A fabulous place in Provence

Really enjoyed my stay in Provence

Yesterday and today I have been in Provence at one of the nicest place I have ever stayed. Maybe the nicest. Simple casual beauty and perfect French hospitality. Muriel at Les Bois Dormant is wonderful, so too is her lovely home. I enjoyed the pool and patio and beautiful garden, a good sleep and a delicious breakfast. I also took a great bike ride yesterday up a road to the Col du Mur. The kind of climbed that I reached then descended and continuously thought - I climbed this, I climbed all this, I don't remember climbing this far. I guess I needed to ride my bike and the time flew by while being immersed in the beautiful landscape that engulfed me.

My friend Monica, of course, missed all of it. We were to meet up 2 nights ago in Avignon and enjoy this place together, but she remains in Paris, her bags remain in a cargo hold on a plane, we hope to arrive this afternoon. A three day delay and little help in delivering a bike and luggage from United Airlines is very poor indeed. I am headed to the Pyrenees and to le sauque of a friend. Maybe Monica will arrive by TGV into Pau at 11pm tonight, but most things are a maybe here. For now I will head out on my bike through the Luberon, for another beautiful bike ride.

Images from yesterday in Provence

A morning drive through the vineyards

The vineyard near Châteauneuf du Pape

Sunday Morning Market in l'Isle-sure-la-sorgue 

Market in Isle-sur-la-sourge

Of course I had to stop and put my feet in the river too, live music played nearby.

A highly recommended accommodation - Le Bois Dormant

Just off of the D4 (junction between D4 and D60 and D2) road east of Gordes, this bed and breakfast is perfect and welcomes cyclists. I am always so pleased when I find that perfect rare combination in an accommodation of comfort, location, hospitality and suitable for cyclists. I am close to Ventoux, to the wonderful loop ride I recommended the other day near Gigondas, to morning markets, nice restaurants, and so many more rides that wind through small villages. I really prefer this side of the Luberon. This is a great place to stop between cycling in the Alps and cycling in the Pyrenees. (info: Le Bois Dormant, St.Saturin les Apt, Vacluse, France.

Contact: ti@le-bois-dormant.com or www.le.bois-dormant.com at *33 (0)4 90 05 77 41.

The peaceful garden of Le Bois Dormant

A fantastic welcome at a highly recommended B&B - Le Mas Dormant

Views and perfect hilly roads for cycling, leading to the nearby Col de Murs. No exact recommended route - just get on your bike and enjoy.

Ok, more riding, then a long drive to Pau!

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

Image of the Day: Luis Leon Sanchez

Winner of Stage 14

Robabank's Luis Leon Sanchez

A happy Luis Leon  ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

So what's up from France?

I'm drinking wine and trying to remember

What is it I have done in the past 4 days? (my life in bullet points)

• Three stages of the Tour de France
• Three different hotels
• 150 round-abouts 
• 26 toll booths and parking meters, and cash needed at all of them!
• Decathlon store, Carrefour, Total gas stations, 2 ATMs
• 1 baguette, 1 quiche, 1 jambon sandwich, Orangina, figolus, citron yogurt, 4 fresh apricots, and 2 espressos at cafes
• Endless folding and refolding of maps and second guessing of my GPS  
• Running into 2 bike tour companies, and having a cafe at a bar in Malaucene with Richard and a pack of BikeStyle clients watching the Tour on TV in a bar. 
• Twice jumping the barriers at the Tour de France and only once getting caught (then hearing the words "dakor, ok" and being released unscathed) (must stop jumping barriers) (tomorrow). 
• Lavender fields, sunflower fields, apricot trees, olive trees, plain trees  
• 2 bike shops
• 1 wine tasting
• 1 cathedral 
• 1 museum
• 1 tram, 1 metro, 1 rental car
• 2 bottles of wine (the second is being completed as I write this)
• 1 lost bike - found (mine)
• 1 lost travel companion - not yet found (Monica remains in Paris where her bag AND bike did not arrive on United Airlines) Boo-hiss.

Other than these exciting occurrences, my life as a tourist has been reduced to one simple feedback system - how far and how long can I drive before my Garmin GPS sputters the word "recalculating." Doh, I missed again! That darn GPS gives me immediate feedback when I have done wrong. Why doesn't it give positive feedback? I want to hear "that was amazing, I can't believe you made that turn! Wow, you are an awesome American driver in France!" I mean can I really go wrong? I am in France - left is beautiful, right is beautiful, and every road leads to a patisserie.

Forget that itinerary I wrote the other day BEFORE leaving on my trip, because none of it has happened as expected. Not that that is bad, just unexpected. Today I had a nice breakfast and guessed my best at both French and Dutch over the breakfast conversation at my bed and breakfast. I then went to the start of Stage 13 in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateau (try typing that into a GPS) where I had expected (there is that darn word "expected" again) to see the caravan and sign-in stage but instead found myself among the teams yet again.

The time flew by as a fan and I marveled at how the French fans will ditch their car at the first noticeable parking spot on a country lane and begin a 9 km trek to a stage route. They do this all the time, really, and I had to follow. All the while questioning with my American cut-in-the-front of the line mentality why we hadn't parked 3 km away. But this is status quo here in France and my feet can attest. 

After the stage (and finding lunch, gas and an ATM) I drove to Malaucene, a city at the base of Mont Ventoux. I was originally planning (a close cousin to aforementioned expecting) to ride up this route to the summit, since I have yet to do this side of the ascent, but later changed my mind and decided to do it in two days time from the Sault side. Today I drove, which ended up being an excellent decision because that is one steep road from Malaucene. However if the Tour de France ever goes up this side again, the shade of the numerous trees would be an excellent place to watch the riders pass by.

Okay time for some tourist pictures as I sit here hoping Monica will find here way from Paris to Provence tomorrow (these are tourist shots, the next post will be Stage 12 and 13 Tour de France shots.)

I saw frequent cyclists on the beautiful roads near Mont Ventoux. A cyclist rests under the plain trees.

Typical stone home in Provence

Bike shop in Malaucene

Le Chalet Leotard, the cafe on the north side of Mont Ventoux (the cafe of Chalet Reynard serves the juncture of the south side climbs from both Bedoin and Sault).

The deforested side on the north side of Ventoux is brief but very steep

Malaucene side of Mont Ventoux. Only the very top is deforested. Most of the route has trees.

The last stretch to the summit

This is the D40 road that runs in the valley parallel to the the north side of Ventoux

view down the Malaucene approach

Summit sign on Mont Ventoux

I am pretty sure these same candies where here when I first climbed the mountain in 2003.

Looking down the more traditional route on the south side on Ventoux (both routes from Bedoin or Sault) use this last few kilometers approach.

View southeast down Ventoux

Learn more about why Mont Ventoux is deforested in an earlier Pedal Dancer post: I love Mont Ventoux

Of the three climbs, I would recommend first trying the Bedoin climb, although the ascent from Sault is my favorite. Why? Because many of us have an ideal image of what Ventoux should look like and feel like, so stick with tradition. Also the Tom Simpson memorial is on the south side (past the cafe). Both of the roads from Bedoin and Sault meet at the Chalet Reynard and finish in these final stone filled switchbacks shown above. Both are great rides. 

After my visit to the summit, I rushed to Avignon, only to discover that Monica was not on the expected TGV train from Paris. I then endured the congestion of Avignon on Bastille Day before finding my latest hotel for the night. I had purchases a fine bottle of Domaine Brusset Cairanne white wine yesterday in Gigondas, which is delicious after a long day on the road. Don't worry too much about Monica, last I heard she was at a nice hotel in the Place de Concord in Paris sipping champagne with a nicoise salad and frites enjoying the extensive fireworks in Paris on Bastille Day.United and Lufthansa have no clue where her bags are.

Happy Bastille Day! Check out google's Bastille Day logo in France -

A day in the Vaucluse and Rhone River Valley

A Couple hills, a long break, and Millar won

While David Millar was riding his way west from the Alps I was having a grand time in Vaucluse (northern Provence). I started the morning out with a large mug of coffee and a small baguette. I ventured out on a loop driving tour of the nearby villages in the wine-region (highly recommended). I drove through Vaison-la-Romaine (I had been before, but please note they have a nice Roman museum and Roman ruins) and Seguret (I had also been before to this interesting hillside town). The next town on the loop was Sablet, where I stopped at the morning market and bought 4 delicious apricots. 

Gigondas was next on the loop drive, and I loved this town. With several cafes set outside under shade trees and at least four wine-tasting rooms, this terraced town was a delight. The roads were peppered with cyclists on this loop and I longed to be on my bike. Further down the road, Baume was another very pretty town. Both motorists and cyclists can continue on the road to Malaucene (known as the 3rd route to Mont Ventoux) to complete the loop back to Vaison-la-Romain. I liked this area a lot, I dare to say more than the Luberon. 

After seeing such beauty it was time to hop on the autoroute and head to the finish of Stage 12 of the Tour de France. I did not hear another word of English from any other fan at this stage. Deep in the Rhone River Valley, the finish was in Annonay, which I will forever remember as onlyoneway into town. Believe me I tried and met every direction interrupted road sign on the way there. I never really saw the town of Annonay, the stage finished in the blue collar area on the outskirts of town. Sometimes I wonder if the arriving riders think - I rode all the way for this? The Alps were a long way away, barely even visible over the horizon.

Never mind, the Tour de France is still fun and I got a taste of a real French stage finish. The last semi-flat break-away finish I had seen of the Tour de France was in Bordeaux in 2003, and guess who I had dinner with that night - Allan Peiper. And guess where he is now - DS of Garmin-Sharp. He's done pretty well for himself I'd say, and his boy David Millar won today! David Millar! I couldn't see David after the stage because a pile of press were gathered around what I thought must be him, only I failed to look on the ground where apparently David was lying, 'cuz I wasn't expecting a heap of David since seconds before I had seen David zoom over the finish line looking like he was capable of standing upright.

I'm wondering if all those press started asking David questions like, "David how does it feel to win a stage off of drugs, and David do you plan to do it again and when?" Those are the types of fascinating questions launched by cycling press. I think that is why David was laying on the ground, because he didn't want his moment of glory ruined by stupid questions.

I enjoyed seeing all the riders come out of the shute just past the finish line. As a fan I could stand there and recognize nearly every rider as they passed by on their bike, only inches away. So many references have been made to how cycling fans can get close to the athletes, I prefer the references to "participation" as a fan best, but it truly is magical being at the Tour in person. This is not a scene on TV, no required numbered stadium seats are necessary, no polite hush from the crowd before a serve or kick - this is in your face sports. Being at the Tour de France consumes all the senses and I am thrilled to be here.

Pictures from the day: (and yes I am missing my last 2 tourists days; must catch up soon)

Vaucluse (north of Mont Ventoux), no wonder the Romans liked this area

A family cycling outside of Gigondas

terraced city of stone

scrumptious wine tasting

lunch under a shade tree

Provence rooftop

Oops, I fell asleep uploading pictures last night. Then I chatted with my host at the Bed and Breakfast, Patrick Ceerdan, who happens to be a former French Motocross Champion, mountain biker and avid outdoors man. I also met a very nice family of 9 from the Netherlands at breakfast. They are headed to Isle-sur-la-sorgue where they rented a house for 14 family members for a two-week vacation. I am now headed to Stage 13, so will upload photos of Stage 12 and 13 later, also my travel stories and photos. 

Highly recommend this route by bike or car: (click to enlarge)

Vaison-la-Romain, Seguret, Sablet, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, La Barroux, Malaucène, Vaison-la-Romain

Gigondas car or bike tour