It's been a decade since I climbed Montaud from St Quentin. Partly because it is a long way from home and partly because I'd been working a lot over the last 10 years and not found the time.

Based on my Strava analysis project: https://github.com/davidzof/Training-Analyzer and LLM coach  (Claude AI), I had a 4×8 interval session planned today.

Today’s objective was Brame-Farine, the long wooded mountain that rises almost 1,000 metres above the Grésivaudan and separates the main Isère valley from the smaller valley of Allevard.

A long, mostly Zone 2 ride today, in homage to Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset’s extraordinary breakaway across the Jura in yesterday’s Tour de France Femmes.

A quick ride up to the Col du Lauteret above Prabert, on the Belledonne side of the Grésivaudan valley. I had not ridden this route since 2015, when I climbed it from the south side in 47 minutes.

I started a little later than planned, after a morning walk and the usual bit of faffing around in Crolles.

Late morning climb to the Lauteret pass. Not too hot yet but the heat was coming.

Today’s objective was the old anthracite mine workings above Saint-Mury-Monteymond, reached via Lancey and the steep roads climbing into the lower slopes of Belledonne.I started at around 9.

I wanted to tick off Strava’s Gran Fondo 100 km challenge early in the month.

I had a little over an hour before lunch, so I headed out for a short ride in the Grésivaudan, starting with the new cycle path from Brignoud towards Tencin.