Today is stage 19 of the TDF. After riding about 80 miles, the pros will climb the famous Col de Sestriere. This year Sestriere is not the finish, rather they continue on to Gap. (Hank thought that was a clothing store).
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| One of many stops on the way |
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| The peleton flies past. |
Sestriere became famous in 1999 when Lance Armstrong devastated the pack for his first Mountain Stage win after his cancer.
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| Lance - not Hank |
We headed out early, rode the pass before the race and staked out our observation point on the top of the pass. The Backroads support team had a place waiting for us with a fantastic lunch - a flat screen TV and satellite dish so we could watch TV coverage of the race until the racers were literally right beside us.
We both made the climb, slowly. Lots of stops, water, and caffeine as our only "drug". To get a good viewing position you need to arrive early. We sat on the mountain for several hours watching the other fans, and enjoying the "caravan"
that drives though before the race each day - dozens of vehicles advertising sponsors and throwing candy and swag out the windows as they go.
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| Backroads picnic lunch |
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| Our group |
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| Hank (not Lance) |
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| Looking down - where we bicycled up from. |
A few riders in a breakaway came past first, then suddenly, the peleton - a pack of about 180 riders blew past. Wind, noise, yelling, and in an instant they were gone.
1 comment:
Did William L. Brown drop in for his 100th Birthday?
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