Laurent, the Alps in September

Do you want to introduce yourself?

I'm 47, with two children. I'm an IT systems and network administrator. I've been cycling for about 4 years (since my wife gave me a road bike). I joined a local leisure club to ride in a group and improve my skills. I've taken part in the Tour stage 2 times and other cyclos

What motivated you to embark on a touring bike trip in the Alps?

I discovered the mountains by bike following my vacation stays in the Alps. I'm from Normandy and I love it! Even if it's hard to climb for 10, 15 km or more, the scenery is magnificent and reaching the top of a pass is always a source of pride. I like to set myself new challenges every year. I stumbled across some reports on the Grandes Alpes and it immediately made me want to discover these magnificent landscapes. Doing it by bike gave me a motivating sporting goal to prepare

Which route did you take and why?

Route des Grandes Alpes®, the classic, in 7 days. For my first, I wanted to follow the official route and climb the mythical cols, most of which I hadn't climbed yet.

Ane anecdote to share?

At the start from Val-Cenis, I joined a group of cyclists (there are very few of them at the end of September on weekdays). There were 7 of them, the German women's national skicross team and their coach. I was able to stay on the wheels and exchange a few words with the coach.