Post Tour

OK, I’m back. There’s a couple of considered posts in the pipeline, but here are a few photos in the meantime. Both taken in Bourg d’Oisans at the start of Stage 19 to La Toussuire.

This is none other than the legendary Lance Armstrong, seven times Tour de France winner. We parked our bikes against the wall, jumped a fence into the team areas prior to the start of the stage and hung out with media, team officials and the riders of course. Even got to shake hands with the man himself. And if you look very carefully at the reflection in his sunglasses you might just see….

This is Floyd Landis, successor to Armstrong, on his way out to the start. This was taken on the day he had the spectacular blow-up in the last 10k to lose over 10 mins and the yellow jersey. The next day was one of the most spectacular come-back rides when he made up almost all of his losses before winning back the jersey in the final time trial.

Much has been written about Landis’s Mennonite background and how as a young man he used sneak out of his house under cover of darkness to get some miles under him. And of how his parents stayed at home in Lancaster County and went to church instead of watching their son ride up the Champs Elysees in the yellow jersey of the Tour winner. It’s a fabulous story, most of which is probably incomprehensible to many.