This is becoming our regular winter ride but the singles are too wet at the moment until I service my front fork.

The link between le Sappey and St Hugues hasn't been prepared for 4 years. I'd lost faith they'd ever do it again but then a message from Chamechaude nordic, it would open this weekend.

From Pipay climb to the chalet de Pipay dessus then turn NE to climb to the ridge between the Soleil and Loup drags.

This is a good option if it is damp as the tow paths along the side of the Isere are well drained. You can ride as far as the Grenoble and beyond but pick up a surfaced path at Gieres going south.

A ski around the fitness trail in Crolles because there was too much snow to go further afield. Not too bad on classic skis.

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.

A variation on the route today. Decided to try and skate the Chronovélo from Meylan to Grenoble city hall. The Chronovélo are high speed cycle routes where bikes generally have priority over cars.

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.

Back to skating, a little 20km roll in 1h20 at 4m/km average. A tail wind on the way home meant I moved up to 8th place on the Gieres-Domene segment in 10m40. Not bad.

It had snowed about 20cm overnight, the pistes were a bit slow going, maybe a wax issue but generally in very good condition.