The Cormet d'Arêches are how Grand Tour cols used to be: nasty, long and brutish and the cherry on the cake, the top 6 to 7km are unsurfaced.

Note: this road is closed in the winter months. It is also poorly surfaced before the main Allevard road.This used to be a departmental road but has been abandoned to the elements for a dozen years.

Quite a good ride today. 47 minutes for the climb (VAM of 940 m/h) which is not too bad. Nice to be feeling on better form due to cycling a bit more.

I'd spotted the Alpe Loccia while searching for new routes around lake Orta in Italy. According to the mountain bikers it is an uber steep climb with sections over 20%.

Seriously, I'd vowed not to come back after last year but here I was, struggling up the first killer wall out of Monte Buglio cheered on by the usual assortment of deranged Italian cani.

I'd never cycled up to Scareno before and to be honest, there isn't much reason to. It is a long way up a big of a rough road.

There is a heatwave at the moment and many people on Strava were complaining about the temperatures. At the same time the weather service predicted afternoon storms.

The Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo is the only mountain pass that links the Italian Aoste valley from the Tarentaise.

I'd not road cycled since before the lockdown and it was hard. Far too many kilos to carry and no real zip up the hills. Had to use my x32 far too often on the climb.

I don't usually road bike until the spring but as the weather has been spring like I thought, why not? The Murianette is a shaded climb so not ideal at this time of year but it is relatively easy comp