stage from Bourg-D'Oisans to La Toussuire is done. Another good climbing day for me. I am exhausted beyond belief, I do not think I took any pictures other than at some climb tops. But there is no energy to download them.

These stages take everything from you. My body is finally able to provide the energy necessary so that I can finish the stage without cramping totally.

The riding is 9 hr days like yesterday, then there is so little time for everything else, it is unreal. We finished with dinner last night, and Alpe D'Huez was a full party. Music, shouting, yelling all night. I mean that literally, you could still hear people yelling at 4AM.

And for today's stage we had to start early to get out of Alpe D'huez and on to the Galibier before the roads closed. So breakfast was at 5:30AM and departure around 6:15AM. Yes 6:30AM the guys roll out with their bikes down Alpe D'Huez to Bourg D'Oisans.

I was feeling terrible, my heart rate was elevated and I did not know if I would do the stage. I told the organizer that I would go in the van until I felt better. The van drove to the Col du Lautaret to make sure we could get into the Galibier. I ate some breakfast and started to feel better. More than anything, I was awake now. I cut about 37K from the stage that was 182KM. With what was left of the Galibier and the four other cols, I still got 8:30 hours of riding time. I can not believe some of these guys put 10hrs plus of riding time today.

The ride was either going up or down, except for one section in the valley that had wind. But as the day continued, I continued to feel even better. I could not believe how my body recuperated from the previous stage.

The last climb though, a Cat 1 climb, took all the energy I had. By the time I was done, I was completely spent.

Now I feel pretty much as exhausted as yesterday, and tomorrow we start with breakfast at 7AM, for an 8AM start. I better go to sleep now.

All I keep telling myself is that tomorrow is the last mountain stage.