Now he was mon dernier mot on cycling, so I’d ask my old newspaper colleague Richard Moore about The Col du Granon and Le Moore de France.
Richard Moore lived for cycling, and his family, and the press pack at Le Tour de France will be the lesser for his absence this year.
Proud Scot Richard rode and wrote.
For Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
Where he was coached by King of the Mountains Robert Millar who inspired his award-winning book In Search of Robert Millar.
A Millar’s Tale
Pony-tailed Robert went off the radar after his exploits and despite his many contacts Richard admits (spoiler) at the end of the book that he couldn’t find him.
Rewind to the same sports desk years before and I was scanning a picture of Millar with another fabled writer Jeff Connor.
Jeff, who has spent a Tour in Millar’s team writing about them, pointed out how he thought Millar’s upper body shape looked oddly different.
Alas, the observation never led to further investigation… we were probably distracted by a deadline.
But the moment came back to me when a story landed on my desk about Millar, that he had transitioned into Philippa York.
Call of Col du Granon
All of which peregrinations returns me to the focus of today’s travel blog Col du Granon.
A stage of Le Tour arrives at the summit of the pass on July 13 and leaves Briancon the next day.
Our amis in Serre Chevalier Valleé Briancon bill their region as A Unique Mountain Destination.
And that it is… with the Climbing World Cup also coming down the tracks.
Here comes the summer
Throw in white-water rafting (tick), mountain-biking (tick), trail running (tick) and of course cycling (tick).
And it’s clear to see that Serre Chevalier Valleé Briancon doesn’t sleep in the summer.
Situated in the Hautes-Alpes department, Provence-Alpes-Cotes d’Azur region, you’re on the Italian border.
Now in life there are those who bluff it… on Le Pic du Midi (see picture).
And whoever takes the stage in Serre Chevalier Valleé Briancon next month there will be a spirit hovering this year.
At the Col du Granon and Le Moore de France.
