Tourtour

July 14, 2003

I can’t recall now why we ended up reneging on our booked second night in Cuceron. I don’t remember if we talked the owner into releasing us from our obligation early or if we just ate the cost. I vaguely remember it as being at least an awkward interaction, made more so by the fact that the man spoke no English at all. I have the sense that there was something we didn’t care for about the place, or maybe it was because it was so hot that the idea of taking a day ride wasn’t appealing.

Or maybe it was the fact that we didn’t see Juliette Binoche wandering the streets after all, looking intelligent, soulful and vivacious all at the same time as she does so well. Major disappointment.

Or possibly it’s because the Tour de France was passing through some miles to the east of us, and if we left today we might with luck cross paths with it. Thinking back now, I think we knew of this somehow and it gave us just the prod we needed to move on.

Another shot of Cuceron. Judging from the lighting conditions, it might have been from yesterday.

And I can’t really claim any memory of the fifty miles between Cuceron and Aups. There’s a fair bit of climbing in those fifty miles if RWGPS is to be believed, so on a hot day it must have been a challenge. Nothing comes back though until we biked into Aups and found both sides of our route lined with spectators. We appreciated their calls, whistles and applause as we biked down the road into town beneath them, waving back and hamming it up.

And then we found our patch of grass and settled in for the show, the one and only time we’ve witnessed Le Tour.

Waiting. It was a hot day, and we were lucky to find a spot in the shade.

I forget how long we waited - an hour maybe? Finally, the vanguard approached. If you’ve ever seen the tour or watched it on the tube you know the drill. Suddenly there’s activity - helicopters are hovering above, and then come the motorcycles. And then two breakaway cyclists race by, then more motorcycles and a few cars, their roofs laden with backup bicycles. And then it’s quiet again, save for the excited chatter of the crowd.

And then, twenty minutes later the scene repeats itself as the small chase group passes by in a flash. It’s a generally flat stage today and we have a long sight line on this straight stretch of road, but we don’t see the bikers until they’re almost in front of us because they’re embedded in their motorcycle/team car/press car bubble.

And finally the main event, the peloton. A complex riot of sound and motion - many more cars and motorcycles, a hundred or more bikes blast past in a furious blur. It all happens so fast that it’s hard to take in and focus on, much less to frame and focus a photograph to remember this moment by. I just take a few shots at random, hoping something will come out. If it were today of course I’d be shooting video, but that’s still about fifteen years off in the future yet.

And then, the shot that pleases me about as much as any I’ve ever taken. The Posties pass by as a tight group, protecting Lance (back in those wonderful days when he was still a mythical national hero) in the yellow jersey at the back. I get one shot. I still can’t quite believe that I nailed it and captured the whole set. pure luck.

So that’s it. 98% of our memories from this day come from crossing paths with the tour. By the time the whole show finally moved on we left town and biked off for the few remaining miles to Tourtour, our destination for the night.

Tourtour, one of the most beautiful villages in France, is a tiny place with a dramatic setting perched high above the Mediterranean. Our room was a few blocks below the Main Street through town, and I can remember the steep climb up to dinner and walking back to room later through dark lanes, hoping we’d correctly remembered the route (no GPS to guide us back then!). And I remember the views were dramatic, and that the village itself was colorful seen from below.

Somehow we have no photos though, maybe because the late-day light was too dim for anything to have come out. This photo below that I stole from above is a stand-in though, and matches well to my memory.

Tourtour, one of the most beautiful villages in France (downloaded from the net).

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Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 911 miles (1,466 km)

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