Bordeaux time trial - Revisited #3

After my premature retreat from the Pyrenees I was able to see the Tour slightly more leisurely and up close in Bordeaux for the Time Trial on the penultimate day, I had first seen the Tour here in 1973 while on a family holiday and it must have made a big impression on me.



I don't remember too much about the stage finish which was mobbed and as a young boy was probably too foreign and strange won by Walter Godefroot (Bel) but the next days time trial won by Jaoquim Agostinho (Por) in the same Orange 'Bic' jersey as the eventual winner Luis Ocana with all the accompanying motorbikes and car horns I can remember as something of a spectacular. Each car had the riders name on Merckx, Poulidor and Zoetemelk all strange and fascinating in the heat of the French countryside (through the environs of an out of town exhibition complex if memory serves me right) , Barry Hoban was to win the penultimate stage at Versalles and had won a stage at Angles-sur-Mer and Michael Wright had won the previous stage at Aubagne so there was a buzz about the British interest in the race as there had been this year with the Team Sky involvement in the le Grande Bouche for the first time and Bradley Wiggins as a potential winner.

Le Garaint

Of course by this time the British hope had been tailed off of shown his place after his fantastic 4th last year he was now a marked rider even though he had a team built around him. Lance Armstrong had also been found wanting (for luck if not pace) and was well down.
We saw the middle order through the streets of Bordeaux and then went to the Tour 'village' where we were able to see the riders preparing for their race, Geraint Thomas was warming up on a 'turbo' as the mechanics got his bike ready and we saw him go to the gate and start down the ramp to eventual 10th place, a rider for the future I feel after his excellent ride in the first week when he came within an ace of wearing the yellow jersey

Le Sky


Fiona and I set off out of town to watch the riders through the vineyards (Medoc) on the way to Pauillac along the Gironde river, along with what it seems like the European nation of cycling family with a few Americans and Aussies thrown in for good measure on the flat tarmac and the heat of the mid day, We just missed Lance and Brad but caught the last twenty and the sight and sound took me back to those events in the early 70's that impressed me and made me want to race a bike. When it was all over the crowd who twenty minutes earlier had been taking in the sights of the tour and shouting their respective favourites on to the finish simply melted away and the road was left barren and open never to see the like again.

Le Start


Fi and I made a brew of tea at in the forest and sat in the shade after being in the heat for an hour but some had been here since early this morning and even with the parasols and lunch boxes you need some staminer to follow the Tour never mind ride it as I'd found out over the past week supporting your rider is a serious and time consuming activity all be it a free event it still takes a big effort.

Le Maillot Blanc


The supporters truly love the race and believe in the riders so with all the activity that has tarnished the event in recent years this year has been one of the most exciting (and clean - to date) giving hope for the future of the sport, youngsters have to dream big dreams and there's nothing bigger than 'Le Tour'

Le Maillot Jaune

Le Tour (de France) #2

The day after the National '100' we were off to France for two weeks holiday and I felt I needed a rest to take stock of my season but of course I took my bike and planned to do a bit of riding in the second week to watch the Tour in the Pyrenees. While there I had a ride over to see Dave and Penny Wright at their Gite 35 miles away, there was time for a dip in the pool before heading back as the next day I was heading South. I planned to take minimum 'basic' camping gear and ride down to Pau and then on to Hautes-Pyrenees to see the riders on the Tourmalet which was to be crossed twice (both ways) in its 100th year of use.

Gironde Gite(s) Dave & Penny

As I left St Astier at 3pm to make my way to Pau on the edge of the Pyreneeian range and the stage finish for the next day, the tarmac was melting under my wheels as I headed from the wine growing region of Duras in the Lot-et-Garonne through the forested flat land of Gascony where Armagnac is made. I kept up a good pace (17pmh) but the heat did not abate until after 8 O'clock and I made 90 miles before I stopped an hour later when I bedded down in my 'bivvy' bag 30 from my destination, After a night of watching shooting stars I awoke for a breakfast of porridge and apricots (soaked overnight) and set off for Pau as the heat began to build again. I reached the barriered streets of Pau and after going under the 1Km to go inflatable and a brief coffee I set out along the reverse of the course to see if I could get to the top of the Col d'Aubisque final climb of the day, that also included the Peyresoured, Tourmalet and the Soulor, if I hadn't stopped for a coffee I'd probably have made it but the roads closed and it was a definite "Ferme" from the Gendarmes and I could only make it to Laruns the town at the base of the climb.


Johan Museeuw (nice man)

I had the consolation of riding the 30Km to get there with the Belgian Ex-World Champion and multi single day classic winner Johan Museeuw who was riding out to a 'Meet and Greet' along the course. At first I was just sitting on his wheel not knowing who he was, to be fair he did not try to drop the 'tourist' he was in an immaculate 'Museeuw' bike with jersey and shorts to match but every Tom Dick & Johan can get that sort of gear these days so I just followed along with my heavily panniered bike. He took a few calls (i-phone) I was forced to pass him (shucks!) and we struck up a conversation " Are you working on the race?" "No not really, I'm a sort of writer" " A journalist?" "No I'm writing a book, you might know who I am" (modestly)" Bloody Hell! You're not a writer you're an Ex-World Champion (surprised!)" He still had an impressive physique (shaved legs) with a deep scar down his left calf (racing accident), he did genuinely seem modest about his career I suggested that he get some (world) championship bands on his jersey and I had to let him go as the roads got steeper as we got to closer to the mountains as I did not want to be seen to be trying too hard to keep up.

Tour in town

After the race had been through I mounted my bike and began the 16Km climb to the top of the Col d'Aubisque, it took nearly 2 hours (with a few stops) and mostly in bottom gear (39 x 26) especially the 13% bits. As I began to climb the rain began to spot and the cloud rolled in to cover the mountain, It was fairly pleasant and kept me cool but the riders descending from watching the days events were having to take care on the bends and dodge all the traffic that had been on the mountain. I stopped at the ski station at Gourette for some water and the visibility was only 30 meters, on the top it was less, a Spanish rider and I took photo's of each other infront of the pinnacle, he headed back I headed on to the Solour, as I descended the cloud cleared a bit and I had views across the valley to the Asson decent to Pau.

d'Aubisque summit

The roads were lined with SUV's, every flat & not so flat space taken, I stopped in the Cafe at the Solour summit had a chat to some of the campers, some had done the Etap a few days before and were tanned/burned by their experience but I had to decide where to stay the night, the top very exposed although there were a few tents I was worried if it was as cold as the night before at this altitude I would be in trouble, I had my cape on and there was just some drizzle. I decided to descend and find some cover in the trees as rain was predicted so as I passed the hundreds and hundreds of vehicles here for the duration, I dropped down and found myself a secluded spot on a bend with a river to wash & cook, the grass had been trampled by the days events so I marked out a pitch under a tree and settled down with pasta & soup with sweets & Madelaine's courtesy of the caravan.
As I settled down to sleep thunder and lightning began and I was glad not to be on the top, but as the night went on and the rain got worse I was huddled in my bivvy with just an opening for my face and a worst storm developed in which it was impossible to get much sleep although I managed to keep fairly dry and warm in my sack.
The morning came with drizzle and a fog of low cloud, I cooked breakfast and packed my wet gear away descending to the town of Argles-Gazost (where the drink pastis is made) on the way I caught Nick ? (Archer RC) also with panniers on a camping holiday in the region. We went for a coffee to discuss the potential for the day, It was obvious to me that the weather was here to stay and with all my gear wet and no way to dry out a return was the only option, Nick was going over the Col du Tourmalet & Aspin (it had been closed to traffic for three days now!) to get away from the Tour which had completely overrun the region and the slopes of the Tourmalet were like some cycling Glastonbury at 2000 meters and I decided it was better to beat a retreat and watch it on the TV. This is what I did, I took the 15Km cycle path along the old railway to Lourdes and then on to Tarbes by lunchtime I took off some of my wet gear on the way although the weather did not improve much all day. I had marked out a nice route along the Baise river from Mirande and thet is what I stuck to, my phone had given up the ghost in the night and even a passage through Lourdes could not resurrect it so I had to resort to a payphone to get Fi to make the journey to meet me in the Gascony forest as I clocked up 120 miles by 7 O'clock and I was ready to climb off but at least I'd done a few miles for the 12 Hr. in a few weeks time


Expedition over