Hard to find time...

Busy, Busy, Busy.

We have been early up and out and late back, so keeping this updated has been much more difficult than I expected.  I have also had a problem getting the best pictures of the trip out of my digital camera.  For some reason my new laptop will not speak to me Canon camera.  I’ve got some great action shots, honest, but I just can’t get them off the camera and uploaded to here.  I’ll keep trying.

On Thursday we rode our bikes up the back side of the Col de Calibier.  I was doing OK until I went through a 100 yard tunnel full of exhaust fumes, UP HILL.  I took a short stint in the sag wagon to get some air in my lungs.  After a couple of kilometers I got back on my bike.  I rode through a mountain valley over slight down hills and long, tedious grades that seemed to plod on forever.  I found myself on a stretch that was just slightly up hill and I was struggling a bit.  I looked down to check what gear I was in and I was in my lowest gear.  At that point I knew I would have trouble with the coming climb.  I waved down the sag wagon and with my head hung low, climbed aboard.  Over the next 6 or 8 kilometers we leap-frogged the other two riders who were with me.  I took pictures of them and cheered them on as we went on.  Just before a long section of switchbacks we stopped and waited for the two riders.  The other riders and I discussed the rest of the ride and how the road is now closed to traffic about 8 kilometers from the summit.  The other two riders decided to climb aboard and save themselves for the last 8 kilometers.  When we got the road block the police stopped us and we had to remount our steeds.  The other two took off ahead of me and I waited for our guide.  We rolled out and of course, up.  I plodded along in a pretty good gear and made it to the top, to the reserved restaurant, and to Anne, who I soon learned had to walk up the 8 kilometers with everyone else.  They had just got there themselves.

We had lunch and then headed further up the hill to watch the race.  What a circus.  It is even more dynamic then what you see on TV.  We found a great place to wait whith a French family and a fine old Scottish gentleman.  The caravan of sponsors soon came and tossed out tons of junk trinkets for everyone.  It was a mad scramble by old and young alike.  We soon saw the low press helicopter sweeping up the valley, following the racers.  There was a breakaway with Andy Schleck, (Anne’s favorite) and a rider from Team Astana.  We could see them coming up the switchbacks as they approached.  The crowd would come alive with noise as the riders rolled passed them, It was magical and exciting.  The road in front of us was filled with people that who screamed and waved until the motorcycles plowed through and parted them like water.  Andy Schelck came up the hill like a rocket, the Astana rider close behind.  The team cars flew by at least 20 miles per hour.  That’s 20 miles per hour up a steep grade, and he was about half way up a good 16 kilometer hill.  The peloton blew through about 3 minutes later and the crowd went wild again.  After they went through the crowd began to break up.  We filtered our way back down the hill to meet at the restaurant meeting place.  We all regrouped and began the long slow trudge down the 8 kilometer walk to the bus.  Hundreds of thousands of people, all walking to their cars or buses to go home, or to the next stage.  It was one of the coolest days I had ever experienced.  I'll up date when I have time about watching the Alpe d'Huez stage.  That was pretty cool too!