I’ve been watching a bit of the Tour de France, quite a bit in fact and it’s been a nice ride so far as its peloton riskily traverses the fabulous Gallic countryside in one of the most pandemically active nations on earth. It’s a miracle it’s gone ahead; covid-19 is spiking in France and even the Tour director, Christian Prudhomme has been sent home with the dreaded virus but so far the riders, safe in their “rider bubbles” have been unaffected. The odds of it getting to Paris in 10 days are shortening but things could go to custard pretty quickly. Here’s hoping they make it!
It’s a bit odd that the famous “23 Days in July” have been re-designated “Those 20 odd days in August and September” but the race seems to have lost none of it’s racing spark although I suspect, should it continue to it’s natural denouement that many of it’s competitors will be on their hands and knees, metaphorically speaking. The Tour may be quite the suffer-fest through the Alps. Tour cyclists in a normal year have 5 months or more of hard racing and training in their legs before they usually start La Grand Boucle. Some of them weren’t allowed out of their homes 3 months ago!
Not surprisingly, the form and fitness of many on the circuit is questionable. 4 time winner Chris Froome and his teammate, 2018 champion Geraint Thomas looked decidedly underdone in the lead up races and missed the cut for their all-conquering Team Ineos but I’m not sure the race is any lesser for their non-appearance. Ineos still have the defending champion, Egan Bernal who is riding quite well so far.
As I said earlier the racing has had a bit of spark after a slow start although my favoured riders, Tom Dumoulin and Thibaut Pinot are already out of contention, new names and nationalities are to the fore with a pair of Slovenians battling it out with a phalanx of Colombians and a couple of home grown hopefuls are still in the mix. Only a pair of Aussies in the race this year but they are making their mark which is always enjoyable as droopy eye syndrome kicks in at 2am.
The race was in western France last night, hard up against the Atlantic Ocean with narrow roads and crosswinds, traffic furniture galore and it almost made me wish I had the power to harness time, to turn the clock back to when I was 25, to do cycling properly and get the best out of myself and do it better this time; then there was a bone jarring crash, riders sliding and ripping on bitumen and the memory of being skun from knee to shoulder with gravel rash and cuts and abrasions came rushing back and my mind returned to the comfortable present and my reclining chair and pyjamas and I thought to myself that I am quite happy with my lot and occasional rides around the bike paths these days.
Alas, it’s early to work for me tomorrow so bedtime beckons and the Tour will have to wait a few days for me to cheer it on again but good luck to the road warriors and may they complete the Big Lap of France safely. Viva le Tour!
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 