Once again we were without the planning and execution skills of our Bleader, who, quite understandably chose the relative cool and tranquility of his mountain hideaway over the hassle of organising this week’s bike ride. So it fell to the peloton to come up with a plan.
This involved assembling in the relative cool of the morning at 09:30 at Everness and taking it from there. The participants were: Bill, Mark, Mervyn, Peter D, Peter T e-Paul, e-Richard. For his second outing with us, e-David B also joined, having travelled from Troinex to Coppet on the Leman Express with his bike for the princely sum of 2 CHF (Can that be right?)
Luckily Peter D had hatched a plan and we set off to Grilly, this time by way of paved roads. There Bill, riding his thoroughbred road-racing bike, briefly left us to continue on tarmac to Gex while the rest of us rattled along the voie verte.
Gex, once again, didn’t fail to disappoint as we found not just one but five cafes closed in our abortive search for a morning coffee. These Gexois(es) really are a peculiar breed.
So, with just a water stop, it was on up to Vesancy, swiftly down to La Rippe and then the long hot push up to Bonmont. We all made it, with the e-bikers looking very self-satisfied.
Lunch had been reserved for midday at L’Intemporel in Founex where we all duly gathered, with Peter D arriving uncharacteristically late for his first beer of the day.
It was very pleasant to sit on the terrace in comfortable chairs under the cool of an enormous sail/awning and reflect on our morning’s exertions. Plates of fish ‘n chips, burgers and linguine were ordered and enjoyed, washed down with copious quantities of the amber fluid. Paul regaled us with more information on the remarkable life of his hero Alfred Russel Wallace and for once everyone’s favourite anti-hero, the felon-in-chief DJT, received hardly a mention.
Wth the mercury now climbing towards the mid-30’s we all departed from Founex on our various ways home with the two Geneva residents heading first to Coppet station.
Once again a good ride, excellent conditions, enjoyable lunch and great company. I clocked 46km and 630m denivelation.
Sorry to miss this excellent, well attended outing but the cool of the mountains was certainly a viable alternative. Having said that, I covered more vertical metres than you on the bikes and managed to find some alpine amber fluid and a more than reasonable lunch. Back to earth in a fortnight’s time….