From: Pete Skoglund

 Hi....geez that does not surprise me at all!....no response from the 

    DS....heck I really wonder how the paper gets out at all!...
...I really don't know that much about the race but I have been
watching some of it at night on TV

 France and Belgium have been beautiful, if  a bit cold, but then yesterday the heqt got
 turned on.  Plus I am further south.  I am typing from Toulouse but plan to spend 
the next three nights in Foix and be on the final clmb up to Plateau de Beille.  
It could turn out to be very important for the whole race.

 sound like a lot of fun 

though....looks like a lot of great country side....

 the countryside and the homes are beautiful.  
The people have been very nice too.  I don't always do everything that I want to do 
but I have decided not to worry about it and just take it as it comes.  Last night I ended
 up in a beautiful riverside camprground in Uzerche - a town I had never heard of 
- all because the gendarmes closed the Tour race course to cyclists four hours before 
they did the day before.

 hope all is going well..

pete 

From: michael millner

Bob:

 Thanks for doing the groundwork on the Tour Accompaniment Ride that I sincerely hope you and I will repeat some year if and when I/you retire if and when I/you have our health/money if and when you want to. Do you think you could bear to repeat the experience some years down the road? With me, that is, even though I pissed you off on our last Tour de Froid et Pluie. I promise I’ll help with all the chores.

 Michael,

 

This is definitely an experience worth repeating.  France is a wonderland.  I was too busy to get to the WWW on Tuesday and Wednesday's town, Uzerche is too small to support an internet cafe.

Tuesday was great.  Earlier I travelled down from Bayeux and the beaches of Normandy with two 31 yr old guys that know each other from Kansas City.  Dan now lives in Oregon and Paul still lives in KC.  After doing some errands like getting my glasses fixed we headed from Limoges to the depart city of Saint Leonard du Noblat, which happens to be Pou Pou Poulidor's hometown.  If Ulrich had never one a tour you could say that he had Pou Pou's disease because poor Pou Pou was second a few times but never first.

 

Anyway our goal was to get on a hillside out of town and watch the peloton go by.  Most of the time you can ride along the course by bicycle after the caravan has passed but Tuesday the gendarmes were heavy with the whistles and said, "Le velo, ici!  Le velo, ici! Maintenunc!"  My French spelling might be off but no question about the translation.  "The bike, here! The bike, here! Now!"

Now that could have been a bad thing but due to the gendarmes (police) and their whistles we got to meet two French cyclists who are members of a Limoge bicycle club.  They worked out a side road method to get to the desired location.  We had about an hour's wait for the peloton to come along so we sat together on the grass in the shade and shared the foods we had brought along.  I had brought Swiss and Camembert cheeses, anchovies, tuna fish, peanuts, some French sausage and fresh red cherries. 

 

Lots of official cars went by - the road was never quiet - then came some motorcycles and some Mavic support cars and then some team cars.  Little children were waving at anyone who would wave back.  Finally the helicopters that relay the feed from the video cameras on the motorcyles and who also provide video started circling in the near distance and then overhead.  If you weren't excited by the thoughts of the tour the helicopters would get your heart going anyway.  Finally motorcyclist with their blue and white lights come and race officials and then the helicopters are really close and birds are flying in panic from their nests.  In the distance two breakaway cyclists enter the S curve that we have stationed ourselves at the top of.  They have maybe 50 meters clear before the peloton comes into view.  Everyone is cheering and the peloton snakes through the curves in a kaleidoscope of color and motion. 

 

Then come the team cars and more support vehicles and more motorcycles and finally things begin to die down and people pack up their picnics and head home - happy to have seen another Tour.

Our new French friends took to us and our approach to the race.  They invited us to see their town of Saint Leonard.  They took us along a pretty one lane river road past a the meeting of two rivers which were important militarily for Caesar in his Gallic wars.  Then they take us into Saint Leonard up the oldest road into the village.  Rue Pavé and it is pavé (large uneven cobblestones) and asphalt mixed and it is so steep that some among our group walk the last portion, not I mind you!

Then we went to the village square where there was a large screen TV showing the race and some restaurant was barbecuing sausage and serving it on tables set up in the square.  Next one of the men honored us by inviting us to his home for a drink and to watch the end of the stage on TV.  It is the stage where the breakaway of two frittered away a bit too much time in the last kilometer and got caught in the last 30 meters.

 

The man's house was beautiful and we had Lefffe, a Belgium beer, a beer and lemonade mix they call a shandy in England, and some Lipton's iced tea that was carbonated.  There were also some cookies and little cakes with a fruit topping.  It was wonderful.  The man is retired and the climate is so mild that he can heat his house with a very nice built in wood stove.

 

He and his friend are accomplished cyclists and just thing summer rode the difficult Pyrenean journey from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean.  One of them had also done the route of the Tour de France in 3 weeks with about 150 other cyclists.  Fortunately he had better weather than the current tour having only 3 days of rain to deal with.  Most of this information is possible because the retired fellow has very good English having worked for a US firm that makes paints and pigments.

On the way out he showed us the 650 mm wheel size touring frame that he is building up, including welding his own front and rear racks.  His welds are first rate and he will send the completed racks off to have chrome applied by electroplating.  His friend is currently riding a beautiful 650 mm frame with a Brooks saddle!

 

They both tried my Bike Friday and they were impressed with the way that it handled.

We gave our new friends our LIVESTRONG bracelets as tokens of our appreciation.

When I got back to the youth hostel a bunch of cyclists from a club in Mayenne asked me how my day was and then asked me if would like to go to dinner with them.  I told them yes but could they give me time for a shower?  They said no problem.  They were going to have a drink first anyway and I could join them for the drink after my shower.

 

I brought some peanuts ancd some cheese.  They were OK with the peanuts, but the cheese was an after dinner thing for them so I put it away.

 

They had something that tasted like Ouzo, some Tawney Port wine, something that tasted like insecticide or medicine and two things that I didn't get to taste.

 

We went around for me to learn what they did.  Some were working and some were retired.  Thyey are very accomplished cyclists.  One had done Paris - Briest - Paris six times and the last time in 63 or 66 hours - which is way below the 90 odd hour limit.  One, who was great translating, works for Pioneer Seeds, which is out of Des Moines, Iowa.

 

When the drinks were done we went a very short route through some little paths to a large but excellent cafeteria.  Vegetables!!  Hooray!!  I got some spinach and string beans and very tasting baked pork with sauce and a huge plate of steaming mussels with sauce.  One the guys has the enviable job of tasting and recommending wines for Champion Super Markets and he brought some excellent wines which we all shared.

 

I told them that I was going to try to ride the whole course from Limoges to Saint Flour and then wondered about my sanity, but as I have already written the gendarmes put me off the course at 8:39 and I wondered back roads until finally heading for a town big enough to have some rail service.  I did ride over a 100 kilometers and some very steep hills included.

I am going to try to FTP some photos now.

 

The town I am taking the train to next most likely won't have an internet cafe.  Foix by name -  so if you don't see anything new for a few days picture me riding up to the Plateau de Beille tomorrow and watching the race there on Saturday.

 

BLT

 

 I look forward to hearing how you found riding some of the Tour’s hallowed climbs.

 

 Your weight must be spectacularly low by now; I continue to gain weight. Not having Mt. Washington to motivate me, I’m using your old excuse—I like to eat! However, each time I get left on a climb I think about those extra pounds just like that some other poor slob might rue his two-pack-a-day habit after coming up wheezing and gasping from climbing a few flights of stairs.

 

 My thoughts are with you, though I wish it could have been more. Bon voyage et bon chance!

 

Michael M.

 

From: Pete Skoglund 

Hi Bob...

Have been watching some of race nights....Lance was on last night 
commenting on the amount of american supporters ....groups and a lot 
of single people along the course.....I can tell you I never watched the  

race before....but I find it interesting.......I'am sure its really great to be 
there live and personal......Star had photo and story on yesterdays 
leg...wow.....

later pete

You see the race better than I unless I find a TV and then the commentary you get is in English. 
 If I want to be near the finish line I have to claim a place about 5 hours before and hold it.  
Going out on the course involves a few hours, but just riding through the French countryside is
such a pleasure that I don't worry about the race so much.  

 If you want to understand more about the race read cyclingnews.com and the daily articles 
that Phil, Bob, and Paul put on the OLN TV site.
 

 

The trains here are pretty nice - no they are very nice.  They are clean.  They run very close to schedule.  They don't check your tickets very often either.  I haven't had my rail pass checked more than 3 times even though I have made lots of trips - at least 10.

To me what is different is the silence on the trains.  People don't seem to talk to strangers and even people travelling together don't seem to talk much.  It is like being in a library almost.

Morning meals in the hostels can be like that, too.

I got up right at 6 AM on Tuesday and went down to breakfast after taking a shower.  The people down there eating were all older men who sat alone and said nothing as if they were being punished.

 

breakfast was bread and butter
preserves
coffee and tea or milk
oops baguettes  - not just American type bread

From: Dale Gordon

Hi Bob,

I had not heard about Tyler Hamilton's dog.  I read it to Carol and we sympathize with him.
It was interesting to hear Carol tell us that you were in a part of
France that had palm trees!  Amazing.  When you watch the race live, do
you try to get near the finish line or just any where on the course?
How do you keep up with the official results and the riders' overall
positions?  Is it posted at the end of the race on boards or do you rely 
on news?  Local news or internet news?

dale 

Good questions Dale! Watching the race live takes a lot of  work and to some extent 
while you are watching the race you miss seeing more of France.  

Here's my score at getting to the Tour. I have ridden the Prologue course and seen each 
cyclist go by on the prologue. On stage one I rode a bit of the course and then stopped to 
wait for the cyclists but found out that the time of their arrival was incorrect and I was waiting 
for the peloton instead. So I rode on to Numar. In Numar for stage 2 I waited nearly 5 hours
in the sun at 150 meters from the finish and saw a crash of two cyclists almost in front of us. 
The next day I took the train to Arras and saw nothing of the race for stage 3.  On the way to
Arras we saw signs about Roubaix on the train so I decided I would go there after the team 
time trial. 

The day of the team time trial, stage 4 I rode through tiny country roads to the start - 
took a look at the starting platform and then bike nearly the entire course with some 
charity group that I was told to leave.   I got caught  in the rain and soaked and
went to the campground to shower and change then watched the last 5 or 6 teams
go along the course near to my campground which was near the finish. 

Then stage 5's day I biked to near Lille where I set up camp and biked to Roubaix, hooking
up with some high school aged bike racers from Roubaix.  I got soaked that day too. 

Stage 6's day I waited for a downpour to break until near 11 AM then biked into Lille and 
caught the train to Bayeaux.  I stayed in Bayeaux for 3 nights.   

Stage 7's day I biked with Portland Dan and KC Paul to Omaha Beach, the American Military 
Cemetary, and Arromanches. 

Stage 8's day I went to see the Bayeux Tapestry and the Bayeux Cathedral and did some laundry.

Monday was a rest day and Paul, Dan and I took the train to Limoges - which sounds simple
but you have to got through Paris and not only change trains but get on the metro and go from

on train station to another.  It is like going on 3 different airlines at two different airports in a way. 
 

Tuesday I saw some of stage 9 and spent lots of time with zeee French people. Wednesday 
I rode some of the course but got kicked off the course and saw the stage ending in a bar on TV.
 Today - Thursday I have caught two trains and need to catch a third to Foix. 

 I hope to ride some of Saturday's course tomorrow and be near the finish in orange cycling clothes
 Saturday.

Click for Today's Photos

TO TOP & CALENDAR

July 16, 2004 4:30 pm EST

Just got to the Cybercafe after a tough ride up to Plateau de Beille 

which is about 20 miles or so away.  The ride up was very hot until the rain

came, but then ended soon and then threatened again as I started down and then soaked

me all the way home.

Armstrong did well today and I hope when I see him live tomorrow he is feeling as strong.

I will be at the beginnning of the barricades  about 3km from the finish wearing the orange jersey - perhaps I can tie 

one to the bank behind me.

They want to close - I will attach 3 photos and run.

Click for Today's Photos

TO TOP & CALENDAR

 

 

 

 

From: "Pamela G. Wrigley" 

Bonjour Robert,

        Sounds as though you've been drenched quite a bit in your

travels.  

Yes, some soggy biking and rained on again today returning from the course -
 but not totally soaked today like I was yesterday.

Mille mercis to you (with Sharon's able assistance) for taking

the time to share your experiences with us.  A story that has been

featured here in the U.S. is the perennial argument about whether Lance

Armstrong uses performance-enhancing drugs.  I was surprised to hear

that the former champion Greg Lemond was quoted as saying something like

"There is no way that Lance doesn't use drugs, so he should just fess

up".  Armstrong denies taking drugs and generally blames envy as what is

motivating his accusers.  

I think that if Greg knows something he should spill the beans - this innuendo stuff

takes away from the tour.

Is this just an issue state side or are people you talk with in France concerned with this?  

The French all seem to think that all the cyclists use drugs.  It may be some sort

of rationalization on their part.  One of their long time cycling favorite Richard Virenque

was on the Festina team that got kicked off the tour in 1998.  

Are Tour de France participants subjected to random drug testing?  

TdF guys get tested both randomly and in a pattern.  The winner of every day's stage 
and perhaps 2nd and 3rd are automatically tested immediately after the end of each stage.
 

Other riders are selected and tested each day at random.  Lance and Tyler Hamilton and 
other yellow jersey contenders can be tested at any time.  The people just knock on the 
door unannounced and want samples.  Lance and Tyler have to let those parties know they 
will be at any time and they can not refuse the interruption in their lives and say test me later.

How's that for drug testing.

I don't think that Lance would use any illegal drugs to enhance his performance.  
I think that if he can't win he will have enough sense to retire.

It is probably such a hot topic here because of the recent revelations of drug use by so many

of our track and field stars.  What do YOU think?

Au revoir - P