Stage Start of the Tour de France

Salies-de-Bearn (yesterday)

I woke up to discover the rain storm from the previous day had moved on. The sun was again shining on the Pyrenees.

I drove to the town of Salies-de-Bearn the other morning for the start of the Tour de France. The town is located west of Pau, northeast of the Pays Basque area. It is truly beautiful countryside. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of the start village area since VIP passes tend to rule the roost at stage starts these days. But it was actually quite fun. I scurried around, knowing that it is usually best to keep moving and looking for familiar faces at stage starts. 

People were packing the main street, I knew to use the side streets and look for the team buses. I had tried to come into town on one of the small feeder roads and ran into a blockade, so I knew they were bringing the buses in from the southeast side of town. I waited.

And sure enough they started filing in. They filled first the main street, but then piled into a large parking lot. The riders generally wait in the buses until it is time to sign in. They roll out individually to sign in, and often come back to the buses again before they actually start the race. The first few km of any stage start is typically ceremonial, a neutral start. The yellow, green, polka-dot, and white jersey will move to the front to begin the procession out of town, and provide the (long) waiting fans with great pictures.
The Start area:

As I was looking around I saw these nice folks:

Eric Zabel (hardly any of the fans noticed him just standing around, I was looking for Ja-Ja, but found Zabel)

Robbie Ventura and David Millar:

Lots of bike (including Mark Cavendish's)

Generally riders getting ready:

Signing Autographs (Carlos Sastre)

I then chose an area to watch the riders going back and forth, and they started coming by, I didn't get pictures of all of them, but they were there!:

David Zabriskie:

Ivan Basso

Vinokurov

Voeckler

 Bradley Wiggins

Matti Breschel

Thor Hushovd

Andy Schleck

Lance Armstrong was the last one to roll out

It was great to see all the familiar faces again. As always I tend to enjoy really looking at the riders, and bikes, and what is going on more than taking photos. It is fun to make eye-contact, to really see what is in their face for the day ahead. I am a big fan. It is great fun to call out their names and to hear the other fans calling out their favorite rider's name. To hear different accents all laughing and having a good time together, enjoying the sport.

Then it was back to the farm:

and the final sunset in the Pyrenees, I sat out on the patio for hours enjoying the scenery. It was wonderful:

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Image of the Day: Armstrong & Schleck

Picture(s) of the Day: at the Tour de France 2010

Lance Armstrong

Andy Schleck

I'm in Paris

Bonjour, Where do I begin?

I am now in Paris, ready to watch the finish of the Tour de France for my 4th time on the Champs Elysees (2001, 2003, 2005, 2010). I flew from Toulouse to Paris on Easy Jet (26 euros!). Hopped the Air France bus from Orly, stepped off the bus to a view of the Eiffel Tower, got on the metro, and 4 stops later I hopped off, walked up the subway stairs straight to a bakery, bought a sandwich pouillet, and am now enjoying a glass of white wine with my sandwich while watching the Tour de France ITT in Bordeaux, on TV in Paris.

After five weeks in France, I finally feel at home here in this wonderful country. Not even phased by Paris. I am here at the Hotel Gramont Opera. I have previously stayed in the Marais, in the Latin Quarter, near the Eiffel Tower, and this time the Opera area, I think I've been here 6 or 7 times over the years. All I know is anything I do in this city is fine, tomorrow is my birthday, the final day of the Tour de France 2010, and in two days I return to the USA.

Bordeaux brings back memories as I watch the ITT. I have clear memories of being incredibly lost in the city of Bordeaux during a finishing stage of the Tour de France in 2003. In fact my ex-boyfriend did get lost; looking back, I should have left him lost. I did have a fun dinner with Allan Peiper (manager HTC-Columbia) after the stage however. Right now, I'm rooting for Andy Schleck, but am thrilled Fabian Cancellara is the leader of the ITT at the moment.

I need to catch up on posting photos and stories from the past days. I was busy enjoying the experiences at hand and having too many stories to write about. Plus enjoying the last lingering moments of being in the Pyrenees. Hooking up to wi-fi took a backseat as I decided to sit and enjoy the views of the Col d'Aubisque, from the farm, until it got dark. Good times! Although I had to ceremonially pack up my bike into it's box last night.

Tomorrow is the finish on the grand boulevard. The Tour de France will complete 9 laps on the Champs Elysees. I have learned that it is not really worth hanging out for hours along the barriers, holding a position, because within 30 minutes of the beginning of the 9 laps, suddenly 1 million ++ people show up and smash you to bits. My space bubble is just too big to handle the crushing crowds. It is best to hang out in a cafe down one of the side streets, go out and visit with people, walk around and soak up the atmosphere of the Tour de France.

The best part is after the race is over! After the 9 laps, most of the crowd will leave and I can more easily move to the front of the barriers. After the awards ceremony, the teams take a victory celebration lap. The riders take off their cycling shoes and helmets and roll down the entire length of the Champs Elysees, together with their teammates. They are relaxed and happy, it is great to see. This is definitely worth staying for. This is where the best photo ops will come. This is when I can scream and yell for my favorite riders. 

If you are in Paris, remember to stay for the fun. If your noisy contingency is large enough, you may get a rider to stop at your group for a photo (if you beg and plead and call out his name and wave your flags). The entire boulevard will be closed, so if you need to get to the other side use the underground metro station stairs and tunnels as an underground passage from side to side.

Oh, and don't go to the Arc de Triomphe, the race does not actually go around the arc. It makes the U-turn short of the Arch. The photographers pack this area because the riders must slow down here. It is also a good spot to see the riders bouncing off the cobbles on the turn. The crowds are huge at either end of the course. The Champs Elysees is indeed an uphill, so they will come up faster to the arch and slightly slower in the middle. Also the sun will not be in your camera lens if you are on the side next to the river (up from the arch).

Wow, could Andy or Alberto slip around on their saddles anymore during this ITT (on the rivet, back, on the rivet)? Okay, I will post some pictures later. Still having fun in France, drinking wine, feeling good ... time to go out for a walk soon. 

Photos from my long walk in Paris: Ah Paris! 
Photos and story from the final stage in Paris: Final Stage of the Tour de France 
 

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Back in Pau

This area feels like home to me now

I know just where to go for gas, for groceries, for free wi-fi. I went into my favorite bakery and bought a jambon sandwich for tomorrow, a breakfast item, a chocolate, and a very tiny cake for tonight. I might go into Pau to our favorite pizza place tonight. I am about to drive the small road back into the farm, which I love, it is next to what we have nicknamed the Thomas Voeckler Road behind the farm (because one looks funny when one climbs the road on a bike).
Just now on my way into Gan, I passed Bob Stapleton, owner of the HTC-Columbia team out for a ride. I then passed a group of Team Garmin-Transition riders. It looks to me like they are busy doing their VIP ride with the team on rest day rides. I bet I could sit out on the road and watch the riders come and go. 

I left 35C weather in Provence to arrive into a low cloud with sprinkles and 18C temperatures in Pau. Brrrr. It could be cold tomorrow for the Tour de France. 

 The bull was in the lower field

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I love Mont Ventoux

It has always been my favorite

Yesterday I enjoyed an easy ride up to the summit of Mont Ventoux from Bedoin. I have ridden Mont Ventoux twice before from the Sault side (super fun), and descended once down into Bedoin. But this time I came to Provence to ride this mountain from what is thought of as the more difficult side, from Bedoin. A month riding in France has afforded me an easy ride up Mont Ventoux. I was warned about the wind, and the heat and the cars by some riders in the Pyrenees and by my brother. I heeded their advice and took off early.

There was a steady stream of cyclists out of Bedoin with the same idea to beat the heat. Most of us were going the same pace, passing the slower riders, keeping it very steady through the shaded trees in the morning. I paced two other cyclists most of the way up the lower section. Just before the cafe, one of them finally passed me.  He came along side of me and began a lengthy paragraph, explaining that he would lead for a while. I looked at him wide eyed, somehow understanding everything he just said but not speaking a word of Dutch myself. I happily tagged along in between the two riders from Belgium (because by now I have learned, in France, Belgians are my friends). I watched as the swarm of small flys moved from me to him. All the while thinking, THIS is why the GC contenders in the Tour de France ride with a pace-man in front of them - the flys tag onto the first guy. All this time I never realized Jens Voigt is simply one big fly magnet. (These weren't the biting kind, just annoying around my face kind). All I had needed these past weeks in the Pyrenees was a pacer!

We rode steady and didn't stop until the top. The heat touched us on the last L shaped bend (near the Tom Simpson memorial) before the summit. As one of the Belgian guys said, "once we were out of the trees, it was very nice". The views at the top were spectacular. It wasn't a hard ride today. I think the conditions on Ventoux is what makes it a tough ride. It can be very cold, very windy, very hot, very crowded. I had none of this, there was no suffering today. I am probably in good shape by now, and perhaps rested from my trip to Spain, but leaving early was of key importance. The crowds were headed up as I was headed down the great descent! I stopped for a morning coffee at Chalet Reynard and was back in the town of Bedoin to watch the Tour de France go over the Peyresourde, Aspin, and Tourmalet, enjoying a chevre salad lunch at a cafe (after changing out of my cycling clothes, of course!). I still really like Mount Ventoux. I definitely have an attachment to this mountain.

Mont Ventoux appears to be snow capped from a distance, but it is not. It's distinct look is actually exposed limestone rock at the summit. In the 1200's they began to cut down the trees that once covered this mountain for shipbuilding and firewood. Following the deforestation, centuries of heavy human and animal traffic depleted the soil which was blown away in raging winds. The wind can blow up to 200mph on top of Ventoux. Wind speeds average 55mph for almost two-thirds of the year. After some serious floods in the mid 1800's they began to reforest the lower slopes of the mountains. Wild boar, deer, hares, and snakes now live in the dense forest at the base which provides shade for cyclists and cycling fans. Mont Ventoux is sometimes a defining stage in the Daphine Libere or the Tour de France.

Mont Ventoux has a great cycling scene on the road and at the top. You will hear languages and see kits from many different countries. Everyone shares the joy of accomplishing the climb. Even the persons in the support-cars cheer you on, which I have to admit is really fun. The Tourmalet is like this too, and so is the Galibier. It truly is a feat (and a fete - that means festival in French) to climb these mountains on a bike.

There is also a fun bike shop in the town of Bedoin at the base of the climb up Mont Ventoux. The cycling shop sells Ventoux bike jerseys and Pro team kits, and Tour de France trinkets. You can watch the men play bocce ball in the court in the center of town, and have a beer in one of the bars. Plenty of parking in the town lot.  

After a month of riding a bike in France I can definitely say, you do not want to miss Mont Ventoux, the Horquettes d'Anicizan(up)/ Col d'Aspin (down) loop, and the Col du Soulor/Col d'Aubisque combo. They are spectacular on a bike. Also the Tourmalet, on either side, everyone seems to have their opinion about which side is harder. I should say however, I like climbing, and I am better when it gets to be 9-10%, I also love big road descents. These past weeks have taught me that I am a road cyclist, not a touring cyclist (although I am a beach cruiser in flip flops cyclist). I like safe clean roads with happy cyclists. And I like to be around other people who are having a great time riding their bikes.

With that said, I head for the Tour de France. As I have heard so many times in the past month, enroute up these big climbs, "courage!". I am happy to be returning to the farm south of Pau.

Images from the day:

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Touring the Luberon Valley

I explored more of Provence today and watched the Tour de France

I had planned to be at today's stage of the Tour de France. Really I had. I had accommodations in Bagneres-du-Luchon and everything. The three big climbs I didn't do while in France, that I had intended, were Superbagneres, the east side of the Peyresourde, and Port de Bales. Although after watching Thomas Voeckler (love his climbing style!) on the climb, and Alberto Contador make his attack on Andy Schleck (go Andy!), it sure loooked hard.

I am fine with missing the day at the Tour de France, I spent 3.5 weeks climbing in the Pyrenees and I needed a vacation! Poor me. It was fun, but I am very happy to be here. I had a fun day exploring Provence. I am now sitting outside my brother's favorite hotel in Bonnieux, planning to go for dinner on the outside terraced restaurant above me.

Tomorrow morning, I plan to arise very early and ride Mount Ventoux.

Some pictures from my day in Provence, France:

I headed to the morning market in Cavillon this morning, but first stopped at this local cafe in Robion for a coffee. Ten old men were gathered standing inside around the bar, greeting each other loudly. Six Belgians were seated outside drinking beer (or cider?) at 9:00 in the morning. Their daily baguettes had been collected and were placed on the cafe table, but why rush into the day without a first beer? I sat happily with my espresso and sports page.

These are my favorite melons in France (the green ones are good) especially with dried ham (jambon):

I had a great picnic lunch today, traveled along the bike path route (that is Mount Ventoux in the background):

I like the south side of the Luberon Valley from Robion to Apt. There are nice bike route loops in the area. Although it is hot mid-day (33 today!). This is Bonnieux:

This is Lacoste:

Vertical shots work well in this part of France - wine country and lavender fields:

okay off to dinner now ...

I'm on Vacation in France!

From the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean

I am in Provence! Yup, I left Girona, Spain and headed to Provence. I simply caught the vacation bug and kept following my fancy. I snuck out of Girona on a quiet Sunday morning. I again saw many pro bike kits on the road and could easily see all the choices for riding in the area. Within a 30 minute drive north along the coast, I was here, having a morning cafe! This was heaven:

I dare not mention the location of this wonderful beach, but it is at mile marker 13, in Spain, south of those touristy towns at the edge of the France/Spain border. I am now thinking that where ever I find myself within the first 1 hour of the morning - should probably be my destination for the day. Keep it simple. The water was so clear, I went in. Look at these pictures:

 Then I continued north up the coast:

I arrived for the night at my new location of Roussillon in Provence, France. A totally unplanned destination on this trip. I am starting to really like Booking.com for last minute reservations (a site discovered not by me, but by Jeannine, my French friend). This is my 4th trip to Provence. Other than my first trip in 2001 with my brother and sister-in-law, this is my second best trip to the area.