Just to wrap up... we did it, far less drama than last time! Worst was a minor "wobble" when the front wheel lost grip on a "tar snake" while cornering in the lower parts of the Galibier descent. Thank goodness I was on drops and didn't loose too much steering angle and as soon as it caught again we completed the turn. Slight brown trowser moment.
I'll also make a record here: the final climb up the Alpe is the worst thing ever. The three prior climbs I think we relatively enjoyed, but Alpe d'Huez was just agony. Dunno if the heat, the unrelenting gradient or just general fatigue. We've done much longer rides, much longer climbs, and that climb many times but goodness me never whimpered like on that climb.
Anyway we knocked >2H30 off previous time (no 2 hour mechanical stop makes a major difference!).
Looks like we were the only tandem again -
"1st place" - this year the brevet time has the neutralized Glandon descent removed. If they'd done that in 2011 our brevet would have been 2:24 better
Official photos are
posted but they didn't get the lighting very good this year.
Still love this ride, but for now think for now we've done it and will look to get our Alps fix in other ways.