Summer is over and everything is changing rapidly here in the mountains, the lush greens of summer are giving way to the browns and yellows of Autumn while last night the mountains had their first significant snow of the oncoming winter. Myself, Olive and Séan went up the Col du Tourmalet this morning to see the statue of the giant removed for the winter and also to attend the ceremony in memory of Laurent Fignon. It was a low-key event attend by local dignitaries and cycling fans. It was a bitterley cold morning on the summit with temperatures of -1°c at 11:00 when we got up there, but was a rather nice 20°c here in Saint Savin. The statue is removed every winter to protect it from the extreme cold, temperatures last winter were as low as -28°c. It is intended that the Fignon memorial will be an annual event. I would not be suprised if there is also a cyclosportive in his memory in the Hautes Pyrenees in the future.
Giant of the Tourmalet, with the first snow of winter.
The Giant is removed. It will be returned on 5th June 2011.
As the ceremony was starting a flock of Vultures descended on the col.
Goddet & Vulture
The Giant of the Tourmalet heads down the mountain to Bagnerers de Bigorre for the winter.
The Giant will return to the summit on 5th June 2011, it has become a big event here for cycling fans. In 2010 over 1000 cyclists rode up behind the truck.
You can view a gallery of photos from this morning on Col du Tourmalet here:
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