It was a warm sunny day in the south of France. The sunflowers greeted us with unnecessary joie de vivre. We rolled an easy 40km downhill to the township of Samatan. The full logistical nightmare that is a TdF stage start was on display.
Our high school French failed us in the boulongerie, forcing us to revert to the international language of pointing to choose our lunch.
The riders signed on as the temperatures soared over 30 degrees. The queue then started at the set-off line. When the entire peloton had assembled, Wiggo then made his way to the front, somewhat presumptuously. The assembled media throng grew excited at the prospect of of hearing a few expletives from the maillot jaune wearer. Le Wiggo reached the front, spun his ginger sideburns around to face his Sky teammates and launched into the days' strategy with them.
I imagine the conversation would have gone something like this:
Le Wig:Aw-right boys. Let's go over today's plan. You fellas will pull me along for the entire stage. 5 km from the end, you all bugger off, aw-right?
Sky Team: Wig, you c&$#, it's the same f&)€¥*n plan every day!
It was good to see Cadel as well as the Greenedge boys. The race start is an ideal time to get up close to the riders, as they are all pretty relaxed.
Bagneres de Luchon - normally a ski town over winter, it becomes a mountain bike destination in the summer
The summer outfits
Samatan
"I just came down to get my usual jambon-baguette…"
Voeckler
The freckle
Phil Gil
Big Bird
Wiggo's windshield
Sort of like a peacock preening its feathers
Only one rider seemed to be concentrating
Cadelephant
Yours for AUD$80 000
Summer in Luchon
No, Jerry, we are not having Tapas...
Its called "carbo loading"
View from the hotel room
Le Bansi team conference; "no seriously boys, it's just alphabetical order and 'Bansi' happens to come first"...
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