I woke up at 5:00AM to watch the Paris-Roubaix

And it was worth it!

Last Sunday was my most anticipated race of the year - the Hell of the North - the Paris Roubaix. It is the time in spring when I get to watch someone other than the main GC names win a career-making race. It is the day when tough men race over tough cobbles. I love the Paris-Roubaix, this year it did not disappoint.

When my alarm clock rang on Sunday morning, I shot out of bed. There was no hitting the snooze button. I had prepared the coffee pot the night before, I had made sure my viewing devices were set and channels/websites selected. It was the morning of the long anticipated Paris-Roubaix.

John Degenkolb won the race in 2015, but the biggest controversy was the daring crossing of the railroad tracks during the race to beat the high speed TGV to Paris:

• The controversial train crossing of the 2015 Paris-Roubaix video 
• The old train crossing incident of 1937

Paris-Roubaix is like Christmas to me. I can't sleep for the excitement and I happily arise early.

Last week, I had fun tweeting some images taken when I was fortunate to be a fan at the race a couple years ago. I was there to see the riders inside the Arenberg Forest and again at the restaurant of le Carrefour de l'Arbre. I had watched the race online for years and knew exactly where I wanted to be if I ever got the chance to be there in person. I had sort of hoped for rain and mud, but was instead treated to a fantastic good weather day in northern France.

Here are some of the images I tweeted last weekend (with many more I did not tweet). Paris-Roubaix is a tradition and these are sights can be seen any year - even the year you went or will go! These photos are what you might not see on TV - they reflect the loyal fans who go to the race year after year with family and friends.

For years I had wanted to be at the Paris-Roubaix as a fan - the experience did not disappoint. 

All photos by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®

La Trouée d'Arenberg (ou Tranchée de Wallers-Arenberg) (Arenberg Forest)

Thrilling to be a fan on the sector of pave

Getting in the mood with some Jupi

Ropes are used in the middle of the forest to control fans

We timed it right to walk into the forest behind this fun group!

We walked the entire length of the Arenberg forest. Then we got a beer!

There is a big celebration at the start of the Arenberg sector (east side) with beer tents, entertainment and sausages!

Just a fantastic mood and celebration going on at the start of the Arenberg Forest section of pave.

A long tradition for fans

The same fans gather on this section year after year

Entertainment stage at the start of the cobbles - I loved singing Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline with the crowd.

Sausages and frites are a tradition.

And beer tents

At the entrance to Arenberg Forest there is a memorial to Jean Stablinski,
a French professional cyclist from a family of Polish immigrants, who worked the mines in northern France.

The fans take their place, the gendarmes try to keep order, the TVs get in place and the cobbles are ready for action:

It is really exciting to line the barriers with the other fans

There are barriers at the beginning

Gendarmes on horses patrol the forest

The mood is fun and relaxed before the race as the cameras get in place.

Photographers piled up on the left side, fans on the right. Depending on conditions - fans might line both sides.

Skilled Gendarmes on motorbikes stand up as they ride the rough cobbles. They are exciting to watch.

Then the peloton roars by and the earth shakes:

Fans are so close to the action in the narrow passage of the Arenberg Forest!

The green grass of the irregular cobbles

When the moss grows on top and the grass is wet - the convex cobbles are really slick.

Being the "professional" photographer that I am - THIS is my first photo of the riders. I have a big tip for taking photos at the Arenberg Forest: you are down, the pave raises the riders up; the ground shakes (a lot!) and everyone is reaching in toward the riders -- so just enjoy the moment and forget the photos.

When the helicopters show the riders turning onto this pavement, I know the lead group is through the forest.

Le Carrefour de l'Arbre (ou Pavé de Luchin)

We got in our car and drove to another section of pave to see the peloton yet again, shortly before the finish at the Velodrome in Roubaix.

I love these markers!

Only a 2 star sector of pave, but strategically, a very important corner of the race.

Not the time to get a flat, but somebody always does. Usually only three sector of pave remain before the velodrome. (I took this photo on a non race day)

Beautiful working fields of northern France as the fans stretch along the parcours.

The crowded scene at Carrefour de l'Arbre on race day.

Gendarmes (police men) are everywhere along the course.

A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in France.

On the enormous big screen TV at the corner near the restaurant of l'Arbre, we were able to see the finish in the Velodrome happening just a short distance away. The crowd roared at the finish. I couldn't believe I was in France on this Sunday in Spring!

My niece Kristina walking back to the car after seeing the race pass and the finish on the large screen TV at l'Arbre.

Roubaix Velodrome

I visited the Roubaix Velodrome on a quiet day earlier in the week, when I could walk the last section of cobbles and walk into the veldrome as the riders would do on race day, imaging the thrill of victory. 

Daily life goes on over the final (modern) secteur of pave before the Velodrome

Look down and you will see imbedded in this final section of cobbles, stones dedicated to every past winner. It's great to walk along and discover the names on the stones.

The most important corner of the Paris-Roubaix (entering the Velodrome)

What every rider wants to see first - the finish line inside the Roubaix Velodrome

Could you imagine sitting here at the finish line of the Paris-Roubaix. There is no need for seat backs because everyone is on their feet for this finish.

Across from the stadium is the Velo Club du Roubaix club house. It is a museum of sorts inside with a collection of race history.

You can go inside the club house for a drink or a look around at all the memorabilia - a must for fans (on a non-race day).

A landmark outside the Velo Club cafe.

I walked quietly around the velodrome a week before the race and imagined who had won in the past and who would win that coming Sunday afternoon.

What great memories!!

Related posts by Pedal Dancer:

• I was a fan at the Paris-Roubaix 
• The History of the Paris-Roubaix

Study the maps carefully and you should be able to see two sections of the race. If you want to see the race out on course and in the Velodrome, I would suggest joining a Tour Company for the day. They will navigate the parcours and logistics for you, allowing you to relax and celebrate the race.  

Gregg Germer of The Chain Stay (one of the Tour Companies I would highly recommend) snapped this picture of me (center) with my arm around my new found friend who was teaching me drinking songs - in a language I did not understand at all - but sing I did. We were about to walk under the famous landmark of the train trestle in the Arenberg Forest on Paris-Roubaix day!

I can't wait until next year. I plan to get up at 5:00a.m. again. Maybe even 4:45 a.m. when race coverage goes live in the U.S.A..

Realated blog post by Pedal dancer®: American Again (returning from traveling in Belgium). 

Photo for the Day - Signatures

I wonder why I collect signatures

Now that is a bunch of signatures

I seldom ask for signatures from professional bike riders, but in 2012 I did. I took a Colorado cycling jersey with me to the inaugural USA Pro Challenge in Colorado and gathered signatures (when I was not being Media, of course). What resulted was the jersey above.

Who signed the jersey? I can hardly remember now. I think that is Andy Schleck's signature to the far right, Jeremy Powers signed the right sleeve, Oscar Seville drew a little bicycle for me (center-right), I think that is Taylor Phinney in the center, George Hincapie is on here somewhere, so is Laurens tem Dan and Jens Voigt.

The most clear signature is on the back of the jersey (below) and is that of Cadel Evans. Also I recognize Tyler Farrar's signature above Cadel's because he has the strong T. Other than that I would have to research signatures and race rosters to know who is who on my prized possession.

I can only make out Cadel Evans' signature on the back of the jersey.

There was a time when riders would work to perfect their signatures, in fact extra points or cash prizes were awarded for penmanship. The tradition of a well-crafted signature held for some time.  In 2012 I also took a small Colorado state flag with me to Interbike in Las Vegas to collect signatures. I had heard Mario Cipollini and Miguel Indurain would be attending the bike show.

Take a look at these signatures from two legends of cycling:

This is Mario Cipollini's signature. I liked that he signed in the middle of the yellow sun.

This is Miguel Indurain's signature. I think this is so cool!

A little history about rider signatures:

The sign-in sheet is a tradition in the sport of cycling. Often used to insure that riders did not skip over the route by taking shortcuts, riders were required to sign-in at various points along the stage. Today they of course only sign-in at the start, but I come up blank when I try to think of any other sport which has this same tradition.

In the historical book of the Tour de France titled The Tour de France, author Christopher S. Thompson writes, "The newspaper L'Auto had an obsession with assessing the beauty and elegance reflected in the racer's handwriting at the check-point sign-in sheets. A regular feature in L'Auto from the very first tour, Racers' signatures often received prominent coverage. Racers photographs were often accompanied by their autographs, suggesting that a racer's signature was as representative of him as his face."

I am very fond of the tradition of signing autographs. Here Johan Vansummeren and Andy Schleck offer their signature to fans in California at the Amgen Tour of California in 2013.

Johan Vansummeren and Andy Schleck offer autographs under the palm trees of southern California.

All photos in this post by Karen Rakestraw at Pedal Dancer® .

Photo for the Day - Passes & Badges

Some really great memories hang there

I have a bike room. A room like many of us probably have, in a section of the garage or a space in the basement. For many of us, our dream would be an entire room filled with bikes and equipment and good stuff.  My little space, which reflects my hobby, is tucked away in the basement and is actually a workbench with a collection of parts, tools, and lots and lots of memorabilia.

Today I noticed my collection of passes and badges hanging on the wall. Seeing them hanging there, reminded me instantly of my wide variety of experiences at past bike races. Wow, how they have collected over the years.

My favorite pass is this one - my VIP pass to the Tour of Flanders in Belgium (left in the photo below). That was an awesome experience! Apparently I Genodigde Brugge, although I haven't a clue what that means.

Now those were some fun times!

The pass hanging to right of the Ronde van Vlaanderen VIP pass above was my first VIP pass in the Unites States, a Rabobank VIP pass to the final stage of the Tour of California. I attended that stage with my nephew Kenny, I remember we were both so excited.

My first ever VIP experience happened to be the same day I first attended the Tour de France. The year was 2001. My sister-in-law Suz and I were standing in the street in Pau before the stage start when a nice gentleman came up to us and offered 2 passes for FREE. It took us a long time to accept they really were free. As in free is fun. "We actually need four please," we daringly replied, so four we got, two more for my brother and his good friend Stevo. The access with that pass was fabulous. And so started my absolutely spoiled access to bike races.

2001 - our first VIP passes to the Tour de France. I think we wore them well.

Perhaps my favorite VIP experience was in 2012, the time I got to hang out with my brothers, their wives and good friends at (once again) the Rabobank VIP tent in Los Angeles on the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California. After the race, the entire (now extinct) Rabobank team came over to hang out with us. It was the final year for the team, and it was a blast.

Relaxed fun with family and friends in the best ever Rabobank VIP tent

Another of my other favorite memories of being in a VIP tent lasted all of 5 minutes, just last year. After being out on the road in the pouring rain photographing the USA Pro Challenge race in Beaver Creek, I finally received a text from my friend Scott who said, "come join us in the VIP tent for a drink, we have a pass for you." I arrived dripping wet, only to be met at the entrance to the VIP tent by the largest scariest security guy ever who had clearly practiced his intimidation skills on fans for hours and would not let me enter. Fine.

Looking like a drowned rat, I hollered across the tent to Scott to come rescue me. Scott approached, and as if awarding me with a medal of honor, he draped the VIP pass around my neck. I turned to the security guy and smiled, smugly entering the restricted zone. I no sooner got to the table of friends when Scott informed me that they were going to dinner, "come join us." As we exited the tent, right in front of the scary security guard, Scott said, "Now can I have my VIP pass back." We all laughed, obviously that pass does not hang on my bike room wall.

Even the straps of other passes bring back memories.

Festina & US Postal?! are you kidding me, shameful, but they too tell a story.

I have accumulated lots of media, photo and press badges as well - those passes bring back memories of hard work but exciting access. They do not elicit the same fun memories that the VIP passes or bike show passes bring. Strange.

My bike room holds far more than passes. The space and workbench is filled with autographed jerseys on hangers, tires, old photos, parts I really should sell-off, inner tubes waiting to be used, and a nice box I finally bought to store my collection of race and team hats. But the fondest memories come from the trinkets, souvenirs or pins gathered over the years. so numerous, those probably will inspire future photos for the day .....

This was the sheet displaying all the types of badges allowed inside the team area at the Tour of Flanders in 2012.  It was thrilling to be there, read more stories from Belgium if interested: A day on the Kwaremont and Stories from Belgium.