Cormet de Roseland

For the last 5 years I've been raving about the sandwich shop in Beaufort. Yep... the place the cheese comes from. In Australia it's $120 a kilo, here... well... in Beaufort to be exact... you can get a sandwich jambon beaufort for 5 euros, with a big chunk of Beaufort cheese on it.

And.... right out of town, starts the Cormet de Roseland. It's called the most beautiful climb in France. I must admit, I wasn't that super impressed when I rode it 5 years back with the Cluster Northern Alp days, AND ... I wasn't at all impressed when both Stuey and Mick Rogers crashed on the descent when Mick was in the virtual yellow jersey.

But despite this, I was keen for some cheese and to give it another chance to win me over. So, MissP called it a "sleep in day" and Wonderboy and I jumped in the car and headed to Beaufort. Yes, I know the Falc rode it from here, over Saisses, climbed the Cormet and then back over Saisses. But... well... I wasn't up for that!

So... we started with the Cormet... and wow... I think all is forgiven. I'm locking it in as the most beautiful climb. You climb through spectacular views, then along a lake and finish with a climb to the summit. It's bloody awesome!

Then of course there are the obligatory photos and chat with other cyclists at the top (I think the summit of all climbs is like a cycling neutral zone.... friends are made... bikes admired... and then..bang were back to racing each other down passing each other with barely a "bonjour").

Then... the descent... quick with some nice corners. Not Col d'Izoard but a very nice descent.

Cormet de Roseland - Tick!  2 thumbs up!

Then Sandwich Jambon Beaufort.... I must admit it didn't blow me away... but hey... I've been eating delicious cheese in Champage country, so a sandwich isn't going to anyway. But it was GREAT!

Wonderboy went for his starndard - Croque Monsieur - he gave it a "good good good" but refused to award and gu gels. A very tough critic (though he now says 8.9 out of 10!!).

After that, we spent the usual laze around time, and then headed in to Menton St Bernard for an awesome dinner on the shores of lake Annecy, with the special work guests that appeared in an earlier post!  Superb!