Ride 4 - St Nazaire to Col des Limouches

Well, group dynamics is always challenging...especially when you have alpha dog who MUST be right and has about a 50%hit ratio. So...Bill and I combined our mutual negotiation tactics (who the two of us also need to be right or find rational understanding yet OUR hit ratio is well into the 90's - or so we think) to gradually re-direct our route and group logistics given our former leader's (Bealle) plan was headed for a huge glycogen bonk duringthe first K's of his/our time trial (cycle speak for a flawed plan).

So Bill and I were ready to rent a separate vehicle to follow our hearts and souls in the Alps...and that caused Bealle to be more rational - especially when you say ABORT. Bill drove and I navigated us to a sweet little hotel on the Isere river in St Nazaire, which soon became the base of our first ride in the foothills of the Alps including the Col des Limouches (a commonfirst Col on the Tour de France).
Our ride took us from the river's edge elevation 440 feet through the charming little town of St. Jean (definitely a tdf town) where all grabbed au pain with frommage, yet Bill and I kept riding...snacking on the goods and taking in the hilltowns, chateaus and farmhouses strung along thefertile, lush alpine valleys still popping with spring like flowers.
We climbed to the top of Limouches at 3400 feet, decending like a tour rider reading the writing on the pavement including the legendary climber Richard Virenque!
The quick desent and rolling farm lands through the quaint hill town of Peyrus brought us full circle to our hotel. The stats for the day:

Temp: 67 at top, 75 down low with high clouds and short periods of drizzle. A couple of sun break blessings included.

Distance: 42.5 miles
Ascent: 2900 feet
Time: 3 hours 25 minutes (including photo stops)
Calories: 1450