Le Tourmalet 3/6/8

At 2115m it´s usually the highest Pyrenean col featured on the Tour de France and a magnet for cyclists. The climb starts at 840m and continues for 17km at an average gradient of 8%. We came close to Marco Pantani's record time but there were differences. His ride was in ideal conditions while we had a head wind, he did not have to suffer sleet and snow, he had a lightweight racer and most significantly he was going uphill while we just about matched him descending carefully in poor conditions. 2 & 1/2 hours for our ascent which I was quite pleased with as the Belgian racers we met at the top had taken 1 & 3/4 hours with a support vehicle. But we were the first cyclists of the day to reach the col and I would have done it non-stop but the conditions were so bitter that my hands were becoming frozen to the bars in fingerless mitts so, with 3km to go, I had to change gloves. Spent over an hour hugging a radiator in the summit cafe waiting in vain for the rain/sleet/snow to disperse before making the unpleasant descent.