100 miles today and for many the toughest. Descended from the mountains down to the intense heat of the Corbiere hills. Fantastic descent, 12k, into St Pons - during which the vegetation changed 100% from meadows to Mediterranean garrigue - even went through a village called garrigue. Doesn't get much more garrigue-like than this I thought. Must have been the heat.
Brief refreshments in the Place de la Fontaine in the village of Ajain, nice place, will be going back there - liked the look of the local eatery.
On through Olonzac ( sounds like a drug, could used some actually) to Lezignan Corbiere for lunch - one or two shifty characters loitering here so kept an eye on the bikes. Matt spent his lunch time rebuilding Tim's wheel - seriously impressive. But in the afternoon the action started. The Corbieres is Cathar country - you know Knights Templiers and all of that relgious Da Vinci code stuff. But from a strictly cycling perspective while there are cathar castles to marvel at the natural gorges really do take the honours. I suppose it is the remoteness and inaccessibility of the region that made an ideal bolt hole for the knights - believe me I've not been to a remoter part of France and I've seen a bit of the country I'll have you know! The piece de resistance has to be the Gorges de Galamus - just go there and see it!
Totally knackered on arrival, few frazzled temperaments, but nothing that didn't pass as quickly as it came. James did 30 or 40 miles today as well.
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