Syd Stelvio Day 4 – Carcassonne to Vielha – 424km

The ancient, fortified city of Carcassonne has long been a beacon for traders and travellers, and for this years Classic Marathon it marked the point at which we left the peaks of the Massif Central behind, as we headed for the heights of the Pyrenees. The sun was barely above the horizon as the cars filed towards the first navigational section of the day, it was an early start, but with 424km to cover, and 8 planned regularities it was necessary to get the train moving.

The escape of the city was an easy one, with little traffic around the streets and the ancient walls and towers of the Citadel just beginning to glow under a sun that would provide us with a hot day behind the wheel. Just four kilometres from the start the road books were opened in earnest, for a pair of navigational challenges that followed in quick succession, as the altitude began to increase and the far-off mountain peaks hinted at what was to come.

Mark Godfrey and Bart ten Hartog were clearly in the mood, and keen to put past errors behind them, acing the first section, a feat not completed by anyone else. They didn’t pick up too much damage on the second reg either, that featured a neat little navigational trick at the end, with a loop that bought the cars back round on themselves, no doubt causing a few navigators a momentary crisis of confidence.

There was a chance to stop for a coffee at the mid-morning checkpoint once safely through the foothills of the Pyrenees, but after this the intensity of the day ramped up quickly, as did the inclines and the altitude! If the earlier looping navigational test had caused a few double checks of the notes, during the first section after coffee there was another loop on one of the first mountain roads that would serve to catch out a large majority of the field. As the road began to descend towards the town of Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes – easy for you to say – the tarmac crossed an ancient bridge, before the road passed back underneath itself in a corkscrew. The navigational instructions actually directed the cars not down the road, but down a track, and, as car after car missed this crucial piece of information a scene began to develop that had more in common with Piccadilly Circus, than with a quiet alpine road. Navigators realised at different points they had gone wrong, with cars reversing and turning around at will, with the mess becoming more and more entangled as other cars arrived on the scene, with an exponential increase in confusion.

From here one of the largest climbs of the week ensued, with an ascent of the Col de Pailheres, a 2001m pass that is considered one of the most underrated climbs of the Tour de France. Thankfully, none of our group were forced to climb the ribbons of tarmac switchbacks on bicycle, though for the drivers the challenge of navigating the tight radii of the climb whilst maintaining momentum probably felt as much of a workout. The reward for the ascent though was the breathtaking views from the summit, which offered panoramas in all directions, followed by a descent that was just as incredible. After a short section of main road another col followed, this time the Col du Pradle, which offered a similar experience, though with much of the road flanked by dense forest.

It was around this point of the day the Sweeps began to receive calls from stranded Porsche drivers, who began to run out of fuel. This was largely down to a fuel station earlier in the route being closed, and with us travelling through some of the more remote areas of the mountains, finding other places to refill was not easy. Thankfully our mobile mechanics stepped in to rescue the stranded porkers, a service they offer if you are prepared to stump up for their very reasonable pump prices. I’m told it’s a litre for a litre, that is, a litre of ale for a litre of petrol, other exchange rates are available if you prefer to pay with wine or rum.

It had certainly been a meaty mid-section of the day, and despite the sundial reading nearly three pm, there was still plenty of distance to cover and further peaks to climb, with the Col de Peguere and Col de Saet still to come. By the time these had been conquered there was very little sand left in the egg timer, and the sun was beginning to sink. With that in mind the last mountain pass of the day was cancelled, with a shorter and simpler re-route to the evening’s final destination of Vielha, across the border in Spain.

Not everyone would make it though, with father and son Peter and Kit Moore stuck in France awaiting recovery, after Peter managed to break another wheel on the tiny Sprite. With no more spares it is in the balance if they continue or not, though if anyone can sort out a fix it is probably Peter. He deserves a bit of good karma, after handing over his spares to help Christopher Gobell and Matthew Todd, who ran out of brakes in the Porsche 912. The Austin Healey Sprite pads needed a bit of persuasion with an angle grinder to fit, but as it happens a grinder is quite a persuasive tool. I certainly wouldn’t argue if faced with one.

Tomorrow is another day of playing in the Cols, though mercifully with much less mileage after such a long day on the day road today. We will finish tomorrow evening in Pau, a city steeped in motorsport, with an opportunity to wander around the famous old street circuit. Before then though, we all need some well-deserved sleep.

Syd