VeloVeritas

Jérémy Roy – Looking Forward to the Show (0)

Last July, Jérémy Roy (FDJ) was becoming well known to followers of the Tour de France, his attacking style gathering him lots of attention and admiration in this, his fourth participation, despite the big win in the biggest race eluding him thus far.

In his ninth year as a Pro, but not a regular winner, Jérémy was one of the heroes of Friday’s Stage 12 from Cugneaux to Luz Ardiden, having been in the break of six riders which escaped soon after the start and remained in front most of the day.

Le Tour ’11, Second Rest Day – or not (0)

We’re in the Drôme Department, and it may be a notional rest day, but all that really means is that there’s no racing today – despite what Ned Boulting might tell you about spending time in launderettes, almost everyone still has lots to do.

For example, the riders – for whom the rest day is most important, still have to attend press conferences, talk to daft journalists and answer “f****ing stupid questions”(copyright Mark Cavendish), the team mechanics take advantage of the extra time to prep the time trial bikes for next Saturday’s chrono, and so on.

Le Tour ’11, Stage 15 – kicking around the Limoux départ (0)

We couldn’t get out of Andorra quickly enough. Before 08:00 we got the lift down from the 5th floor of the hotel, to be greeted by great plumes of cigarette smoke belching out of the breakfast area.

Last night’s determination to “make a fuss about the lack of advertised weefee” evaporated, as we just wanted to put distance between us and this horrid place as fast as possible.

Le Tour ’11, Stage 14 – last day in the Pyrénées (0)

Andorra. Everything about it seems wrong. For a start, it’s an independent tax haven/principality sitting at the top of a Pyrenean mountain, an hour’s drive over sweeping twisty hairpinned roads from the nearest town.

Some pals said to me that when they went to Andorra for skiing, they thought it was OK. Perhaps the snow covered all the cracks, but I’m not sure how the inhabitants’ attitudes could be masked; almost – no, everyone – we met was unpleasant, in attitude and manner.

Le Tour ’11, Stage 13 – top and tail (0)

A day of two parts. Figuring today’s stage would maybe see good racing, but not GC changing action, we decided to head over to Pau for another wee shot of the Village Depart, get a bit of breakfast, chase soundbites from the folk on the race and watch the depart.

Walking into the Village we got talking to a young American – bet you’re singing that now – who was on assignment from the Wall Street Journal…

Le Tour ’11, Stage 12 – the Tour on the Tourmalet (0)

Looking for a nice meal in Lourdes with great service? That’s too bad, you’ll struggle to find it! We were lucky to come across the only half-civil waiter in the town after landing in the third restaurant of the night, after being variously ignored by staff and stared at at by local idiots in the first two places we tried.

Today’s plan: head up to the start at Cugnaux and get a Village Depart breakfast, then drive on race route until the famous climb of the Tourmalet, where we pitched up around 3km from the top.

Le Tour ’11, Stage 11 – a wet start, Cav’s 3rd (0)

It was a very warm evening yesterday, and we wandered back round to the hotel last night after our dinner in the middle of a typical Pyrennean thunderstorm – huge bolts of lightning searing across the sky and claps of thunder which lingered and reverberated for what seemed like 20 seconds. In the space of 5 minutes, the roads were flooded.

We went to sleep in our “pod” room to the sound of pouring rain, and woke up to the same – only worse. It wasn’t a nice day to be outside, let alone reporting on, or riding, a bike race.

Le Tour ’11, Stage 10 – a little tourisme (0)

Yesterday we arrived in Rodez as planned, picked up the hire car without any bother, and got ourselves, eventually, after getting lost a couple of times, to the hotel – one of these typical French ‘pod’ rooms, but it’s okay with it’s bunk beds and little shower room / toilet.

A drive up to the Permanence, aka the Press Headquarters, to pick up our race accreditation, and we’d be all set for a pretty cruisy Rest Day. Only, the Permanence happened to be over two hours drive away, and once there, we found that only Ed’s ‘creds’ were ready – mine hadn’t been “approved by Julia” (the head ASO cred issuer).

In My Shoes (0)

Imagine you are a young man. You are racing in your first Tour De France. You do not know it will be your only one. You have climbed the ladder from the outside in, from day one.

You have won the Olympic Games, you have survived a season on your own in Belgium, you have survived all things Grewal.

Your entire life has been to win your father’s approval, to be seen in his eyes and hence in your own as a winner.

Nothing you have done to date has ever made that possible. Not even a Gold Medal…

The Finale: Stage 20 (bunchie) Very Tardy! (0)

The strangest stage of the whole race from the point of view of the staff is the finale into Paris. Our team base is in northern Spain, and so all non-essential equipment went from Bordeaux back to Spain (rather than go to Spain from Bordeaux via Paris – a 1200km detour). Thus we were truckless (or untrucked?) for the only time in the race.

Le Tour de France, Stage 20; Paris: Cav, of Course (1)

This morning at 07:00 we had Serge Gainsbourg with ‘sea, sex and sun,’ it’s noon now and we’ve got Jane Birkin, ’69, annee erotique.’

Do these people never give it a rest ?

We’re nearly at the stage start, Dave has done the biz all the way up from Bordeaux.

Redundancy and Happy Surprises: Stage 19 (time trial) (0)

Time trials are always difficult days at races.

Firstly, the riders line up knowing their final position in the race depends on their forthcoming hour of solo work, and secondly, the logistics for the staff are super complex…

Le Tour de France, Stage 19: Bordeaux – Pauillac 52km ITT; Schleck Surprises, But It’s Bert (0)

“Sea, sex and sun,” sings Serge Gainsbourg on Radio Nostalgi – all very well, but the boys have 640 K to drive, this Sunday morning.

But that’s today, let’s get back to Saturday . . .

Today’s chrono is 52 kilometres, but Saturday’s L’Equipe glossy magazine takes us back 30 years to a much shorter effort against the watch – the Olympic one kilometre championship in ‘Moscou.’

The Final Efforts: Stage 18 (bunchie) (0)

We’re on the downhill slope for this race now, and the fatigue is starting to show. It’s getting tougher and tougher to chisel our heads off the pillow each morning, and the coffees are having smaller and smaller effects.

Sunglasses stay on when inside as they’re keeping our eyeballs from falling out.

I guess the riders are tired too.

Le Tour de France, Stage 18: Salies-de-Bearn – Bordeaux; Cav’s Fourth (0)

Cav: he really is impressive – we were at five K to go when Oss passed on his death or glory bid out of the break; he was flying.

The bunch? Like some high speed linear motored Japanese train – whhoooooooossssshhhhh! Those carbon rims slice the air.

We dashed back in to the chipper to watch the finale on the tele, respect to Sky, they were in the race – but Cav really is a cut above.