Days two and three - glad they are over!

No internet access last night and very poor tonight so a double post. Yesterday morning we set off early again as the day was another absolute scorcher. We started climbing immediately up out of La Clusaz on the Col des Aravis topping out at around 1,500m. This I climbed well in just over half an hour (it was 8km long). After a tricky descent next up was the Col De Saises far more of a challenge at around 16 km long and rising to 1,650 m. Fabulous views though. After an hour or so at a roadside cafe in Beaufort, I decided rather foolishly to do the long loop which meant going up nearly 20 km up the Comte De Roseland followed by the Col Due Prie (1,749 m) and back down again. The beautiful barrage at the top was almost worth it. We then had a long shelp back along the baking valley floor to our hotel in La Lechere. Six hours on the bike and I was literally cooked and could not do anything for an hour. This morning we again started climbed after only 10 minutes up the very nasty Col De La Madeleine - rising from around 400 m to 2,000 m on an incredible 26 km climb. We were doing it the same day as a very serious race, with most of them passing me on the way up. The descent was lovely though, not so the hot valley floor into a headwind. I led a small group of the tail end race guys, helping them along. This meant that by the time I was at the bottom of the Col Du Telegraphe (12 km long and 850 m of climbing)I was literally fucked and the climb took alot out of me. Felt partly restored by a beer. 5 hours 20 on the bike today and 2,700 m of climbing. Now some three hours after finishing I feel more like normal - Although not looking forward to the Galibier and L'Alp D'huez tomorrow.