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.

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.

The Col de la Loze is a new paved road pass in France having only been opened in the spring of 2019. From Brides-les-Bains there is 23.5km of climbing with a total vertical of 1700 meters.

This must be close to my limit for sustained climbing.

Hot, damn Hot. It wasn't too bad to Plan Lachat but at 4k from the summit I didn't feel great. Very shakey on reaching the col and had to lie down.

Freezing today I rode as far as the snow although the road was clear to the fort. Cold hands and feet on the climb but warmed up a bit on the descent. St Eynard is certainly steep at the end.

General DescriptionThe climb is 14% over 5km for 700 meters of climbing. The climb through the village of Montebuglio is very steep but afterwards settles down to 12-13% with a series of steep ramps.

A return to the Pre Long, maybe the hardest climb in the Gresivaudan, and that is just the surfaced bit ! A good time of 25m36s from le Mas Julien to the end of the surfaced road.