Monthly Archives: July 2013
Abu Simbel, Egypt
Before my Tour de France pilgrimage, I was posting about my trip with Viraj to Egypt so without further ado, I’m picking up where I left off! When I told people I was heading to Egypt, the 2 responses I most commonly heard were (1) “Are you crazy?!” and (2) “Abu Simbel was my favorite!” … Continue reading
4 minute guide to Slovenia
Back in May, I travelled throughout Slovenia and loved it! Here I've done my best to capture the highlights in 4 minutes.
Tour de France: set up, stats, & thanks
I know the Tour is over, but humor me for one final Tour posting for 2013! The Tour is essentially massive logistical nightmare requiring hundreds of vehicles, hundreds of cyclists, and hundreds of staff and crew to set up and break down the course every day in a different location. While I followed the … Continue reading
Tour de France: stage 21
My brother and I were among the first crazy fans on the Champs Élysées and we set up in our family’s traditionally preferred spot. After awhile, I wandered down towards the finish line to say hi to my friends who paint the Škoda logos there. While I was there, Jean Louis Piaget, the man … Continue reading
Tour de France: stage 20
I've got to say my heart sank a little when I arrived at the sign on in Annecy this morning. The way the barricades were set up wasn't very fan friendly and pretty much minimized the chances of meeting any of the cyclists. Oh well, I figured. I resolved to find a decent place where … Continue reading
Tour de France: stage 19
With 2 HC climbs (too steep to be rated, thus hors categorie), a category 2 climb, and two category 1 climbs, Ryder Hesjedal apparently had been referring to today’s stage as a “redonkathon,” which seems pretty accurate. I took the morning’s first bus to Le Grand Bornand, marveling at the scenery all the way, and … Continue reading
Tour de France: stage 18
Thank you, Marcus Burghardt! In fact, that’s probably what this post should be titled. Read on and I’m sure you’ll agree. On my way to the start in Gap, I came across the Saxo Tinkoff team bus, so I left a supportive note for my favorite rider on the team, Nick Roche. I … Continue reading
Tour de France: stage 17
I was extra early to the train station to be on the first train into Chorges this morning, so I took a quick stroll over to Sojasun's hotel and left Brice Feillu some encouragement using my chalk in front of his team bus. When I arrived to Chorges, I picked a spot that let … Continue reading
Tour de France & Canada
I meant to post this video from Bicycling magazine on the rest day but didn't get a chance. Even if you're not usually a cycling enthusiast, you'll at least recognize the names of the 3 Canadians in the Tour if you've paid even minimal attention to this blog. And you might even recognize someone at … Continue reading
Tour de France: stage 16
It was another long day of waiting several hours in the baking sun for a skinny man in padded shorts with smooth legs to cross the finish line, so obviously I enjoyed myself! And it helps when the finish line crew all recognize me and come over to say hi: the guys who paint the … Continue reading