June 10, 2025
Val d’Aosta day 7 - Aosta to St. Vincent
Lignan - St Barthélemy add on loop
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https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45976858?privacy_code=fH3aICHmSJY7lEqAa4IFAkV3INhC5k9t
Today was a tough day of riding. The grade was unforgiving for long periods. The climb to St. Barthélemy was another Col. The climb is noted as 5% average but we climbed 3,828 in 12.1 miles per Ride with GPS. I have learned to ignore most averages as there is so often a dip and then the math makes the rest of the climb so much steeper than the average.
The ride is also amazingly beautiful and, with a road closure at the top, almost car free. It really opens up and I had the urge to Yodel near the top!
We saw lots of cows and waterfalls. I saw a guy pop up over an edge with two dogs and what I thought was one cow. As I stopped for a photo, a whole line of cows popped up and started walking up the road. Bad decision! I was going to wait it out but the cows were stopping to eat and drink and not in any hurry so I finally just rode through them. At one point, I was less than a foot away with black cows on all four sides. My heart rate soared!
Brody was awesome and waited for me at the top. He had even put an extra water bottle in a cold stream to chill it ! He kept me going and cheered me on after as I wobbled to the next hotel.
The views would have been more amazing but not for the haze/smog/ smoke.
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Smoke from Canada?!!! Yeah,that’s what it is.
Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 127 miles (204 km)
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