Due to be the 8^th stage in the 2013 Tour de France, its fifth appearance, Port (or Col) de Pailhères climbs 1,281m (4,200ft) in nearly 12 miles, an average 6.9% with a maximum 10.4% at the summit.

Don’t be put off by that. There are no barriers but no dizzying falls either. It’s only terrifying on a bike.

Best of all it’s a normally quiet back road, between Ax-les-Thermes and Mijanès in the very south west of France. There are no cafés or carparks at the summit, just a sign saying 2,001m (6,564ft) and wide grassy verges to pull over and take it all in.

The night before we stayed in Ax-les-Thermes, on the edge of town, in a wooden chalet hotel (Le Roy René ) for €63.20 for two B&B (and prices haven‘t changed much since).

Port de Pailhères was a pure chance discovery. We were headed for nearby Andorra but heard it was ‘shut’ for its National Day, 8 September. It was annoying at first to have to come this way…