Weathered, weary and wanting of sleep -- a triage circumstance owed to an absurd departure time from Mas Pagés -- we wandered in to Luz Saint Sauveur for the first of six rides in the Midi Pyrenees. After meeting the HC Bike Tour crew over some regional eats, we ambled up the first -- and likely easiest -- climb: Cirque de Troumouse. Gentle opening grades slid to brief backroad ramps and, ultimately, a fantastic set of switchbacks that opened to a mountainous bowl just miles away from the Spanish border.
Old man Ruegs flirted with cattle and handily conquered a 4,000+ foot climb. Not bad for two dudes working on a collective total of 8 hours of sleep.