Well, that’s the 2021 cycling season brought to a close as we say goodbye to the Indian summer we enjoyed in September, and slip into a decidedly autumnal October in the French Alps!
And the great news is, we had a pretty ‘normal’ summer.
Now normal isn’t necessarily seen as the most inspiring of adjectives and previous to the last 18 months we might not have jumped up and down to celebrate it. In cycling, sport, and life in general we often rave over the extraordinary or the outstanding!
But what about normal? Well when you get to do something ‘normal’ like cycling, but you do it on some of the most infamous roads in cycling history, in a stunning landscape, and throw in some friends for good measure, normal becomes very special!
So this summer, for the first time in what seems like an age, we were able to share the things we normally do with others.
We rode the amazing roads and cols we are so lucky to have in our back yard with new friends. The Madeleine, Galibier, PSB, Roselend and Alp d’Heuz and so many more.
Have our breath taken away by the stunning views, amazing balcony roads and challenging gradients that we never tire off!
Enjoy a cold coke, lunch, the views and some chat in our favourite restaurants on a col summit after a hard climb.
Bomb the kilometres of flowing descents that were so hard-earned with the summer sun on our backs(most of the time!)
Enjoy a cold beer and good company at the end of a hard day's riding.
And most importantly share in the joy and sense of accomplishment of our guests as they tick off classic climbs they have dreamed of riding since they first were consumed by their love of cycling!!
Yes, us and our guests might have had to endure the odd cotton swab poking around at the base of our brains, the odd flight change and sweating over whether we had filled out our passenger locator forms correctly, but it seems a small price to pay to return to “normal”!
So, with restrictions ever easing we look forward to next summer to enjoy even more normal.
If you want to see how good it can be, why not come join us??
Contact us on +44 (0)20 7191 1120 or email tagride@thealpinegeneration.com
