Le Tour de France

i figured there was no better way to prepare for (watching) the Tour by doing a bit of biking. i got up at 5:30 and did an hour, i knew i would be hyper motivated to bike after watching. so i did a preemptive strike. i did not hit me i was going to the tour until i started to the train station. so i got my crap bike up to terminal velocity on the way. how exciting. i could bore you all with the details of my train ride there, and the two guys from my dorm i met. but i know what you really want...(i have to type a bit more, the pictures are still downloading)
upon arriving in strasbourg i made a b-line to a known bakery. got a baguette that was almost to hot to eat since it was right out of the oven. it was amazing. i shoulda bought 10. i finished it in about 10 minutes. mmm.
it took me a good 25 minutes or so to find the course. but i did. i thought about trying to go check out the riders warming up, but it was really well blocked off down that way. so i walked away from the start/finish. i was really surprised at how few people there were, it was only 2 hours before the race, the parade was goinging, and yet right at the finish people were only 2 deep. i knew i could find better, so i walked a bit. about 20 meters after the 1k to go banner i found my spot. i could see the riders going up and out on the far side of the street (a simple french 4 lane street, so not that wide) and watch them coming in on my side of the street. perfect. so i set up camp there right under a nestle banner. front row space enough for 2 people, and next to an australian family. the parade was already going when i arrived. i collect a few hats, candy, a crappy draw string bag, and a really really nice draw string bag. it feels like it is actally worth something. i had a water bottle in my hand, but i fumbled and lost it, and cut my little toes kinda bad (oh, side note, some glass got in my sandle at the konstanz train station, left big toe, and it bled pretty well. all good now though). anyways i got some good stuff. during the parade there were lots of guys warming up on the course, they dont look so fast when they are all alone like that...
then the race came. the only word to describe it is amazing. so ill let a few of my pictures do it. i have id say 80 quite good ones. so they will be going up for a few days now.
and sorry no names for most, to lazy to figure it out.




he came a bit close...


simoni

the thunder god

boonen

george

more tomorrow...
the only thing i have in complaint about going to the tour is i never know who wins the stage till a bit later. if i knew french i could easily find out. but they just say a whole bunch of names, i never know which order they go in. but i can live with that complaint.