After yesterday’s furnace loop had robbed me of every quantum of energy, I got up this morning with lead in my legs. I had breakfast on the balcony with my two cats and was happy that the clouds were hanging low across the Jura. My legs didn’t feel like another ride, but my mind did. On a cloudy day it’s a whole lot nicer to climb up to the Chasseral. I got out the door before 10AM and entered the trail system above the lake to reach Magglingen first. The air was warm and the forest was steaming from humidity. I wasn’t feeling hot, but I was sweating quickly nonetheless. As I rode towards the Twannberg, it started to rain. A couple of hikers were getting their rain gear out as it didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. I didn’t bring a rain jacket. What for? It was a warm summer rain. When I rode around the western side of the Spitzberg, the sky no longer just dropped water down on earth but roared and flashed. Hmm, maybe not such a good idea to try to reach the highest peak around. Instead I turned onto a gentle climb along the northern side of the Spitzberg and climbed to the Place Centrale. It was raining pretty hard. Water was rolling down my face mixing with sweat and leaving a nice salty taste on my lips. I enjoyed every minute of it and my legs had forgotten that they were tired a few hours ago.
From the Place Centrale I hit the single-track to the Cabane du Jura from where I descended to Les Pres d’Orvin. The limestone around here gets a soapy surface when wet and no bike tire will keep its grip. The rocky downhill therefore needed to be ridden at a much lower speed. It was an interesting experience though, as I payed even more attention to the line I picked. Next challenge waiting was the Spaghetti Trail. The upper section is a combination of mud, roots and a few rocks; it was surprisingly easy despite the wet conditions. The middle section is a trail with lots of big, loose rocks. Wet or dry, it’s always about riding through the rocks without hitting any. The wet ground let the tires slip a few times, but other than that it was business as usual. Entering the lower section of trail was a whole other story. It’s rocky terrain, rideable when dry but not when wet. So I walked the most difficult spots. As I crossed the Jorat to head up to Evilard, the sky dropped even more water and a few lightnings struck nearby. Good I was close to home. At home, I turned into the backyard to hose down the bike and myself.
After a nice shower, I made myself coffee and a sandwich, then got comfortable on the couch to watch the Tour. So far this year’s Tour de France sort of sucks. Too much blood and broken bones. Today’s stage was a continuation of the bad. I want to see riders battle it out on the road for the win and not see them leave the race for a trip to the hospital. The Tour de France this year is more blood sport than road cycling and it shouldn’t be that way.
| Distance: | 40km (25 miles) |
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