24 July 2008: Alpe du'Huez: Fulfillment and Gratitude
What to say when you have just ridden your bike to the finish line of
a dream? There are insufficient words.
Woke up this morning to a faint glow over the Col de la Croix de Fer,
and the sun made it over the peak just as I was approaching the summit.
Imagine every Alpine postcard you have seen, then add a few more
waterfalls, a couple extra verdant pastures, a perfect lake, and the
early morning excitement of the Tour de France. Then crumple up the
entire picture--nothing can capture that last km.
Arrived at the base of Alpe du'Huez just a few minutes late, and CJ was
waiting. For the next hour and a half, we rode side-by-side up this
year's final beyond-category climb, the steepest 13.8 km of the Tour,
and the most storied mountain in the sport of cycling. I still haven't
stopped smiling.
Of course, the real finish line is still 500 km away, and the Tour has
taught me to take nothing for granted. So I will savor every remaining
kilometer, with gratitude for all of the miles already behind.
(As I reread this post, I realize just how quickly one Belgian beer can
go to your head when you are this exhausted. So I will sign off until
the next.)
