with brakes on and then stopped 5mins to cool off the wheels and continue. A strange situation: the steeper downhill and slower I had to go. I realized if I intensively ride passes downhill I need disk brakes, a must. So either upgrade or a new recumbent altogether with full suspension.

Fox walking slowly over the street
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Reached Col du Galibier
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Col du Galibier (2642m)
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Col du Galibier, looking south
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Col du Galibier, looking north
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Small place were all the cyclist gather before descending toward north or south
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Steep downhill from Col du Galibier
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Col du Telegraph
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Reaching bottom of valley, apprx. 1600m descended
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Once I reached the bottom of the valley I continued Modane (1080m), Bramans (1260m), Termignon (1290m) and then short steep passage, and slight decend before reaching Lanslebourg Mont Cenis (1400m) and then climbing at 5%-8% up to Col du Mont Cenis

(2083m) where dark clouds, chilly temperatures and slight rain awaited me.

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Col du Mont Cenis (2083m)
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I decided to spend the entire day staying at this beautiful place . . .

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Lac du Mont Cenis
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Col du Mont Cenis
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Started early and leaving France once more to enter to Italy, descended the steep long descend to Susa (with many stops to ensure the wheels won't overheat due the brakes) and down there it was very warm, over 30c and humid. Avoided Turino via Orbassano and head to Carmagnola to visit a friend, who wasn't there so I continued to Racconigi and stayed close to Maira river.