Day 5 - Tour Rest Day - Col du Tourmalet Today we tackled another 'cycling pilgrimage' ride, the Col du Tourmalet. It was very misty and at some parts of the ascent we had no more than 20m visibility. Today I regretted carrying the extra few kg's as well as my usual assortments of camera equipment, tools and vuvuzela. We celebrated in the restaurant on top, after which the group split, the one going down the other side past Lourdes, then back to Bagneres-de-Bigorre. I cycled down the way we ...

Day 2 - Cycling around the Souillac region e had our first ride of the trip and got off to a good start by getting lost after 10km. To add insult to injury we climbed quite a hill before discovering this. Our tour guide Tom took a big fine that night. It was very pretty countryside dotted by chateau's, farmhouses and the Dordogne River. Terry Millar earned the Prick du Jour for leaving his 'buddy' and wife Denise alone on the road somewhere. By the time the split groups returned market day ...