D29 over Mont Cenis and to Turin

Needless to say I didn't need the alarm and after tossing and turning from 3 to 3.30 imagining descents in rain I decided the best course of action was to go for it! I hit the road by 4.00am with good lights on me and the bike and saw no traffic on my minor road in parallel with the motorway until I hit the next town of Modane where in search of coffee I hit a lovely service station where I was first customer for the morning shift.The motorway enters  a tunnel at this point.
Suitably restored and heartened I set out up a road now devoid of traffic noise lit only by the moon and stars feeling ready for what the day would bring. Dawn started its rosy fingered progress over the next hour

And not long after a sign for Torin started to sow the seeds that I mightened have to  camp at the top after all!

But progress was slowing to a measly 7km/hr so I knew it was at least a good couple of hours to the col.

The road took us up steadily through a succession of valley settlements which surprised me by their size and by how little was open. Of course this is serious skiing country as the sight of my first ski lift reinforced. And all these places must be going a bo mb  in  the winter around the Arc  river which I was following - even I a non-skier have heard of des Arcs.
So up I went through pastures following the river and met up with yet another brilliant cycling mate - Michel who introduced to the club des Col s - people that do this sort of thing for pleasure. In Michel 's case for the 56 years since he first enjoyed the experience at age 10 - he has subsequently climbed 5500 cols 354 o f them over 2000m and as we chatted as I grinded out the last 800m and he seemingly effortlessly stood on his pedals on his 35 year old classic on the middle ring he suggested his mentality ie the pleasure he took in the climb hadn't changed in the 40 years since his last ascent of Mont Senis. Extraordinary all I know is that I couldn't have been following better wheels this morning!

The descent was fast despite my efforts on the brakes  (topped 50km/hr) and dropped me into Susa ahead of the gathering storm.clouds. Having visited the medieval cathedral (was I giving thanks?) I decided to push through to Turin where I arrived at  a Palazzo bn b 15 mins before the storm  and have enjoyed a lovely catch up day ready to hit the road in the morning!