July 21, Montgenevre to La Grave, France

Stage 18 of the Tour de France, and our third day with Backroads began with an early wake-up call and onto the bikes by 8:30 am to allow us time to get up to Col de Galibier, today's destination and the second of the three big mountains on this year's Tour BEFORE the road would be closed for all vehicles except the racers.   All was well as the day and our ride began with a long and spectacular descent into the Briancon Valley with each turn on the mountainous route providing a view more beautiful than the last .  Like yesterday, traffic was heavy with cyclists, cars and RVs racing down the narrow, winding roads.  We stopped to find a bathroom in the village in the valley before our uphill ride, a quest that took 45 minutes off the bike!  The gendarmes were now turning back all motorized vehicles, earlier than expected so now it was really a race against time, but as soon as we got back on the road, Hank's bike got a flat tire!  At about this time, the Backroads team was getting worried about us and Jakov one of our 3 extraordinary guides, rode his bike down to find us and arrived just as Hank finished repairing his flat.  Jakov led us up to where he'd left the van, loaded us up and hustled us up the mountain before the road was closed up at that higher level.  Lynda was so disappointed not to be able to bicycle up the rest of the mountain!  LOL