Hanging with Jens, James and Frankie in Corsica

Anyone else want to be in Corsica right now?

There is something about the 3 days preceding the Tour de France that is so exciting and so much fun.

I just wrote my lengthy post on How to Watch the Tour de France but skip through all that and head straight to the Tour Talk videos with Frankie Andreu and James Startt. These two banter and talk over each other as if you are with your cycling buddies.

In this video James and Frankie had a (very well staged) surprise visitor from a rider now riding his 16th tour de France who states that he has spent nearly 300 days of his life racing the Tour. Tune in daily for more race predictions (filmed after each stage) for the next day's stage. Sure to entertain, and maybe surprise.

Watch video here: http://bcove.me/um988b63

Which reminds me ...

How do you pronounce his name?
Jens Voigt: Yens Vokedt (close to evoke with a little t at the end, closer to vote than voit)

Photos from the Tour de France

With the teams before stage 13 in St-Paul-Troix-Chateau

I am really enjoying photography as a fan. I try to take images of what it is like being a fan at the races. All the things we notice as fans - the bikes, team supplies and equipment, the staff, the riders. It took me years to learn who the riders were, to be able to recognize them, on and off the bike. Mostly because the majority of the images I saw of the riders were either through a camera angle on a bike during a race with their helmets, sunglasses and matching kits or in official team photo shoots where they all stood in the same position.

That is why I prefer conveying either the feeling and atmosphere of the race, or up close portraits of the riders. There are plenty of sports photographers who capture the race in action or the finish line photos. But for those fans at home - I like to share images from before or after the race. 

Images from Stage 13 - 2012 Tour de France. All photos by Karen at PedalDancer®

FDJ Lapierre bikes

RSNT Trek bikes

Astana Specialized bikes

SaxoBank Specialized bikes

Bjarne Riis

Confidis staff supplies in a support car

Jerome Pineau

It goes round, but it is not round

Norwegian fans

Bradley Wiggin's bike

Fans waiting with Bicyling.com's James Startt outside the Team Sky bus for Bradley Wiggins

Berhnard Eisel's bike does not look ready to go

Sylvain Chavanel (Fra)

Johan Vansummeren (Bel)

She is the one we all watch hanging off the back of the time keepers moto

Kristijan Koren (Slo) and Daniel Oss (Ita) of Liquigas

Chris Horner (USA)

Steven Kruijswijk (Ned)

Popo

Team Argos Shimano preparing to head to the start line

Tom Veelers (Ned)

Simon Gerrans (Aus)

Jim Ochowicz (BMC team manager)

Cadel Evans and fans

George Hincapie's legs

Team Orica-GreenEDGE offering interviews pre-race

the team cars head out

A determined Thomas Voeckler heads to the start line

Word of the day at the TDF: voiture balai

Voiture balai: broom wagon

Are you telling me the man inside the broom wagon at the 2011 Tour de France is a former French National Cyclocross Champion - are you kidding me? As if that were not enough, James Starrt tells us that he is the same man who handed Jens Voigt his famous small yellow bike with toes clips in the 2010 Tour de France. Read more about Alain Daniel - the true Man Behind the Tour in this super great article by James Startt at Bicycling.com In the shadow of the Broom Wagon.

The broom wagon was first introduced in 1910 in response to the riders objections to the condition and length of the famous proposed stage across the Pyrenees which included the Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Apsin, Col du Tourmalet, Col du Soulor, and the Col d’Aubisque in one day. The riders were afraid of being left out on the road alone. Exactly the sort of drama the race organizers were looking for, but the riders said one collective no Thank you. We can thank those early riders for creating the broom wagon, a prime topic to harass your friends.

Read more about pressing the riders to go to extremes in the early days of the Tour at this previous post by PedalDancer.com Five peaks in one day? Of course back in 1910 riders were allowed to finish the stage in the broom wagon and start again the following day. No more of that.

The good old broom wagon (I am sure he's a model or he'd be crying).

No more brooms either. The new broom wagons used by A.S.O have no brooms, but they do have the same purpose - to sweep up (pick up) riders who have abandoned the race. The images below of the broom wagon are recent pictures my family took at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine. All Photos by PedalDancer.com or SyS

If you look back and see this coming - pedal faster.

If it stops for you - your race could be over.

Could you imagine if your bike was the only bike on the wagon trailer - ooh sad.

voiture balai

Keep pedaling!