Today we did a very light ride from our Chateau on the outskirts of Grenoble around the local hills and country roads then drove to Saint Remy de Provence, our home for the next 2 nights. A very funky art deco town that oozes culture, atmosphere and gelati. Not surprisingly no shortage of wine either.
Our Chateau in Grenoble
On the way to Saint Remy De Provence we had to fullfil our obligations as consummate TdF groupies. It was off to the IZOARD at the Aubenas finish line (VIP area) to watch the 3rd last stage of the tour. It was nice to be waited on, a constant flow of beer and snacks allowed us to focus on the task at hand - analysing and critiquing the race as it unfolded.
The IZOARD
We had an excellent elevated vantage point of the home straight;
Finish straight and the "Tour Caravane"
The big screen right in front of us allowed us to keep track of the race as it approached (picure below: Cavendish and Renshaw sitting in 2nd & 3rd positions with about 6kms to go. Some poor bunny doing all the hard work at the front);
The TV - every home should have one
3.5km to go and guess what, the same poor bunny is still busting his hump at the front, Cavendish and Renshaw 2nd and 3rd;
The race heats up - 3.5km to go
I had some video footage of the sprinters rounding the corner at 60km/hr+ with Aussie Renshaw leading Cavendish who ended up with yet another stage victory - but unfortunately the file was too big to add to the blog.
PS: one of the highlights of the day was when we were leaving the town after the race on the bus and went past one of the pro riders on his bike, he was cruising down the street, no helmet and a stubbie of beer in his hand which he seemed to be enjoying immensely. So much for all work and no play for these guys.
Km’s ridden: 45km (530km total)
Metres climbed: 400m (13,450m total)
Elevation: N/A