Geoff Thomas Foundation

STAGE NINE

VAL D'ISERE TO BRIANCON 159.5 km

TWO years ago, the Galibier was the lowpoint of riding the Tour de France for
the first time and, when I looked at the route for the 2007 Tour, the Galibier
was the name that jumped out at me.

Today was the day and, I'm pleased to say, we all conquered one of our worst
fears on the 2007 Tour.

Yesterday was our rest day in the ski resort of Val d'Isere. The day could
not come quickly enough and what a perfect place to have it. I spent the morning
in a launderette with the lads doing our washing it's a long time since I've
said that! then I spent the afternoon cleaning everyone's bikes (honestly!)

To be fair, Pete Slater and Dan from Impsport did all the mechanical work but
I led by example, giving everyone's Trek some spit and polish.

The rest of the lads were busy, too. Dave Grainger had come down with a
really bad throat virus during the night and went to a local doc for some
antibiotics while Bully went to visit a physio who diagnosed his knee injury as
tendonitis and said he could be riding again in three or four days. That news
cheered us all up.

It was a pleasant, relaxing day after nine solid days of the Tour but the
atmosphere was heavy over the evening dinner table because we knew what was
coming today the dreaded climb of the Telegraphe and Galibier.

For those of you who aren't cycling experts, the two climbs are actually one
mountain. You climb 12 km up the Telegraphe, level out for six kilometres into
the village of Valloire, then start the tortuous 18 km climb of the Galibier.
Two years ago, as those of you who have followed my story may remember, the
weather was so bad that it was snowing at the top of the Galibier which is 2,642
metres high and it was one of the most gruelling things I have ever done to
succeed in conquering it. The picture of us descending the Galibier that day is
so meaningful to me that we used it on the front cover of my book "Riding the
Storm".

But first, the day actually started with a huge climb directly out of our
hotel room, up to the highpoint of the 2007 Tour, the Col de l'Iseran, at 2,770
metres. To be honest, I'm a slow starter on the best of days so by the time I
got going this morning, we were practically at the top.

We were also joined on the climb by our new friend Dave, a Birmingham
barrister who has a place in Val d'Isere, and while we were all posing at the
top of the climb for photo ops, we also noticed a fantastic "pick and mix" sweet
stand up there which was all the incentive Dan needed to make it up the last few
metres to the top!

In the interests of full disclosure I also have to admit here to nearly
causing a crash one of two on the day when I was guilty of watching the scenery
on the super-quick descent of the Iseran, slammed on the brakes and almost sent
Griz slamming into the back of me! Griz had almost done me in the same way
earlier in the week so I guess that was revenge.

That descent was the start of a fabulous morning where we seemed to drop for
ever - actually it was probably around 70 kilometres with only the occasional
hill to contend with. We stalled for a few minutes in a less than glamorous
lunch spot beneath a motorway bridge and then there was no more avoiding it.

We went through Saint Michel de Maurienne and we were on the Telegraphe. Here
came near crash number two as I slammed into Pete Slater's rear wheel at the
bottom of the climb and contrary to eye witness reports did NOT crash but
flopped athletically to the ground in an attempt to protect the bike.

It wasn't the best of starts but the Telegraphe was not too bad. It took me
15 minutes to get back onto the main group and, with four kilometres to go, I
finally had Big Griz in my sights and overtook him. Griz tried to keep up with
me but I put the hammer down and he went as I eased to the finishing line.

Well, it was something like that anyway! And, again contrary to some claims,
the fact this was all captured on film by the documentary crew had nothing to do
with my late burst of speed.

Of course, while all this was going on, the rest of the lads were at the top,
eating the pick and mix from the Iseran, stuffing down bananas and drinking cold
cans of coke!

In fact, all the lads climbed brilliantly today. Dave, after his terrible
throat problem, was amazing as was Steve Timmins. Steve has been really strong
in the Alps and his sunburned arms have even cleared up long enough for him to
take his long-sleeved top off!

Steve is from Perton, near Wolverhampton, and was diagnosed with bowl cancer
a few years ago, undergoing surgery and chemo to treat it. Like all the lads
here, he is an inspiration to everyone who has been similarly effected by cancer
and I've been amazed by the strength of not only his cycling, but his character
as well, these past few days.

He would go on to fly up the Galibier first out of all of us with the sort of
showing that would not have put a Tour rider to shame. But it was a very
different experience for me.

When this Tour route first came out, today was always going to be earmarked
as something special and I remembered every single pedal stroke from two years
ago as I climbed the mountain again. Coming out of Valloire, the start is
gradual and quite monotonous but it builds up slowly and, by the time the road
crosses a bridge and the hairpins start coming regularly, the gradient is a
steady eight and nine per cent and brutal.

Two years ago, I was swearing and shouting at the mountain, determined not to
let it beat me whatever it threw at me. This time, I think I got a bit of
revenge on it. It was an emotional climb, more than anything else, as far as I
was concerned because every turn of the pedal had a memory for me, especially
the last couple of kilometres when, two years ago, I really thought I was done
for.

We were also helped by a couple of supporters who followed us up the Galibier
and have been big friends of the Foundation. Mike, a former cyclist, and Cathy,
his partner, drove up the mountain, stopping regularly to unfurl an "Allez
Geoff" banner and shout on all the lads. Until you've ridden something like
this, you have no idea what a great encouragement that sort of thing can be and
we were all very grateful of the help.

What pleased me most about the day was the fact that all the lads managed to
complete it. Comfortably, in some cases like Steve. Amazingly, in some cases,
like Dave who was so ill yesterday. And, in the case of Griz who is a big guy
hardly built for climbs like this, downright heroically.

I was proud of them all.

Tomorrow, I think, is going to be a harder stage than it appears on paper
and, before the next rest day, we have two monster stages in the Pyrenees.

But, for tonight and tonight only, I will rest a satisfied man having taken
on the Galibier, along with the rest of the guys from Team Thomas, and beaten it
a lot more easily than I did two years ago.