Well, we really had an early start today. That makes so much difference when you're going extra distance! Like 53-plus miles. Which is not so bad, but the boys are a little gun-shy, especially when looking at the elevation profiles! But those often exaggerate what is really happening. Still, they were leery. There was only one biggie anyway. Right after Évian-les-Bains at about MP 33. And that turned out to be a long but gradual climb. Tomorrow may be a different story, but today was mostly glamorous.
So goodbye, Geneva! It was a nice visit. Unfortunately, it looked overcast as we pulled out of town, but it brightened up soon enough and remained, essentially, spectacular for the rest of the day!
Hotel Central, which is, ahem, very central. And affordable (i.e., cheap)!
We had to get ourselves orientated as well since I had laid out the courses to typically end and start at each town's cathedral (not knowing in advance where we were staying). But it didn't take long, and we were soon at lakeside taking a nice bike trail out of town.
Shortly thereafter we had our first climb of the day. Starting at about MP 3 and lasting to MP 4, it was a gentle wake-up climb at about a 4% grade. Just enough to get the blood pumping and warm up the legs. At the top, we turned left (westward) and pretty much followed quiet roads all the way to the French border. This was one of the nicer sections of today's ride.
A lovely house located in Hermance just before the border crossing.
At the top and a little further down the road, we arrived in Messery, where we were entertained by a grade school outing to the Mairie and where we were finally able to get some unobstructed views of the lake.
School-age children on an outing. I think they are waiting for the bus. They were very orderly and well-behaved.
We continued along the shoreline, passing through small villages and open fields with more views of the lake and opposite shore. The Jura Mountains looked impressive from where we were, but the ones looking to our right seemed more so! Eventually we approached Thonon-les-Bains, a well-to-do resort town with a lot to offer, including lunch. We were near the halfway point, and it was not quite 1:00 yet. Good riding!
As we approached Thonon-les-Bains, we traveled this road which appears to once have been two-way but now converted to one-way with a contraflow pedestrian and bicycle facility.
After Thonon-les-Bains, we hit some rather unpleasant sections with construction activity and/or large volumes of traffic with little or no bicycle facilities. But then we climbed again up some secondary roads just on the far side of Évian-les-Bains and enjoyed solitude and more views of the lake.
A construction barricade blocking our path forward. But we were waved through along with other cyclists. This must be a popular route, as we saw loaded tourists headed in the opposite direction.
After about four miles of riding the upper crest, we descended again to the lakeside road, which was now a major highway full of traffic with little or no shoulder!
The ride along the highway was not pleasant and a bit nerve-shattering at times. But it's the only way through unless you turn and go far inland. And it was being used by many cyclists. I saw at least one group of 20, all decked out in safety vests, however!
The highway along the lake, just past a pinch point where the mountains meet the shoreline.
