Day 4 Tour De France
The morning started at 6am with a wake up call that would not stop. The phone would keep ringing every 5 minutes. Anyway it worked we got up headed to the lobby for breakfast and got on the bus for the ride to Albi. It was about a 1 hour ride to town, once there we split into two groups. Those of us that were going out on the ride went to a kiosk and got our credentials for the day. We then went to the Tour village. It was an area that was set up for all the VIP's and sponsors. Lots of music, food and entertainment. A couple of riders were there doing autographs and even getting hair cuts. After walking around I went out into the race course at the start line. If anyone has experienced the pits of a Nascar race or other event it was very similar. I was the lucky one on the inside of the fence. I got to walk up to the beginning announcer stage, thru the start line and even with all the riders. As all the team buses rolled up we were able to stand there and be beside all the riders when they came out and got on their bikes and rode up to the sign in table. It is a policy that every rider has to check in each morning before the race starts. I was able to brush shoulders with Levi, Jan, Landis and 50 or 60 other riders I don't even know. It was a very cool 20 minutes. We all gathered at the Discovery bus, but Lance has learned not to come out until the very last minute, so no Lance shoulder rubs. We had to rush off about 1/2 mile up the race course by foot 35 minutes before the start so we could get in the Discovey van, it was a Mercedes mini van, and get out on the course.
We had to spend the entire day in our own race. If we got caught by any of the riders we had to get off the course and yet we couldn't go so fast to get up into the sponsorship parade otherwise we would be stuck due to them being strick about staying put in your place on the course. There are almost exactly 1000 cars that drive on the daily closed course, except for time trial days. We had Shaun for a driver and this was his 16th day doing the VIP drive on the course. Believe me he knew exactly what that Mercedes could do. We were going over 60-70 miles an hour on the road in both lanes thru turns and round abouts. It is an average of 20 feet that get ran over per year in the tour, we were not one to do it today, but did anyone see the guy that got hit by the motorcycle a few days ago?
We went out about 35 km and stopped in a field where there were no spectators to take a whiz. Lots of sun flower fields and rolling hillsides. At 91 km we came to the feed zone and Shaun said this would be a great spot for us to stop for lunch and talk to the guys that hand off the Mussets. We got some sandwiches and drinks from the back of the van and had a bit to eat as we walked over to the Team Discovery Subaru. The guys were finishing up with the Mussets and gave us a look inside. They were white with the Discovery logo, they had a Coke, two waterbottles, some Powerbars and gels and some pastries wrapped in foil. We also had a wonderful surprise when we were there. Another Team Discovery Subaru was there and Sheryl Crow was riding in it. She came out and started chatting with all of us like she knew us for years. She told us about her and Lance picking out her new bike on the Project One website. She loves to ride and was hoping she would have time on Friday. She was going to go and pick up Lance's kids and his mom so they could all be there for the finish in Paris after the time trial on Saturday. We all got pictures with her and she was very nice. She was asked by one French men that wondered up if she was Lance's wife and she laughed and said no, but I am his girlfriend. She was very patient and took pictures with anyone that came up and asked. We left the same time she did and got back on the road so the riders would not get to close.
If you were wondering, Shaun said that Robin Williams is doing a movie and was not going to be able to come to the tour, although he thinks he still might show up for the last day in Paris. I will Keep an eye out for him.
Our next stop was at 122km where the helicopter drop off was. It was at the base of the category 2 climb which was 9.2km tall with a 5.3% grade. We, the four lucky ones, were dropped off here and got to watch the 10 man breakaway fly by us then we went down to the helicopter and after the peleton rode by we took off. The pilot spoke only French and lucky for us one of the four winners was Eve from Quebec and spoke great French. The flight was about 20 minutes long, we flew over the riders two different times in a circle motion with about 5 other choppers and then started to go to the next chopper drop point. We have tons of pictures to put up on the site when we get back.
We landed without any problems and got back into the van and speed off to the finish. It is really cool to see the race from the racers perspective. There are at least 1 million people on the race course per day. Most of them were happy to see the Discovery van and were waving and cheering. We went thru tiny villages, farm land, up and down mountains and thru large towns. Everywhere we drove there were people out having picnics. Cars, trucks, campers, tractors with trailers and hay bales with tarps. They were all happy and anticipating their 1 minute of seeing the peleton race by at 40km. We did have a few people that booed or put there thumbs down at us. A couple threw water at us and when we reached the last climb of the day we got attacked by hundreds of people. The crowd was so thick you could barely drive thru them. It was just like you see the riders just before they summit a mountain, walls of people. They were banging on the side of the van and Boeing us for a few moments. At the end of the race the last climb was a category 2 3.1 km climb with a 10.1% grade. Believe me it was steep.
We rolled over the top and went the last 2km to the finish which was an airport runway. We parked behind the Team Discovery bus and went up to a VIP viewing area 100m before the finish. There was a 2 story TV screen there and we watched the riders suffer up the last climb. They came thru the finish area at such great speeds I didn't get much more than blurs on the camera. It was neat to see the riders come back by us after they finished the race on their way to the team buses. I got a couple of good shots of some guys. You would swear Hincapie is posing for me. Before all the riders were even finished we had to start our way to the bus that was to take us back to Albi. We waited a while for all the riders to come in and the jersey ceremonies then we got to start our journey back. It took us 3 hours on the bus to get back to Albi and then another hour in a private van to get back to Toulous. We got in after 10:30pm.
It was during the bus ride home that Ed, another lucky guy that got to go with me for the day, said today he really realized that this is a tour of France. We saw just one stage of this 3 week race and it took us all day to cover the course. You start to realize just how super human these guys are to be able to ride in this race.
Jodi and I shared stories, went out for a bit to eat, ended up at McDonald's, all we could find by this time it was 11:30pm. She did not ride for the day because it was a long ride and was afraid she would not keep up with the group, they had no maps and or real idea of where they were going to go. The thought of being lost in the middle of France in spandex and no money intimidated her, it would me too, we can't speak French and in this part of the country almost all the people here can't speak English. So she spent the day touring Toulous and visiting with the other dealers on the trip.
I forgot to mention we saw for the second time the Devil. He is a smelly and loud one. He was on the second to last climb and screaming at the top of his lungs when we drove by. Shaun said he thought he might be sponsored because he has a new car and a couple different outfits, but in the same sentence said it probably is not much of a sponsorship because he saw him doing his laundry in a river a few stages ago.
Anyway we will let you know how Paris is and talk to you soon.
We had to spend the entire day in our own race. If we got caught by any of the riders we had to get off the course and yet we couldn't go so fast to get up into the sponsorship parade otherwise we would be stuck due to them being strick about staying put in your place on the course. There are almost exactly 1000 cars that drive on the daily closed course, except for time trial days. We had Shaun for a driver and this was his 16th day doing the VIP drive on the course. Believe me he knew exactly what that Mercedes could do. We were going over 60-70 miles an hour on the road in both lanes thru turns and round abouts. It is an average of 20 feet that get ran over per year in the tour, we were not one to do it today, but did anyone see the guy that got hit by the motorcycle a few days ago?
We went out about 35 km and stopped in a field where there were no spectators to take a whiz. Lots of sun flower fields and rolling hillsides. At 91 km we came to the feed zone and Shaun said this would be a great spot for us to stop for lunch and talk to the guys that hand off the Mussets. We got some sandwiches and drinks from the back of the van and had a bit to eat as we walked over to the Team Discovery Subaru. The guys were finishing up with the Mussets and gave us a look inside. They were white with the Discovery logo, they had a Coke, two waterbottles, some Powerbars and gels and some pastries wrapped in foil. We also had a wonderful surprise when we were there. Another Team Discovery Subaru was there and Sheryl Crow was riding in it. She came out and started chatting with all of us like she knew us for years. She told us about her and Lance picking out her new bike on the Project One website. She loves to ride and was hoping she would have time on Friday. She was going to go and pick up Lance's kids and his mom so they could all be there for the finish in Paris after the time trial on Saturday. We all got pictures with her and she was very nice. She was asked by one French men that wondered up if she was Lance's wife and she laughed and said no, but I am his girlfriend. She was very patient and took pictures with anyone that came up and asked. We left the same time she did and got back on the road so the riders would not get to close.
If you were wondering, Shaun said that Robin Williams is doing a movie and was not going to be able to come to the tour, although he thinks he still might show up for the last day in Paris. I will Keep an eye out for him.
Our next stop was at 122km where the helicopter drop off was. It was at the base of the category 2 climb which was 9.2km tall with a 5.3% grade. We, the four lucky ones, were dropped off here and got to watch the 10 man breakaway fly by us then we went down to the helicopter and after the peleton rode by we took off. The pilot spoke only French and lucky for us one of the four winners was Eve from Quebec and spoke great French. The flight was about 20 minutes long, we flew over the riders two different times in a circle motion with about 5 other choppers and then started to go to the next chopper drop point. We have tons of pictures to put up on the site when we get back.
We landed without any problems and got back into the van and speed off to the finish. It is really cool to see the race from the racers perspective. There are at least 1 million people on the race course per day. Most of them were happy to see the Discovery van and were waving and cheering. We went thru tiny villages, farm land, up and down mountains and thru large towns. Everywhere we drove there were people out having picnics. Cars, trucks, campers, tractors with trailers and hay bales with tarps. They were all happy and anticipating their 1 minute of seeing the peleton race by at 40km. We did have a few people that booed or put there thumbs down at us. A couple threw water at us and when we reached the last climb of the day we got attacked by hundreds of people. The crowd was so thick you could barely drive thru them. It was just like you see the riders just before they summit a mountain, walls of people. They were banging on the side of the van and Boeing us for a few moments. At the end of the race the last climb was a category 2 3.1 km climb with a 10.1% grade. Believe me it was steep.
We rolled over the top and went the last 2km to the finish which was an airport runway. We parked behind the Team Discovery bus and went up to a VIP viewing area 100m before the finish. There was a 2 story TV screen there and we watched the riders suffer up the last climb. They came thru the finish area at such great speeds I didn't get much more than blurs on the camera. It was neat to see the riders come back by us after they finished the race on their way to the team buses. I got a couple of good shots of some guys. You would swear Hincapie is posing for me. Before all the riders were even finished we had to start our way to the bus that was to take us back to Albi. We waited a while for all the riders to come in and the jersey ceremonies then we got to start our journey back. It took us 3 hours on the bus to get back to Albi and then another hour in a private van to get back to Toulous. We got in after 10:30pm.
It was during the bus ride home that Ed, another lucky guy that got to go with me for the day, said today he really realized that this is a tour of France. We saw just one stage of this 3 week race and it took us all day to cover the course. You start to realize just how super human these guys are to be able to ride in this race.
Jodi and I shared stories, went out for a bit to eat, ended up at McDonald's, all we could find by this time it was 11:30pm. She did not ride for the day because it was a long ride and was afraid she would not keep up with the group, they had no maps and or real idea of where they were going to go. The thought of being lost in the middle of France in spandex and no money intimidated her, it would me too, we can't speak French and in this part of the country almost all the people here can't speak English. So she spent the day touring Toulous and visiting with the other dealers on the trip.
I forgot to mention we saw for the second time the Devil. He is a smelly and loud one. He was on the second to last climb and screaming at the top of his lungs when we drove by. Shaun said he thought he might be sponsored because he has a new car and a couple different outfits, but in the same sentence said it probably is not much of a sponsorship because he saw him doing his laundry in a river a few stages ago.
Anyway we will let you know how Paris is and talk to you soon.
posted by CBE Staff at 8:52 PM
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