Le Tour

Le Tour begins tommorow. Regardless of the doping drama the race is still a HUGE spectacle and immensely entertaining.

Check out Martin Dugard's wonderfully written blog at Active. With a mix of 3 parts travelogue and 1 part race coverage it conveys the feeling of physically being at the Tour, following the circus.

The race goes up the col d'Aubisque during stage 16. This photo is of one of the tunnels on the Aubisque. This is the 'easier' side...well not that easy because you first have to climb the col de Soulor. It's a beautiful climb and a treacherous descent. Exposure is common and guardrails are not. Throw in sheep and horses wandering onto the road and the fog common to the area and the sketch levels goes way up.

This year the race goes up the harder side with a rare finish at the summit. This is the last mountain stage of the race so it could be exciting, unless someone already has the race locked up.



I've really got the jones to get back over to follow the race. It's an experience of a lifetime on many levels. Mel and I went in 03 and 04. 2003 was the very early days of this blog and I didn't document the trip. However, in 2004 I posted almost daily (or at least formatted emails home onto the blog after the fact). The July 2004 archives are here. I still enjoy going back and reading them to get a taste of the energy of the adventure.

Even following the race from home it's going to be an exciting month. Set your Tivo, bookmark your favorite sites, and enjoy Le Tour!