France
Tour du Mont Blanc day 1
My ears perked up. “…And coming up after the break: travel tips from Matt Lauer,” came the voice from the TV. “Oh this could be good,” I thought. It’s been a bit of a while now, but here’s what I remember of Matt Lauer’s travel tips. 1. If you think you’ll get … Continue reading
YOU can send me to the Tour de France!
Recently, my friend Renata (who you’ll remember from the video about El Chorro, Spain) and I entered a fabulous contest run by a great Aussie website, Cycling Tips. They’re sending 2 lucky and hardworking fans to cover the Tour de France from a fan’s perspective. We sent in a 90 second video previewing how we want … Continue reading
Paris-Roubaix
What is there to be said about Paris-Roubaix that hasn't already been said? 257 kilometers of racing, 50+ kilometers of cobbles, the dust, the inevitable crashes and punctures: there's a reason it's called the Hell of the North. But before the pros arrive, the juniors do. An 18 year old Dane named Magnus Bak … Continue reading
Paris-Nice stage 8
The final day of Paris-Nice! I was among the first to arrive at the sign on but eventually a herd of people showed up. In talking with Colin yesterday, we realized that we look for the exact opposite arrangement in how a sign on is set up. While he wants lots of space so … Continue reading
Paris-Nice stage 7
I've kicked off my European racing (by which I mean spectating) season by joining a race already in progress: Paris-Nice! Today was stage 7, the penultimate day of the race to the sun. After a near sleepless night due to jet lag, an early alarm, a train, and a bus, I arrived in … Continue reading
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