Hors Categorie--Port de Bales

Hors categorie is a French term used in cycling to designate a climb that is beyond categorization. The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass. We did our first today. It’s hard to describe the intimidation of these mountains, and I think yesterday just psyched me out. I’m back, with my wits collected. We started early in the morning to ensure we got a place on the final climb today--one of the biggest climbs of this year’s Tour. Port de Bales, a 19.7km 4,000 foot elevation beyond category (HC) climb, with an average grade of 8%, and in places 14%. Before we joined the main route, we climbed Col du Portillon, a 9km 2500 foot climb with an average grade of 8%, a small warm-up to the bigger Port de Bales climb. Arriving at the top of Portillon, on the border of France, a frenchman coming up the opposite direction, warned us of wild horses and slick horse maneur on a few turns. It took us several minutes to understand what he was saying.

While Tourmalet will get all the attention, Port de Bales is longer and steeper than Tourmalet, which we will climb in both directions, once tomorrow, and then again on Thursday. Anything above 8% requires all your power and strength to get any forward motion, and when it is sustained, your heart rate gets pegged.

There were thousands of people lining the Port de Bales today--many camped for days to get the best spots. Climbing up through the throngs of people, with painted roads and crazed fans is truly awesome. You get a little extra strength when you hear the cheers. We arrived in our viewing area, just 1km below the summit, and waited for the main field. If you watched today, just below us Schleck lost his chain, and Contador attacked, and added 15 seconds or so on the climb, and another 24 seconds on the descent to capture the yellow jersey.

We sat on the sun-baked hills for a better part of the afternoon. The caravan of sponsors blows through about an hour and half before the riders, throwing out schwag--shirts, hats, food, water, keyhains, out to a rabid set of fans. You know the riders are coming when you hear the helicopters, and we could see them coming up from the valley below. Once to the top, we had a 25km descent to the Bagneres du Luchon finish. The descent is so crazy--incredible speeds and baked slick pavement--you have to be very attentive, as a crash is something you don’t want to do.

Tomorrow is the biggest total elevation gain of our week--I think somewhere around 11,000, where today was slightly over 7,000.