Le Tour de France is in the Tarn today–on its way to the Alps.
We are lucky–geographically speaking–our Department (Tarn) being betwixt and between the two great climbing arenas (Pyrenees and Alps) of this extraordinary three week marathon.
Today’s stage–between Muret, just south of Toulouse and Rodez
Most years it passes through the department–two years in a row through Lautrec, five minutes from chez nous!
Tough day for us today–it’s a twenty minutes drive along a windy country road to see the carnival pass by.
A twenty minute trip to witness what the French regard as the third greatest sporting event in the world (after the World Cup and the Olympics)!
The riders have spent the last three days toiling up impossible gradients in the Pyrenees.
“Up to the top of the hill and down again” and again and again–mountain after mountain.
The tactical intricacies largely remain a mystery but I understand that this is a team event and that without the support of a committed set of cohorts the star rider could not win.
Going up the mountain, “the team” sets a pace to pulverize the opposition, trying to ensure that when the star rider decides to attack, his rival stars won’t have have the legs to follow.
Chris Frome in yellow, shielded by a teammate in black and blue
Yesterday on the stiffest climb, this happened leg-numbingly often.
Attack!—pull back; attack!—pull back, attack!—pull back.
Nobody made a decisive break and the yellow jersey (maillot jaune, worn by the rider with the least amount of time overall), stayed on the shoulders of the Brit, Chris Frome.
He made an unexpected break on the first day in the Pyrenees–shooting up the mountain with six and half kilometers (over three miles) to go–nobody could stay with him and he stretched his overall lead to two minutes.
ATTACK by Frome–successful in their case.
Fresh as a daisy it seems–Frome crosses the line and wins the stage.
“Vous devez être content, Monsieur,” said the local man selling me tomatoes in the market the following morning.
For a moment I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Comment, Monsieur?–(happy about what?)
“Monsieur Frome?”
“Ah–oui, bien sur. C’est définitif?” (He’s cracked it?)
“Peut-etre…”
“Il est propre (clean)?”
“On ne sait jamais, mais, oui, je crois”.
I think so too.
Chris Frome has never had the cloud of doubt about drug use that hung over and finally swallowed Lance Armstrong.
I reckied the vantage point yesterday and we planned to get there in good time to find the best spot.
A right angle turn would mean the riders slowing down, giving us a chance to spot the leading contenders–perfect!
Well, dear Reader, we never made it to our vantage point.
When the commentator announced it was 40C (104F) outside, we decided to stay on the sofa!
Robin Ellis 
A very wise decision!
A very sensible decision Robin !
I really admire these guys on the bikes !
I do a spinning class for 30 mins every week …….as in gym class not spinning and weaving !!……. and that nearly kills me. How they keep going all day through hill climbs etc …… that is absolute concentration and fitness I can only dream of……….actually dreaming wouldn’t get me there either !!
Keep on keeping on, Ros!
Thank you Robin. I will chant this to myself whilst I keep peddling. My Mum used to have a saying…..I’m fighting fit. Fighting for breath and fit to drop !!
Just about sums to up.
Sofa?..Crowds of people?…Sofa?…Crowds of people? I know which I would pick despite the temperature. (SOFA)
Thank you Robin for this interesting report- but the sofa looks the place to be!!!!
Yes, it’s a tough race especially going up the mountains. I respect the riders. They need stamina.
seemed wise to watch Le Tour from the safety of a cool room. Very jealous of course after our moments of glory for the grand depart in Yorkshire last Summer. it was a fabulous couple of days and we hope to host it again. Wendy and I also enjoyed the finish in Paris last year and it was fantastic. So this year consigned to watching on the tv. Great to see Team Sky doing the business.
Hello Grahame–yes we made the right choice, though we were disappointed. Yorkshire’s enthusiasm by all accounts has persuaded the French to come out this year in large numbers to cheer the riders on. Well done you and Wendy!
And then there is the cricket: hope you are listening (some of the time) to Test Match Special as England toil away in an effort to win back the Ashes from Australia. Having won the first Test in Cardiff there were high hopes for Lord’s but England are behind. Today’s target for England is to stay batting all (at least) of this third day to avoid the follow-on. Fingers crossed.
Oh dear! Looks like a lost cause, Jen!
There’s always next year, Robin
wow just seen TV pictures of the gorges of the Tarn We have got to visit . They look fabulous. but not on a push bike!!
So nice to be so close, yet so far, apparently on a horribly hot day. A nice thought, though. Alas, it has become a little harder to follow the Tour quite so enthusiastically here in the USA with the subsequently tarnished victories of one of our own (sigh), but certainly not at all hard to cheer about the incredible stamina of all the riders. What a challenge! But, am I wrong in thinking that the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp also isn’t akin to a French national holiday – or is that just for those of us enamored of another type of racing altogether?
Great event but like the Derby in UK is of limited interest, I’d guess.
Well done! Only the brave riders can face this impossible hot summer!!!! Here in Italy you can’t show your face out!!!
It was 33C in Florence at the beginning of June when we were there! No change then…
Welcome, Catia!
meanwhile just a mere 17C in North yorkshire brrr
Blow some our way–30C every day!
thanks we need it
We saw some of it in Normandie but it was not at all interesting. In fact, I think it was the most boring TdF I have ever seen.