6:23 am and we’re already on a train? But that’s what you need to do to catch the Tour de France when it’s some miles away. I’ve been part of tour groups heading off a hour earlier than this, for a four hour trip on a bus. Four hours that would become five and a half in traffic. Much nicer on a train.

From Foix we ride up the course to the steepest climb, wait for the ‘tour and then ride 35 miles down the other side to a different train station for our return. We’ll see how the timing works out!