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Avignon to Carcassonne via the Millau Viaduct (3,011 kms)

Sep 23, 2011

Been a big day today and we headed off well before Sharen and Ken as we were on a mission to ride over the Millau Viaduct on our way to Carcassonne and they took the shorter more direct route. The early morning pink light gave a beautifully soft view to all we saw as we wound our way through many ancient villages and communities. We had croissants and apricot juice for breakfast at Montpezat to the amusement of the local kids on their way to school then lunch at an alpine chalet.



One of a string of viaducts which snaked around the valleys out of Nimes

Once we heard about the Millau Viaduct it became a ‘must experience’ on our list even if it did mean an extra 180 kms and 3 hours on our trip. We were not disappointed. We had a very challenging ride there some compliments of the GPS sending us on shortcuts which were a bit hairy and one we turned back on and in frustration tried to put the address of the Viaduct in the GPS which wouldn’t recognise it so finally entered it as a landmark only to discover that means you can look AT the landmark rather than ride ON the landmark! Ah well, we wouldn’t have gone to the base of it by choice but it was awesome and we are glad we did as the view was incredible.



Under the Millau Viaduct

With some perseverance we loved the ride over the viaduct but the ride to it was equally spectacular…in fact all kinds of spectacular with ever-changing countryside from olive groves, grape vines and farming to precipitous valleys and bare rock faced canyons. Incredibly beautiful!



On the Millau Viaduct

Nothing other than an Ariel shot could do the Viaduct justice so have added it below with some other statistics from Wikipedia so you can explore it further. Check it out it is just AWESOME and a must if you get to ride a bike in this region!

History
Problems with traffic on the route from Paris to Spain along the stretch passing through the valley near the town of Millau, especially during the summer when the truck traffic combined with holiday makers and gridlocked the local villages. The first plans were discussed in 1987 including 4 possible motorway alternatives and by October 1991 the decision was made to build a high crossing of the Tarn River between two limestone plateaus. After much activity the jury decided in favor of a cable-stayed design with multiple spans, the rest as they say is history.



The Millau Viaduct (compliments of Wikipedia as are the statistics below)

Statistics
• 2,460 m: total length of the roadway
• 7: piers
• 77 m: Pier 7, the shortest
• 343 m: Pier 2, the tallest (245 m at the roadway's level)
• 87 m: height of a mast
• 154: number of shrouds
• 270 m: average height of the roadway
• 4.20 m: thickness of the roadway
• 32.05 m: width of the roadway
• 85,000 m3 : total volume of concrete used
• 290,000 metric tons: total weight of the bridge
• 10,000–25,000 vehicles: estimated daily traffic
• €6.00–7.50: typical automobile toll, as of December 2009
• 20 k : horizontal radius of curvature of the road deck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct#Location

Last nights’ accommodation:

Bristol Hotel
44 Cours Jean Jaures
Avignon France

A really quirky building (actually a joining / grouping of several I suspect) in a really quaint little town within the walled city of Avignon known as the city of Popes from centuries ago. The place has many differing floor levels on the same floor level…if that makes sense. Bike and car parking under the hotel behind old timber doors we assume used to be stables.



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