Day 5: The Arly and Isère Rivers

This turns out to be a very interesting day, 40 miles of a of a combination of bike paths and roads and tunnels and hills. Some of the bike path near town is really busy but a lot of it is fairly deserted. As the tour title indicates on the flip chart photo below, we are riding from Tallloires to Chambery in a valley surrounded by Alps. We are in the Department of Savoy today.

The morning, starts with breakfast as usual, followed by a review of our daily schedule.

And a map of our route.

Then we go out to our bicycles.

We leave the hotel the same way as yesterday with a bit of an uphilll to the bike path along Lake Annecy and then the lake is behind us as we head out of town.

We are now on a different path heading down the valley toward Albertville.

i’m riding alone for a while and stop to take a photo of these nice cows.

Ross catches up and takes my photo and mountains in the distance.

Then I take a photo of him riding through one of the small barriers we have along this bike path.

A photo of the path with the mountains surrounding us.

A group gathering at another barrier but I think the photo was focused on the Albertville sign.

Nice and flat this morning and after about 12 miles or so we reach the snack stop.

Our snack stop includes chocolate, of course, but also lots of fresh fruit.

After the snack we are back on the bike path.

Our route goes around a small pasture with a nice bunch of French horses.

Right turn here onto a main road.

Another turn later and we are now riding on a section of road with a bike lane on the side.

Lunch was at the top of the hill in Conflans, a former medieval town overlooking Albertville. It was quite a climb up. And on cobblestones.

Ross makes it to the top.

Passing through the Porte de Savoie to enter the medieval town. Conflans was a fortified town strategically located at the confluence of the Arly and Isère Rivers.

On foot now, we pass an herb shop.

We walk into the main plaza area where we will have lunch.

Another view of the plaza.

While waiting for our group lunch we walk along the streets to a small park which has a view overlooking the city of Albertville.

Also in the park is this sign which has arrows pointing to two climbs that appear frequently in the Tour de France; the Télégraphe and the Galibier.

Lunch today is a group affair. We had a choice of Sea Bream or pork and Ross and I got the fish.

After lunch we prepared to ride back down that hill.

We continue on the bike path and now we’re along L’Isère River.

I ride ahead of a small group to take some action photos.

Here comes Ross.

I ride on, probably in Turbo, and catch up with Bob who’s had a flat tire. Phillip comes by and changes the tube in about three minutes. I had continued on so Bob passes me again. Now riding by Charolais cattle. Both our dads raised this breed.

A nearly ripe wheat field.

Stopping near a viaduct that we did not have to go through. We turned left here.

Riding along the remains of a castle up on the hillside.

I continue mostly on my own today trying to stay out of trouble and the ride ends at a campground near Lake Bourget. I discover that I am the second person to complete the ride; Bob finished before me. I was not trying to win any race, just trying to endure it and get it over with. After everyone comes in, we board a bus which takes us to our new hotel, the Hôtel Miura.

Another view of our hotel.

We are pretty tired after a 40-mile bike ride with the temperature in the high 80s. With no air conditioning in the hotel, the hallway to our room was very warm.