Alps to pyrenees

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What better time to update my blog than a 6 hour train trip from Lourdes to Paris. So I left off in Beaune just about to join my group. In the drive from Beaune to Geneve airport (where i dropped off car number 2 and was picked up for the group) was incredible and I got to see 2 of the things I wanted to in France, a field of sunflowers and a tunnel that went straight through a mountain. The drive is absolutely stunning with some gorgeous countryside with sunflower fields dotted throughout and as you get closer to Switzerland and the Alps it opens up into these beautiful gorges. So you drive through a tunnel in a mountain and come out to look down over these huge lakes and rivers. I'm quite sure many a french driver was getting quite annoyed with me because I was driving pretty slowly so I could take some of it in. Then came the challenge of returning the car, since I had picked the car up in France I had to return it to the French side, not the Swiss. After circling the airport 3 times, I thought I was on the right side, but after parking unloading my luggage the very nice Avis gentleman politely told me I was on the wrong side, but luckily gave me directions to the right side. Needless to say I was very happy to turn the car over and jump on a bus! I can tick driving in Europe off the bucket list! After all the group members had arrived we headed off to our hotel in Sevrier, which is 5km outside Annecy, the hotel being right on Lake Annecy and I just seem to be going from beautiful place to beautiful place. The lake is surrounded by mountains and I would say the lake would be 10 times the size of Sydney Harbour. So the tour group I am on is a cycling tour (people have the option to ride portions of stages and to viewing locations for the race) as a non cyclist. So that afternoon the cyclists set up their bikes and go for a short ride around the lake and I take the opportunity to take a walk around part of it and take plenty of photos. It was the first rest day of the TDF so no update on that front.

Day 12 (11/07) big stage for the tour today, multiple long mountain climbs and we were headed for Col du Grand Colombier, one of the uncategorised climbs of the day. The tour group organised a viewing point at the base of the climb, which allowed us to have some lunch before the race came through about 3. Instead of staying at the base of the climb I headed up the climb about 2 km and found 2 of my fellow self driving buddies I had met previously and had this great position on a corner of a climb and had been joined by another group of Australian ladies. The flags and boxing kangaroos were out and one of the ladies was dressed up to the nines in a blue wig, blue satin gloves and a t-shirt with the figure of a women in a bikini with an Australia flag on it. Funniest part this women would have been about 60, you see everything on the tour! A bonus when you stand with someone like that you get a lot of attention. Let me side track a little and give a small lesson in following the TDF. First if you want to get a good spot you need to get there early, if it's a big mountain stage then people camp out on the top of days before the tour even comes through, generally I would be there at least 1.5 hrs before the publicity caravan came though, which is an hour before the race comes through. The publicity caravan basically advertising for the major sponsors of the race, on wheels. Each sponsor will have a couple of vehicles decorated in all sorts of ways. They are basically the support act at a concert, they are there to get the crowds excited for the race that us about to come through, and to do that they place music, dance around and throw stuff out to everyone, everything from key rings, hats, rubber wrist bands, food, water, bags. In most cases everyone is pretty civil, but I have seen some elbows thrown, 2 elderly men fight over a key ring and a kid face plant it into a garden bed for a packet of washing powder. In amongst the publicity caravan there are also plenty of official vehicles, media cars and team cars that go through the course as well. Which brings me back to the stage, we are standing on the hillside and one of the Orica Greenedge team cars drive past, this is the Australian pro cycling team for those unaware, and seeing our Australian friend dressed up to the nines stop to come a speak with us. On board the car is none other than Robbie McEwen (former pro racer and one of Australia's best sprinters). They are keen to get some footage her having just seen some guys dressed in there green and gold budgey smugglers a little lower of the climb. That was all very exciting! A short while later the race comes through and given its a climb the peloton (the large, main group of riders) was starting to break up so I was able to get a good look at them all, rather than the blur of the flat stages, and cheer them all on. The stage was won by Thomas Vockler and BraDaley Wiggins is still in yellow.

Day 13 (12/07) and one of my favourite days yet. Today we are headed to the finish, but not the normal way. The finish today is a mountain top finish which are generally pretty exciting, and given there were 3 big climbs of the day there were bound to be a bunch of attacks to take some time off the yellow jersey. We head out early and drop the riders off so they can ride the last section of the course, with us non riders in a van following them I case they have trouble, need food or water etc. We all gather together at the 4 km mark and the riders all ride together and we follow in the van, all the way to the finish line. Our van needs to pull off about 200 meters before the finish line, but we jump out and walk the rest of the way. So I have crossed the finish line of the TDF, albeit walking, but it was still pretty exciting. The riders then had a chance to have a photo on the podium, the real one they use and we were then given access to the media area to watch the finish. I got an incredible spot right on the finish line (when I say right on, I mean right on it) and also was able to see a tv showing the race so I was able to watch the race and catch the finish up close, it was amazing! Frenchmen Pierre Roland won the stage, Bradley Wggins remains in yellow and after a gutsy attack Cadel lost more time to Wiggins. We then had the fun of coming down from the mountain, imagine thousands of fan, hundreds of officials plus teams, trying to get down one mountain which has one road up and down. It took us 2 hours, just to get to the bottom of the mountain, which was 18km and then another hour to the hotel, we ate dinner at 10.30 #lifeonTDF. Our trip down the mountain was without incident as well. As I said one road up and one down, some of the TDF cars didn't want to wait on the down road so started driving down the up side of the road, but the came problems when cars were actually started coming up the road right near our bus. Everyone was at a standstill, so what do you do in France, try and create a third lane on a two lane road, which lead to one of the TDF vehicles hitting our bus and our big Romanian bus driver jumping out of the bus to chase the car 2km down the road to get his details. The driver was too scared to wind down his window at the sight of Adrian.

Day 14 (13/07) was our last day as a full group and since we were so close we were not going to be road side to view the race, we were going to go up one of the most famous climbs in the TDF, although it was not being used in this years race, Alpe Du Huez. Tour fans will know this one, it's basically a 14km climb, at 8% gradient, with 21 switchbacks to the top. As our riders suffered through that, us non riders got to experience it from the bus and it is an amazing climb and the view from the top is just breathtaking. You are in amongst the Alps, looking out to snow capped mountains, where the top of the mountain is higher than the clouds. We had the afternoon to explore and watch the race of tv and then our final dinner as a group. Brit David Millar won the stage from a breakaway group and Wiggins retains yellow.

Day 15 (14/07) the next 2 days were change over days. I was booked on 2 separate tours, so I would have 2 more days of non race viewing but was able to see some more amazing French countryside. Stop one Grenoble train station to bid farewell to most of our group (2 other guys are continuing to Paris like me) and then time for a ride through Gorges de l'Ardeche. Andulating roads that open up into lakes and rivers every and then or national park land, an absolutely beautiful place. It was a hot day for the riders of the group but spectacular views from the van for me! Adre Gripel won the days stage while Wiggins holds onto yellow.

Day 16 (15/07) and the riders of the group are riding up another famous TDF mountain, Mount Ventoux. This climb is 22km at 7.5%gradient and for majority of the climb you are in thick 'forrest' until 6km to go where it opens up to nothing, there is no vegetation just stones, rocks and dust. Within the trees you are protected by winds on Ventoux, but when you come out it hits you like a tonne of bricks. I took the van up to 3.5km to the top and walked the rest. The guys told us it was going to be cold at the top, but I had been finding when they say its cold, it's not really, should have listened to them today, it should have been snowing it was that cold (Giuls - lucky I bought that wind breaker, it came in very handy today!!!). The wind was blowing that hard there were points of the road where I went to take a step and went no where, and one of the riders also got blown off his bike as he was coming around the final turn (he jumped back on though and road to the top). Spainard Luis Leon Sanchez won the stage for the day and Wiggins is still in yellow.

Day 17 (16/07) we first head to Tolouse to pick up our new group members and then we head to the stage start in Samata. It is madness, but that's what happens at the TDF. Having seen a previous start from the start line, I opt to go to the sign on stage. So each day each day of racing each rider needs to come to the podium and sign in, if you don't sign in you don't ride. It's a rear opportunity to see each of the riders and I got a great spot close to the barrier and right near where the riders were picking up power bars for the race. After the race has left we head to Lourdes which we are staying for the next 4 nights (which is a blessing because we had been moving so much recently). The new riders put their bikes together and go for a short ride which gives the non riders an opportunity to explore Lourdes. I'm really not quite sure want to think of this place. For those not aware it is the place were the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette and many believe that the water from Le Grotte can heal. So there are just people everywhere, the sick being pushed in wheelchairs, stretchers and carts to the church and Le Grotte, it is an incredible sight. Probably the down side to Lourdes is it has become very commercialised so every shop near Le Grotte is basically selling tourist crap. You can buy 2L bottles so they can be filled with the water and taken home. I must say though the church is pretty stunning. The stage win comes from another breakaway and this time it is FDJ rider Pierrick Fedrigo who wins, with Wiggins holding strong in yellow.

Day 18 (17/07) rest day number 2 for TDF so we are heading to part of the course for tomorrow stage and the riders of the group will be tackling Col du Tormulet. A mountain high in the Pryennes, the sight is just amazing. These mountains just tower over the whole area and the closer you get the more intimidating they get. We get off 3.5km from the top in some small town and have the afternoon to explore. I take a trip up Pic Du Midi, the highest point in the Pryennes, giving a 360 degree view. I am not normally scared of heights but when you are travelling up and up and up in this cable car to 2800m it's pretty frightening. Well worth the trip though the view is incredible. From the ground Col du Tormulet look intimidating, but from Pic du Midi it looked like a mole hill. You could though still see all the camper vans parked at the top of Tormulet ready for tomorrows stage.

Day 19 (18/07) and another stage finish. We head into Bagneres-De-Luchon a fair few hours before the race comes through, plenty of time to explore and take in all the tour atmosphere, and there were plenty of Aussie flags out and about. The riders of the group get the opportunity to cross the finish line and have their photo on the podium. A group of us find a nice place for lunch where will are also able to watch the race (which actually hard to find, I though everyone in France had the race showing, not the case). We again had access to media area so we head there to catch the end of the stage. While walking through we saw Phil Anderson (ex pro from the 80's and first Aussie to wear the yellow jersey) and Dave Mackenzie (ex pro who now reports for SBS). Stage finish was another exciting one where Frenchman Thomas Vochler won the stage, Wiggins is still in yellow and unfortunately Cadel put himself well out of contention of winning losing 4 mins after being ill before the start of the stage.

Day 20 (19/07) today we have a viewing area from the base of one of the climbs Port de Bales, in a town called Mauleon. The riders had their chance to ride the climb and after that we had a great lunch before the race came through at 3.30. We took a small walk up the base of the climb and had out flags out and the red wine flowing (when in France) and cheered the racers on as they came through. We were able to watch the end of the race on the TV's in our viewing area, which was a real treat.

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