Run Fox Run

As an extension to our trip to Paris, we journeyed on the TGV to the Pyrenees (near the French-Spanish border) to catch two stages of the Tour de France. I am a huge fan of the race and was thrilled to see it live. We also got a feel for the race and an area of France that is not very widely visited by foreign tourists. For example, I had no idea that amateur bike riders like to ride up the same climbs as the professionals on the day of the race. Since these roads are closed on race day, they don’t have to dodge any traffic. Each day, we saw over 500 cyclists in intense pain going up these mountains. Even hiking up them was really tough.

The first day we started in a small town, Lurbes St. Christau (pop. 400), and hiked about 4 miles up the Col du Marie Blanc. This is one of the steepest mountain roads in the tour and the cyclists pass by fairly slowly (only about 15mph!). Leda really enjoyed two facets of the race other than the moment that the race passes by. About one hour before the cyclists arrive, there is the Caravan. This seemingly endless chain of cars is related to each of the sponsors of the race (it’s on the same level as NASCAR in terms of advertising). All of these vehicles have swag (hats, bracelets, noise makers, etc.) to give to you as they drive by. But, because they have to cover the course at a good clip, they throw these items at your feet as they drive by. Leda was so excited at all the stuff, she constantly yelled “More, Please!”. The second great thing about the race is the international set of fans. We hung out with some Basque fellows from northern Spain who where there to cheer their national team, Euskatel Euskadi. But they really enjoyed playing with Leda and entertaining her until the race came by. For my part, I have never been so excited for a sporting event as I was when the cyclists were approaching. Even though your direct experience with the race is less than 10 minutes long, it is vibrant and thrilling.

The second day, we stayed in the ski resort town of Luz St. Saveur, at the foot of the Col du Tourmalet. This mountain road is very narrow and ascends about 3000 ft over 12 miles. We drove up the road about 8 miles before pulling off to the side of the road for our picnic lunch. The mountains are breathtaking, not very tall but extremely steep. It’s incredibly exciting as the race passes by. First of all, there are two helicopters which hover about 100 ft above the ground to catch the action from the sky, so you always know as the race is appraoching. Second, you can get as close as you want to the riders. You can even pat them on the back as they go by while shouting encouragement. The internationally accepted cheer is “Allez” in French, meaning “go”. Leda learned to say this at any bike rider she saw. She yelled it this morning at a 45 year old woman on a mountain bike near our house. So, it’s clear that she’s caught the Tour fever. See the photos in the Tour album.