Not only do I have a picture of Bradley Wiggins, the winner of the 2012 Tour de France, but I also cycled the same mountain passes he climbed on his way to the yellow jersey.
Last December when Rose Neat asked if I wanted to join her on a cycling trip in the Pyrenees to watch six days of the Tour de France, my reply was instant. "Of course I would." This was the trip of a lifetime that I would never pass up. We would be riding on the same roads and climbing the same cols -- the French word for a mountain pass or saddle -- the day before the Tour raced through. For any cycling fanatic, this is a dream vacation.
Joie de vivre
As a spectator, being a part of the Tour is more than just watching elite athletes compete in the most intense endurance race in the world. The experience wouldn't be complete without the French spectators and the enthusiasm they bring to hosting this historical event as they have for the past 99 years. Their love for and dedication to the sport of cycling surpasses anything we could ever reproduce in North America.
Although I am jealous of their passion, I honestly wouldn't sit on the side of a mountain for an entire weekend just to watch 60 seconds of a race fly by -- at least not more than twice.
The reward for waiting all day starts with a parade, which begins an hour before the Tour riders arrive. The already excited crowd (and there is a crowd no matter where you choose to watch) is primed by a caravan of trucks, pumping out music and handing out free jerseys, oversized green hands, various hats and other trinkets from numerous sponsors.
Spectators camp for days on the sides of mountains to hold the perfect viewing spot, just to glimpse their favorite riders for a mere few seconds. Some follow the Tour through the entire three weeks, setting up a new camp every day before the riders pass through. These fans are organized -- they have to reach their destination before the roads close and arrive everyone else to ensure they find a place to park. This is fan dedication to the extreme.
Marmot Tours, owned and operated by the husband and wife team of James and Cathy Thompson, gave us every opportunity to access the riders. We stayed for three nights in the town of Massat, located at the base of the Col de Lers. The tour included maps each day's route, which included at least one or all of the cols the Tour would complete the following day.
The French know how to ride and they know how to cook. After every day of riding, we were greeted with four courses of some of the most fantastic food. We also had to replenish much-needed calories.
French for steep
On the morning of Stage 14 we rode to the top of the Col de Lers, a 16-kilometre climb to a watch the mountain stage at 1,517 metres elevation. James, our tour host, had spent the night in his van to save us a prime viewing spot. Our makeshift camp was located 500 metres from the peak on a perfect switchback that provided the ultimate view of the race course below -- if the clouds hadn't been there. As part of the tour package, James barbecued salmon and broadcast live coverage on his satellite. Once the Tour leaders arrived, we had only a few seconds to take our photos and cheer on the riders before they began their descent and continued to the next col, the Mur de Peguere. Known as the wall, this nine-km climb includes steep grades up to 18 percent.
Knowing how much I hurt after ascending the mur the previous day, it's unreal to consider what these men do for three weeks.
496 km < 3,497 km
As soon as the riders pass over a col or through a town, there is an immediate mass exodus of people. Spectators quickly pack up to catch the finish, either in person or on television in the next closest town. Within minutes the party has moved on, and so did we.
The next day, we followed the Tour to the town of Luchon, which hosted both a start and finish stage this year. Before each race and immediately after the finish, each rider is bombarded by sponsors, fans and media. There was no security stopping us from accessing the riders; the only people standing in the way of an autograph were the other multitude of spectators. You had to be aggressive if you wanted to come away with a photo or memento of the day.
After my six days, I definitely came home a stronger cyclist but if I ever need motivation to ride, there is nothing more powerful than witnessing the best of the best and hope that some of it will rub off on me.
In six days I rode 496 km and climbed 10,603 metres in total. The Tour riders complete 3,497 km in three weeks with only two days rest. (And don't forget, some of them will race in the London Olympics.)
Kristina Bangma is a coach, personal trainer and writer with a love of riding and racing. Email questions to [email protected].
