Saturday, July 18, 2009

July 18: TdF Stage 0 - Prologue

Ok, ok, for those of you that follow the Tour de France (TdF) you are well aware that the tour is well beyond the original prologue stage, which occured in Monico nearly 2 weeks ago. However, today I joined a big group of strangers who have all traveled to Paris to follow the TdF through the Alps. We will catch up with the tour on Tuesday, but in the meantime we are just enjoying riding in France while we travel down to join the tour. Since today was the first "get to know each other" kind of ride and an opportunity for all the travellers to stretch out their kinks I will refer to it as our prologue.

I had a distinct advantage of living in Paris so I was able to ride to the hotel to meet the group. Already they think I am a little strange, whatever - after dealing with frenchies for the past year I am more than used to being the outsider!

I am really excited about the next week. It is really awesome to be around a group of like-minded people who are all totally into the TdF and keen to ride. Right now I am sitting in the hotel bar, watching the tour, hearing everybody discuss the tour and getting excited about it, and drinking a beer with my gal...vacation has indeed started!!

I rode 22 miles from my place to the hotel, which is beside the airport. Jennie joined me later with our bags.


As a group we rode an additional 25 miles around the countryside from the hotel.


Today's ride total: 47 miles
TdF total: 47 miles
A+

3 comments:

Laura said...

I can't wait to see the TTT that you and your new "team" pulls together for the week. Please try and get some of it on video. Enjoy this trip - you know how envious I am. (btw - booking our trip to Rotterdam for next year's tour and its stint through Belgium.)

Bert said...

A guided bike tour of the TDF - sounds like fun even with a bunch of Frenchies as traveling companions. Some of the TDF spectators are really making a nuisance of themselves, WTF - they are practically on top of the riders!

Ms. Cherry Pickin' said...

GO TEAM BIG WAVE DAVE GO...climb those mountains!!! :)