THE LOVE OF CYCLING

By Debbie Bulloch






Today was the last day of the 2015 Tour de France. Cycling junkies all over the world, myself included, will be experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms. No daily updates of epic mountain battles, no more pictures of riders suffering while riding faster than any of us mere mortals will ever ride, no more videos of violent, bone breaking crashes. It is going to be a very long time until next July.

To a non-rider it is difficult, indeed it is impossible, to understand the attraction, the strong hold that cycling has for those of us who ride. Ask ten different riders why they ride and you will get ten different answers. Some ride for health reasons, some ride for the thrill of going from Point a to Point B under one's own power, still others ride for the thrill of competing against other riders.

As for me, I ride to escape the travails of daily life. Riding my bike I am like a mythological creature, half human half machine, sinew metal and carbon joined together in one single organic form, propelling me forward to the only real freedom I know.

But along with the freedom that cycling offers, there is a darker side that all riders acknowledge but will not talk about: death is cycling's silent companion.

That point was driven home last weekend during the 2015 Tour du Mont Blanc. Le Tour du Mont Blanc is a one of the most difficult cycling events open to amateurs. It is a one-day race where cyclists must ride 330 kilometers (205 miles) and climb over 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) all in ONE day of punishing, mind-numbing, leg crushing riding. The ride start in France and crosses into Switzerland and Italy before returning to France. Three countries in one day of riding...only in Europe.

My good friend Arcabulle and two of his riding friends signed up to do the Tour. For months the three of them faithfully trained together, riding through rain, heat, wind, snow--up and down the local cols (mountains). Three musketeers riding on top of their carbon frame steeds ready to conquer Mont Blanc. They set out together on Saturday July 18, three friends enjoying a ride together. They rode strong, up and down five cols, some of the hardest and most breathtaking climbing in all of Europe. They rode, enjoying the camaraderie of friends united in a common quest.

It was a beautiful day of riding and the three friends were well within their goal of completing the race in the allotted time frame of 17 hours. Then, before the climb up to the sixth col (there were only two other climbs left) tragedy struck. One of the three friends was felled by a massive heart attack. 

Arcabulle was riding a couple of minutes behind when he realized that his friend was down on the side of the road. All around there were people trying to give medical assistance to the fallen rider. But in spite of extraordinary measures, Arcabulle's friend died while being transported by med-evac helicopter. He was only 57 years of age, a married man and father of three children.

 As Arcabulle recalls it, he held his friend's hand and tried talking to him while resuscitation measures were being performed. Arcabulle vividly recalls the deadly pallor on his friend's face and the empty expression in his eyes. It is hard to imagine a more devastating set of circumstances than seeing your friend, your riding buddy, slip away from life right in front of your very own eyes.

The Tour's official page reported the following:

Hommage a Philippe.  Philippe nous a quitté ce Samedi suite à un malaise cardiaque sur le Tour du Mont Blanc. Nous souhaitons adresser notre soutien et toutes nos condoléances à sa famille, ses proches et ses amis.

Translation: Tribute to Philippe.  Philippe has left us this Saturday following a heart attack on the Tour du Mont Blanc. We want to send our condolences and our support to his family, relatives and friends.

The death of one cyclist touches all cyclists, their death diminishes all of us in the cycling community.  Philippe was a brother of the cog, he was a brave and strong rider--Philippe was one of us, he was family.

Dors en Paix - Rest in Peace Phillipe. May you always climb with the wind at your back.

MY LOVE FOLLOWS YOU WHERE YOU GO...

By Debbie Bulloch



It has been three years since my last blog post where I wrote about the Tour de France and my friend Arcabulle's courageous ride in one of the stages of Le Tour. A lot has happened in those three years; most of it has been good. Sadly, however, there has been some bad as well.

Last month my beloved Ray (aka Pensative Bedlam in Second Life) passed away after a brief, but valiant battle against cancer.

 I met Ray in SL and from that very first meeting, we became inseparable soul mates. Ray and I shared much in common: a love of romantic movies, a love of Sinatra songs, a love of bad puns, a love of Corgis and, most important, a love of writing seemingly endless e-mails where we poured each other's heart out.

 And this is what made our relationship so special. Ray and I never met each other in "real life," yet we shared so much here in Second Life and through our e-mails that it felt as if we had known each for all of our "real" lives. Our relationship was not based upon physical intimacy; rather, our relationship was based on a deep emotional intimacy. And because we could not touch physically, our relationship was far more powerful than if we had been able to touch each other and be physically intimate. Our feelings dwelt on an emotional and intellectual level--and that made it sweeter and purer.

 Ray was a sweet man who did not have a mean bone in his body. He spent most of his adult life helping others, mentoring them and guiding them through life's shallows and unseen reefs. Ray was a good man, his death will leave a huge, gaping hole in the lives of all the people that he touched, including me.

 In one of his last e-mails to me, when he knew that our time together was coming to an end, he wrote this:

 "Now about grandchildren - When you have those grand babies about if you can truly do this, please do so.

When watching Casablanca, tell them that you knew of a man like Rick. A man who loved a woman with a deep and true passion. Yet a man who had to surrender it for a cause much greater than his personal happiness.

When watching Space Cowboys, tell them that you knew of a man like Hawk. A man who loved a woman with a deep and true passion. Yet when a "job" had to be done, he did it, though it cost him everything.

When watching The Princess Bride, tell them that you knew of a man like the farm boy. A boy who set out to become a man for the woman he loved. A man who kept his promise and loved only her and came for her.

When watching Secondhand Lions, tell them you knew of a man like Hub. A man who took a bad situation and did the best he could out of it. A man who risked his life for those who could never repay him in anyway. A man who love a woman with such passion that the average "flea" would never comprehend it.

But only if you can actually say it."

My beloved Ray, when I do have grandchildren, I will gather them around me and I will tell them about a man who loved me truly and deeply, a man who gave me all of his heart and soul but never asked for anything in return except that I hold his hand, a man of modest means but rich beyond measure in all the things that truly matter, a man who always walked a true and righteous path, a man who knew how to make me laugh till I cried and a man who made me feel happy and wanted in the all-too-brief time that we knew each other.

 Good-bye my dearest Ray, my love will always follow you where you go.

BASTILLE DAY AND ARCABULLE ODRISCOLL RACES AGAIN!

By Debbie Bulloch



On Saturday, July 14 (Bastille Day) my dear and close friend Arcabulle Odriscoll raced on the second part of the 2012 L’Etape du Tour – Acte 2. The race took place over the same route that Stage 16 of the Tour de France (TdF) will travel on Wednesday July 18.

The course is one of the toughest in Tour history. The 197 km course offers a classic succession of great Pyrenean cols: the Aubisque, Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and Peyresourde. This is an up-and-down course which calls for a mastery of all aspects of cycling. Arcabulle finished the race in very good time, averaging 20 km/h over the entire 197 kilometers of the course.

Arcabulle is a very strong rider, whose mental toughness keeps him pedaling long after his jambes go into lactic acid debt and scream for him to abandon the race. Here is a description of the various mountain passes that Arcabulle had to climb on his way to the finish line:

Mountain passes & hills

Pau / Bagnères-de-Luchon 197KM • Km 53.5

Col d'Aubisque (1709 m)16.4 kilometre-long climb at 7.1% - HC • Km 120.5

Col du Tourmalet (2115 m)19 kilometre-long climb at 7.4% - HC • Km 150.5

Col d'Aspin (1489 m)12.4 kilometre-long climb at 4.8% - Cat. 1 • Km 181.5

Col de Peyresourde (1569 m)9.5 kilometre-long climb at 6.7% - Cat. 1

This year Arcabulle has already completed the 150 km of the Paris – Roubaix race and the 148 km of Stage 11 of the TdF. Last year Arcabulle raced the 208 kilometers from Issoire to Saint Flour (Stage 9 of the 2011 TdF). In previous years Arcabulle has raced up Mt. Ventoux (where British racer Tommy Simpson died in 1967 after his heart just gave out before reaching the summit) and he has also raced up Le Tourmalet,  another epic mountain in Tour history.

Arcabulle has been my dear friend, French tutor and bike mentor for nearly five years. He is a a good friend of Between Homes and a personal friend of many of our residents. I encourage all of you to send him an IM and congratulate him on an impressive race. Félicitations mon cher, cher ami and Happy Bastille Day. Viva France !

M. ARCABULLE ODRISCOLL RIDES L'ETAPE DU TOUR 2012

By Debbie Bulloch



The Tour de France is barely a week old and already there has been enough drama to keep sportswriters busy for months to come. The first week of the Tour has been marked (or is that marred) by several crashes that decimated the peloton.

The first week has also been marked by the tremendous performance of a 22 year old rider from Slovakia. Peter Sagan has taken the bike-racing world by storm, managing not only to win several stages of the 2012 Tour, but to win them all in grand style. It is so refreshing to watch this “kid” race his bike—he even put a bell on the handlebar of his racing bike to warn other that he is coming!

In this first week we have also seen Bradley Wiggins, from Team Sky, setting out to become the very first Englishman to win the Tour de France. There are still two more weeks of racing, so hang on to your guidon—there are bound to be a few more surprises in this 99th edition of the Grande Boucle.

Of course, this being Tour time it also means that my dear and close personal friend and cycliste sans pareil, Monsieur Arcabulle Odriscoll, will once again ride two stages of the Tour. Those of you who have followed this blog know that M. Odriscoll is a Frenchman who, like many people in his country, is an avid bike rider who competes in many cycling events.

This year, M. Odriscoll began his training regimen on April 1, 2011, by riding on the amateur version of the Paris-Roubaix race. To call Paris-Roubaix a bike race is like calling the marathon a walk in the park. Paris-Roubaix, or l’enfer du Nord (the Hell of the North) is the most difficult, most painful, and most stressful bike race in the world.

What makes this particular race such an exercise in cycling masochism is that most of the race is run over pave (cobblestones). These are not normal cobblestones. The Paris-Roubaix cobblestones are more like oddly shaped rocks strewn over the roadbed. Famous bike racers, like five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault (le Blaireau or badger) hated Paris-Roubaix so much that he only rode the race once in his career (where he proceeded to crash three times). M. Odriscoll finished Paris-Roubaix in less than 5 hours and 30 minutes.

That set the stage for him to ride L’Etape du Tour-Part One. Scenes from the Paris-Roubaix race. L’Etape du Tour is a sporting event organized by the same people who run the Tour de France. Every year the event’s organizers choose two stages of the Tour for amateur riders to ride on the same course as the racers who compete in the Tour. This year Stages 11 and 16 were chosen for L’Etape du Tour.

On Sunday, July 8, M. Odriscoll rode the stage from Albertville to La Toussuire (Stage 11 of the Tour). At “only” 148 kms, Stage 11 of the 2012 TdF is one of the shortest stages in the 99th edition of the Tour. But beware, this is one of the toughest stages of the 2012 Tour. The course starts at the town of Albertville, in the heart of the Alps. Albertville is situated in the Combe de Savoie on the verge of the Tarentaise, Beaufortain and the Val d'Arly, that gave it its nickname of the Crossroads of the Four Valleys.

With its medieval city of Conflans, it is graced with a double label of Town of Art and History and Cycling Tourism Town which allows it to bridge the gap between heritage and sporting activities. After the first thirteen kilometers from Albertville, the riders will not find another single inch (or should that be centimeter) of flat terrain!

The cyclists will tackle, in order, La Madeleine, La Croix de Fer and Le Mollard before the final climb up La Toussuire. La Madeleine is a Hors Categorie (HC) climb which simply means that it is so tough and so hard to climb that it cannot be categorized. It is a 25.3 kilometer climb to the top of Madeleine, at an average gradient of 6.5% .

Fifty-three kilometers after riders reach the summit of La Madeleine, comes the next climb, Col de la Croix de Fer, another HC mountain pass. It is 22.4 kilometers to the top of Col de la Croix, at an average gradient of 6.9%. Next, the riders get a break of sorts. The next mountain is Col du Mollard, a Category 2 climb. The riders only have to ride for 5.7 kilometers at an average gradient of 6.8%. 

Remember, however, that by the time that the riders have reached the summit of Col du Mollard, they have already been on their bikes for 100 kilometers and have climbed two HC mountains. If the riders have survived this far, (according to M. Odriscoll more than half of the field of riders had abandoned before the Mollard climb), they face one more climb.

Before crossing the finishing line, at La Toussuire, the riders will have to ride for 18 kilometers, at an average grade of 6.1%, to the finish atop the Category 1 mountain. The climb towards La Toussuire and the surrounding passes make up one of the largest cycling areas in the world, the Maurienne Valley. Once they arrive at their destination, tired as they may be, the riders will enjoy one of the most beautiful sites on the French Alps.

Perched on its plateau of alpine pastures, La Toussuire offers a 360 degree panorama on the majestic Aguilles d'Arves, the mountain passes of the Croix de Fer and of Glandon and the eternal glaciers. La Toussuire is the doorway to the domaine of Sybelles. In the winter, its 310 kilometres of pistes, that form the largest ski area in Maurienne, connects six resorts, Le Corbier, Les Bottieres, Saint-Colomban-des-Villards, Saint-Jean-d'Arves, Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves and La Toussuire.

Congratulations to you my dear friend on a race well ridden. You are the Gladiator of the Road. The course where Arcabulle rode his bike last Sunday.

Overall course profile.

Profile for t he last kilometer of the race.

DESIDERATA AND CALIFORNIA RAINBOWS

By Debbie Bulloch



Max Ehrmann (September 26, 1872 – September 9, 1945) was, an American writer, poet, and attorney from Terre Haute, Indiana. Ehrmann was of German descent; both his parents emigrated from Bavaria in the 1840s. Ehrmann often wrote on spiritual themes. In 1927, he wrote his most famous poem, DESIDERATA.

DESIDERATA means "desired things." It urges people to see the beauty and troubles of the world through wise, hopeful and compassionate eyes. Ehrmann said that he wrote it for himself "because it counsels those virtues I felt most in need of." DESIDERATA has touched millions of hearts and many people pattern their lives after it.

The text of the poem was widely distributed in poster form and in late 1971 and early 1972, Les Crane's spoken-word recording of Desiderata peaked at #8 on the Billboard chart, #4 on the Canadian RPM Magazine chart, and #6 on the UK Melody Maker's chart.

I have found this simple, yet powerful, poem to be a constant source of inspiration and solace. Recently, I shared it for the first time with my daughter when she was going through a rough patch. I hope that she finds its straightforward beauty to be as inspirational as I have.

I hope you enjoy it as well.

DESIDERATA (1927)
By Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Les Crane - DESIDERATA



Last week I had the opportunity to spend a few days in the California Central Coast town of San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo (or SLO as it is known to the locals) is an idyllic place, especially for lovers of outdoor activities.

As you may have guessed, I brought my bike along with me and spent many hours happily riding the roads in and around town. In SLO, cycling is a widely accepted mode of transportation. The Bill Roalman (Morro Street) Bicycle Boulevard gives priority to bicycle traffic while a special bicycle traffic signal (one of only a handful in the United States) allows bicyclists their own phase in traffic flow. The SLO County Bicycle Coalition offers a free bicycle valet service during the weekly Farmers' Market. In 2007, the city was designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Silver level by the League of American Bicyclists.

One of my rides took me for a 50 mile jaunt from SLO to Morro Bay to Avila Beach and back to SLO. In the middle of the ride, the skies opened up and I was caught in a heavy, but thankfully brief, downpour that soaked me to the bone. But as they say, every dark cloud has a silver lining.

In my case, the silver lining were the beautiful rainbows that greeted me as the rain moved across the valley. Luckily I had my camera with me, so please enjoy with me the sight of these beautiful rainbows.

Plus je vois les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens

By Debbie Bulloch



It has been quite a while (nearly two months to be precise) since I posted my last blog article. I guess that after the Tour de France ended, I found myself inspired to ride more and write less.

Well, that is about to change. Days are getting shorter now (boo-hoo) and so I find myself with less time to ride my bike after work (double boo-hoo) so now there will be less riding and more writing (and reading).

In my efforts to teach myself French, I have been doing a tad more reading of French text. While reading French I came across this nifty little phrase:

“Plus je vois les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens.”

Loosely translated (and that is all I can do now, loose translations) the phrase means:

“The more I see of men, the more I admire (or love) dogs.”

While the sentiment expressed may be a bit too cynical for me, the fact remains that a dog is man’s (and woman’s) best friend. A dog does not care if its human companion is rich or poor, tall or short, fat or skinny, ugly or beautiful – no matter what the circumstances may be, a dog will give gift us with unconditional love.

Walt Disney understood this relationship between human and canine. In his films, dogs were portrayed in a sympathetic manner: loyal, trustworthy and loving companions.

I still remember the first time that I saw “Lady and the Tramp.” By then, I had already shared my home with canine companions. Seeing Lady and the Tramp, however, made me look at dogs from a different perspective – yes, Disney was guilty of engaging in a little bit (well maybe a lot) of anthropomorphism but the overall effect was to make me more aware of a dog’s “feelings.”

For all of you who love dogs, and old-fashioned Disney films, here are three scenes from Lady and the Tramp.

Enjoy!

Lady and the Tramp – Bella Notte



Lady and the Tramp - He is a Tramp!



Lady and the Tramp – Lullaby

2011 TOUR DE FRANCE FINAL RESULTS

By Debbie Bulloch



It has been almost a week since the end of the Tour de France and I have not yet posted the final race results. Like most bike racing fans, I am still suffering a bit of “Tour withdrawal” so it has taken me this long to finally admit to myself that the Tour is indeed over, at least until next year!

In unexpected fashion, Aussie Cadel Evans finally claimed the yellow jersey that had eluded him in past Tours. As the riders crossed the finish line for the last time at the 2011 Tour de France. Entering this year’s tour, Evans was a two-time runner-up; he was looking to take down two-time defending champion Alberto Contador. Evans raced a perfect, course-blistering, Time Trial (TT) to make up a 57 seconds deficit on Andy Schleck. Not since American Greg Lemond raced against Frenchman Laurent Fignon in the last stage of the 1986 Tour, has there been a more exciting TT.

Mark Cavendish, the Manx Missile, also took down the 21st stage, becoming the first rider to win three sprints on the Champs Elysées and the first British rider ever to win the Green Jersey. Cavendish is now on track to become the most prolific stage winner in Tour history.

While the best finish for an American was 9th place for Tom Danielson (Go Tommy D!) from Team Garmin-Cervelo, this was nevertheless a very good Tour for the English speaking countries. Aussie Evans took the yellow jersey while racing for an American team. Brit Cavendish took the green jersey while also riding for an American team (which, incidentally trains not far from my home). The winner of the team competition, Team Garmin-Cervelo, is an American team (that races on Canadian made bikes). So all in all, an outstanding Tour for the English-speakers.

This was also a great Tour for France and the legions of Francophiles. No Frenchman has won the Tour since Bernard Hinault won it in 1985. This year, however, a young Frenchman, Pierre Rolland of Team Europcar, won le maillot blanc (the white jersey). Le maillot blanc is awarded to the best young rider in the Tour. Past winners of le maillot blanc have included Andy Schleck (three-time second place winner) and Alberto Contador (three time first place winner). So Pierre is in very good company.

Speaking of Team Europcar, who can forget Thomas Voeckler’s heroic battle, through ten stages of the Tour, to keep and defend his maillot jaune. Voeckler finally lost the yellow on Stage 19 of the Tour. But for ten thrilling, electrifying days, the entire French nation and most of the world (except maybe for Luxemburg) turned its eye to le petit Frenchman as he battled fantastic odds to stay in yellow.

I hope that Rolland’s and Voeckler’s performances, along with the showing by several French cycling team that were not expected to do well this year, is a harbinger of good things to come for French cycling. After the huge doping scandal of 1998 (the Festina Affair ) France took the lead in fighting against the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Since 1998, France has adopted, and imposed, the world’s strictest doping controls. Many experts think, I believe rightly so, that France’s tough stand against drug use in cycling has hurt its ability to compete against competitors from other nations that may have more of a laissez-faire attitude towards drug use in sports.

This was one of the most exciting Tours in recent history. I hope that the 2011 Tour demonstrates, finally, that athletes, including cyclists, can be competitive AND clean.

Here are the results for each category at the 2011 Tour de France:

Yellow Jersey (Overall Winner): Cadel Evans, Australia
Green Jersey (Points Classification): Mark Cavendish, Great Britain
Polka Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Samuel Sanchez, Spain
White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Pierre Rolland, France

Here are the top five finishes for each competition category.

General Classification (maillot jaune):

1 Cadel Evans (Australia) BMC Racing Team 86:12:22
2 Andy Schleck (Luxemburg) Leopard Trek 0:01:34
3 Frank Schleck (Luxemburg) Leopard Trek 0:02:30
4 Thomas Voeckler (France) Team Europcar 0:03:20
5 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:03:57

Green jersey (points competition):

1. Mark Cavendish (UK) HTC-Highroad, with 334 points
2. Joaquin Rojas Jose (Spain) Movistar Team, with 272 points
3. Philippe Gilbert (Belgium), Omega Pharma-Lotto, with 236 points
4. Cadel Evans (Australia), BMC Racing Team, with 208 points
5. Thor Hushovd (Norway) Team Garmin-Cervélo, with 195 points

Best young rider:

1. Pierre Rolland (France) Team Europcar, 86h 23′ 05″
2. Rein Taaramae (Estonia) Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne, at 0:46
3. Jérôme Coppel (France) Saur-Sojasun, at 07:53
4. Arnold Jeannesson (France) FdJ, at 10:37
5. Rob Ruijgh (Netherlands), Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 22:21

King of the Mountain (KOM – best climbers):

1. Samuel Sanchez (Spain), Euskaltel-Euskadi, with 108 points
2. Andy Schleck (Luxemburg), Team Leopard-Trek, with 98 points
3. Jelle Vanendert (Belgium), Omega Pharma-Lotto, with 74 points
4. Cadel Evans (Australia), BMC Racing Team, with 58 points
5. Frank Schleck (Luxemburg) Team Leopard-Trek, with 56 points

Team competition:

1. Team Garmin-Cervélo (USA) 258h 18′ 49″
2. Team Leopard-Trek (Luxemburg) at 11:04
3. Ag2r La Mondiale (France) at 11:20
4. Team Europcar (France) at 41:53
5. Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spain) at 52:00

Le Maillot Jaune 2011 Tour de France

ONE DREAM ENDS - ANOTHER DREAM STARTS

By Debbie Bulloch



TOUR DE FRANCE - STAGE 19

French cyclist Pierre Rolland sensationally won stage 19 of the Tour de France at Alpe d'Huez to take the white jersey and move into the top ten in the GC. But it was a hard day for sentimental favorite Thomas Voeckler who lost his yellow jersey after 10 fabulous days in the race lead - despite yet another brave effort.



Pierre Rolland, for 10 days a constant rock beside Thomas Voeckler, came into his own on Friday to win atop Alpe d'Huez. Youngster Rolland is only the second French rider in history to achieve this monumental feat - and the last? Just one Bernard Hinault back in 1986...

Rolland's stunning win takes the edge off Voeckler's loss of the maillot jaune - and also ends France's long wait for a stage on this year's race. What's more, the 24-year-old did not rely on a fortunate breakaway to deliver the goods - Rolland attacked the race's very best climbers on one of cycling's most demanding of climbs, looked to have lost it, then fought back with sheer grit and determination on his way to securing the biggest win of his career.

At the foot of Alpe d'Huez and its legendary 21 hairpins, Rolland broke clear from the leading group of riders just as Voeckler and a large chasing group were returning into the action after the long descent of the Col du Galibier. Rolland soon dropped his fellow escapee, the Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Cervelo), before himself being caught and passed by the three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank), who followed up an attack on the Col du Telegraph with another early attack on Alpe d'Huez.

But Rolland refused to give up, stabilizing his deficit to around 20 seconds while being joined by another Spaniard, the stage 12 winner Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel). Rolland used the wheel of the Olympic champion Sanchez to return to the wheel of Contador before launching his own counter attack with just three kilometers to the summit. Neither Spaniard could respond to Rolland's unexpected dig, and the rider from Orleans kissed his Europcar shirt as he rode over the line 15 seconds clear of Sanchez and 23 seconds ahead of Contador.

Voeckler rode a brilliant stage on Friday, never giving up even when the odds were stacked against him. The former national champion tried his best to keep up with both Contador and Andy Schleck when they broke clear on the first climb of the day, the Col du Telegraph. Voeckler managed to keep the deficit to 30 seconds before deciding to drop back to the main chasing group to rejoin his teammates. But on the ascent of the Col du Galibier, Voeckler could not find the legs to keep in touch, leaving Rolland to ride on with the other favorites.

"I said I wanted to do everything possible to defend the yellow jersey of Thomas but on the climb of the Galibier, Thomas told me, 'Seize your chance, don't worry about me'," said Rolland, adding: "It will take me a little time before I realize what I've done."

Voeckler finished the stage 3:22 down on his teammate but is still in line for a top five finish in Paris. Thomas is currently 2:10 off the pace in fourth place, with his nearest rival being the Italian Damiano Cunego (Lampre) in firth, 3:31 down.

Merci Monsieur Voeckler de dix jours merveilleux.

VOECKLER IN YELLOW AFTER STAGE 18

By Debbie Bulloch



Voeckler lives to stay in yellow for one more day! The common wisdom in cycling circles was that the 2011 Tour de France (TdF) was going to be decided in the final two mountain stages in the Alps.

With two days of enormous climbs, the weak were no longer had anywhere to hide, mountains like Col Agnel, Col d’Izoard, Col du Galibier, and Alpe-d’Huez are too big and too steep for those who aren’t good enough to survive. From the day when TdF founder Henri Desgrange made the decision to include Alpine passes in the Tour, the
high mountains became the place where riders who want to win the Tour make their move and stamp their authority on the race.

On today’s Stage 18, Leopard-Trek rider and two-time runner-up to Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck finally attacked. With a little over 60 kms to go before the stage finish on top of the monster Col du Galibier, Andy Schleck launched a blistering attack. For reasons that are not immediately obvious, the peloton did not react and just let Andy ride away—a big tactical mistake I my opinion. .

The responsibility for chasing Schleck fell on the shoulders of Aussie rider, Cadel Evans. For the final 25 kms of the race, Evans was left to play tow truck for the rest of the peloton.

Somehow, however, through all of the pain of the climbs and despite not being one of the chosen race favorites, Frenchman Thomas Voeckler managed to stay attached to Evans’ wheel and got to the finish line with enough time to retain his yellow jersey for the tenth day.



Voeckler’s lead is now down to a mere 15 seconds – a very tiny, sliver of an edge. (By comparison, American Greg Lemond defeated Laurent Fignon by a mere 8 seconds in the 1989 Tour.) All the so-called experts now agree that Voeckler cannot survive with the maillot jaune until Paris. Voeckler has one big fan in his corner, however. During a recent interview, American champion and seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong stated his support for the Frenchman, stating that it is not impossible for Voeckler to be in yellow on Sunday when the Tour ends.



Let’s hope that Lance is right. So far Voeckler has managed to surprise everyone with his resilience and courage; Voeckler will take his place in the history books as a worthy holder of the famous maillot jaune!

About Thomas Voeckler:

Voeckler has been a professional cycliste since 2001. He currently rides for Team Europcar (formerly known as Bbox Bouygues Telecom, Bouygues Télécom, Brioches la Boulangère, and Bonjour). He comes from the Alsace region of France (which explains his German-sounding last name) but later moved to Martinique, where he was nicknamed "Ti-Blanc" (petit blanc) due to his small stature and pale complexion. He also known as le Chou-Chou ("Sweetheart") perhaps because of his young looks and his habit of sticking out his tongue in races.

The 2011 Team Europcar (le equipe):



Voeckler’s big moment on the cycling world came in the 2004 Tour. In 2004, Voeckler won the French championship; he then entered the 2004 TdF. After escaping with five other riders during Stage 5, Voeckler gained significant time against the peloton, and earned the maillot jaune. To everyone’s surprise, Voeckler defended his jersey for ten days, even on stages not well-suited to his strengths. With the maillot jaune on his shoulders, and intense media attention all around him, Voeckler only rode stronger. He survived the dreaded Pyrenean climbs, seconds ahead of the eventual winner, Lance Armstrong. Eventually, however, Voeckler surrendered the jersey to Armstrong on stage 15 in the French Alps.

But by then, Voeckler had already become a national hero to the bike-crazy French.

I do not know if Voeckler can retain the maillot jaune through tomorrow’s daunting Stage 19. I sure hope he does – he is my sentimental pick to win it all. Even if he does not, however, Voeckler has become one of my cycling heroes!

To quote Robert F. Kennedy (who in turn was quoting Irish writer George Bernard Shaw):

Some men see things as they are and ask,
Why?
Other men dream of things that have never been and ask,
Why not?

Monsiuer Voeckler, I dare you to dream of things that have never been - I dare you to dream that you will wear le maillot jaune in Paris on Sunday.

Bonne chance M. Voeckler. Allez, allez, allez!

STAGE 17 UPDATE - VOECKLER IN YELLOW - AMERICAN PIE ANNIVERSARY

By Debbie Bulloch



In another victory for a Norwegian rider, Edvald Boasson Hagen, from Team Sky, made it two wins in two days for Norway as he crossed the line in Pinerolo to comfortably take victory in Stage 17. With the Viking God of Thunder, Thor Hushovd, taking two stage victories of his own, the 2011 TdF may well be remembered as the “Viking Invasion.”

Hagen now matches compatriot Thor Hushovd and has taken two stage wins in this year's tour after a well-timed attack on the final ascent before an impeccable descent down to the finish line saw him finish 40 seconds ahead of second place Bauke Mollema of Rabobank.



Hagen takes Stage 17 of the TdF

French rider Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) once again successfully defended the maillot jaune. Volcker, however, looked nervous on the descent, taking part in a detour into a driveway where another rider has almost crashed minutes earlier. That unplanned detour made the maillot jaune look like a mountain-bike rider as Voeckler dropped down onto the paved driveway, only just avoiding a nasty fall. Nevertheless, the time that he took to get back to the road ended up costing the Frenchman 27 seconds off his lead. almost half a minute.

Perhaps the pressure of carrying the maillot jaune on his shoulders, and along with it the hopes of an entire French nation that wants to see the first Frenchman to take yellow in more than 25 years, is making Voeckler a little nervous. Tomorrow the race returns to French soil – let’s hope that by then Voeckler will have found a way to shed the pressures of the maillot jaune. The entire French nation is counting on him – no pressure!

Here are the results from Stage 17.

Stage 17 top five finishers:

1. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky Procycling, in 4h 18′ 00″
2. Bauke Mollema, Rabobank Cycling Team, at 00:40
3. Sandy Casar, Fdj, at 00:50
4. Julien El Fares, Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne, at 00:50
5. Sylvain Chavanel, Quick Step Cycling Team, at 00:50

General Classification (top 10 spots after 17 stages):

1. Thomas Voeckler, Team Europcar, in 73h 23′ 49″
2. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing Team, at 1:18
3. Frank Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 01:22
4. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 02:36
5. Samuel Sanchez, Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 02:59
6. Alberto Contador, Saxo Bank Sungard, at 03:15
7. Damiano Cunego, Lampre-Isd, at 03:34
8. Ivan Basso, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 03:49
9. Tom Danielson, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at 06:04
10. Rigoberto Uran, Sky Procycling, at 07:36

Green jersey (sprinters) standings (after 17 stages):

1. Mark Cavendish, HTC-Highroad, with 320 points
2. Joaquin Rojas Jose, Movistar Team, with 285 points
3. Philippe Gilbert, Omega Pharma-Lotto, with 250 points
4. Thor Hushovd, Team Garmin-Cervelo, with 235 points
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky Procycling, with 173 points

King of the Mountain (KOM) standings after 17 stages:

1. Jelle Vanendert, Omega Pharma-Lotto, with 74 points
2. Samuel Sanchez, Euskaltel-Euskadi, with 72 points
3. Jérémy Roy, Fdj, with 45 points
4. Sylvain Chavanel, Quick Step Cycling Team, with 38 points
5. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, with 28 points

“American Pie” Turns 40!

On another news, 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of an American classic, American Pie a song written and performed by songwriter-singer Don McLean.

Recorded on May 26, 1971, the song became a #1 hit in 1972, remaining in the #1 spot for four weeks. The song is well known for its cryptic lyrics that have long been the subject of curiosity and speculation.

So here, for your listening pleasure one of my favorite songs, Don McLean’s “American Pie.

American Pie – DON McLEAN (with lyrics)

STAGE 16 RESULTS - VOECKLER IN YELLOW AND ARC'S RIDE

By Debbie Bulloch



As the Tour de France heads into the mighty Alps, and I watch the riders valiantly climb higher and higher mountains, I am reminded of the lyrics to “The Impossible Dream,” from the musical Man of La Mancha. Man of La Mancha is the story of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes and his tale of a romantic knight-errant, Don Quijote de la Mancha.

In particular, these words seem to capture the essence of what it means to be a rider in the TdF:




To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
…

To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

Substitute the word "arms" for legs, the word “star” for mountain and the word “Hell” for suffering and you have a very apt description of what these riders go through every day as they face the seemingly interminable climbs of the French and Italian Alps.

There is a stanza, in an old poem titled IF , by the famous English writer Rudyard Kipling that also reminds me of the final struggles of a sprinter as he (or she) powers his bike towards the finish line.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

In today’s stage 16 of the TdF, French rider Thomas Voeckler continues to impress his fans across the world by again defending the maillot jaune against numerous attacks by the likes of Cadel Evans, the Schleck brothers and, of course, three-time TdF winner Alberto Contador. No one expected Voeckler, least of all himself, to be in the yellow this far into the final week of the TdF. In fact, in a press conference in yesterday’s rest day, Voeckler said that his chances of winning the maillot jaune in Paris are “zero.” Then, in a very Quijote-like manner, Voeckler added, “but I will keep fighting until the end!”

Let’s hope that Voeckler can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty-seconds worth of hard pedaling so that when the Tour ends in Paris, the maillot jaune, and the love of his appreciative fans and adoring nation, will be his.

Allez Monsieur Voeckler.



Thomas Voeckler as he is being paced by his teammates from Europcar

Here are the results from Stage 16 of the Tour:

Stage 16 results:

1. Thor Hushovd, Team Garmin – Cervelo, in 3h 31′ 38″
2. Boasson Hagen Edvald, Team Sky Procycling, at s.t.
3. Ryder Hesjedal, Team Garmin – Cervelo, at 00:02
4. Tony Martin, Team HTC – Highroad, at 00:38
5. Mikhail Ignatyev, Katusha Team, at 00:52

General classification (GC) after 16 stages:

1. Thomas Voeckler, Team Europcar, in 69h 00′ 56″
2. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing Team, at 01:45
3. Frank Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 01:49
4. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 03:03
5. Samuel Sanchez, Team Euskaltel – Euskadi, at 03:26

Green jersey competition (sprinter points) after 16 stages:

1. Mark Cavendish, Team HTC – Highroad, with 319 points
2. Joaquin Rojas Jose, Movistar Team, with 285 points
3. Philippe Gilbert, Team Omega Pharma – Lotto, with 250 points
4. Thor Hushovd, Team Garmin – Cervelo, with 235 points
5. André Greipel, Team Omega Pharma – Lotto, with 170 points

King of the Mountain (KOM) competition after 16 stages:

1. Jelle Vanendert, Team Omega Pharma – Lotto, with 74 points
2. Samuel Sanchez, Team Euskaltel – Euskadi, with 72 points
3. Jérémy Roy, Team FdJ, with 45 points
4. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, with 28 points
5. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing Team, with 26 points

Report from Arcabulle (Arc) Odriscoll and L’Etape du Tour.

Last night I had an opportunity to chat with Arc about his ride in L’Etape. As I previously reported, the riders in L’Etape had to contend with rain, wind and cold temperatures (7C at the starting line and 4C at the top of the highest climbs); this, in addition to three Category 2 climbs and three Category 3 climbs.

According to Arc, this ride was of “apocalyptic” proportions. Now, you may think that Arc is engaging in a bit of typical Franco-hyperbole . If you are inclined to think of Arc’s description of the ride as pure hyperbole, then please consider the following.

Almost 8000 riders had originally signed up to ride this year's L'Etape. In the morning of the ride, weather conditions along the course were so bad, that only about 4000 riders actually showed up. Think about this, by the time the ride started, the field of riders had already been reduced by 50%. The cyclists who every year ride L'Etape du Tour come from all over the world, they train hard for the ride and pay a high entrance fee to participate in L’Etape. These riders are very committed to their sport, they are not very likely to abandon the race, before it even starts, unless ride conditions were, as Arc said, “apocalyptic.”

Things only got worse after the start; drenching rain, driving winds and numbing cold made the ride extremely difficult. Arc reported seeing riders simply turning around and heading back to the starting line in Issoire. More telling, however, Arc reported seeing riders abandoning their bikes by the side of the road, just for a chance to get out of thecold, wind and rain and on the bus back to Issoire.
In Arc’s own words:

“…on the Plateau de Beille , there was lot of rain and also lot of wind coming in front of us! And on this place, this plateau, we saw lots and lots of riders coming back , they abandoned we were climbing and they were going down they abandoned ! you can't imagine, it was apocalyptic hundred and hundreds of riders were so cold stopped as we say in French, they were "transis de froid" and many girls were very cold too ! it was so incredible ! to give you an example, you know they plan and organize bus and trucks to carry riders and bikes when they abandon ! you know what, they used 30 buses (to carry all the riders who abandoned)…”

I cannot even begin to imagine a situation where I am so tired, so cold and so wet that I would just toss my bike on the side of the road and leave it there.

Arc’s finishing time of just less than 10 hours and 30 minutes may not seem to be very fast compared to the winning time of Spanish rider Luis-Leon Sanchez, from the Dutch Rabobank Cycling Team (5 hours and 27 minutes). Consider, however, that Arc is a regular “Joe” with real life obligations, like the rest of us, that keep him from training like the professionals do. Seen in that light, his overall time in this very challenging ride, is nothing short of amazing. How many of us can pedal a bike for 10 hours plus, while battling mountains, cold, wind and rain. I am a regular rider, but I know that even I cannot accomplish what Arc accomplished: a truly epic performance in a very apocalyptic day.

Congratulations to you Arc and to your family for their love and support while you ride!

VOECKLER STAYS IN YELLOW-ARC COMPLETES THE 2011 L'ETAPE

By Debbie Bulloch



In a relatively flat, fast stage, the surprising French rider Thomas Voeckler successfully defended the maillot jaune for one more day. Voeckler is a tough rider who has managed to surprise all the experts by staying in yellow for this long. In 2004 Voeckler kept the maillot jaune for 10 stages. Lance Armstrong, the eventual winner of the 2004 Tour, said this about Voeckler, “if a man is willing to ride that hard to defend the yellow, let him keep it for as long as he can.”

Could this be the year that a Frenchman stands at the #1 spot in Paris? With Voeckler, it is very possible – stay tuned.

British rider Mark Cavendish, better known as the Manx-missile, outsprinted American rider Tyler Farrar to win stage 15 of the race. In the last five years Cavendish has now won an astonishing 18 stages of the TdF, if he stays on track, he will pass legendary riders such as Bernard Hinault (France) and Eddy Merckx (Belgium) as one of the most successful stage winners. For his efforts, Cavendish has earned the green jersey, “maillot verts.”



Stage 15 quick recap

Stage 15:

1. Mark Cavendish, Htc – Highroad, 4h 20′ 24″
2. Tyler Farrar, Team Garmin – Cervelo, s.t.
3. Alessandro Petacchi, Lampre – Isd, s.t.
4. Daniel Oss, Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.
5. Joaquin Rojas Jose, Movistar Team, s.t.

General Classification standings:

1. Thomas Voeckler, Team Europcar, 65h 24′ 34″
2. Frank Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 1:49
3. Cadel Evans, Bmc Racing Team, at 02:06
4. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 02:15
5. Ivan Basso, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 03:16

King of the mountain standings:

1. Jelle Vanendert, Omega Pharma – Lotto, at 74 points
2. Samuel Sanchez, Euskaltel – Euskadi, at 72 points
3. Jérémy Roy, Fdj, at 45 points
4. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 28 points
5. Cadel Evans, Bmc Racing Team, at 26 points

Green jersey:

1. Mark Cavendish, Htc – Highroad, with 319 points
2. Joaquin Rojas Jose, Movistar Team, with 282 points
3. Philippe Gilbert, Omega Pharma – Lotto, with 248 points
4. Thor Hushovd, Team Garmin – Cervelo, with 192 points
5. André Greipel, Omega Pharma – Lotto, with 170 points

On other bike-related news, our friend Arc completed the 129 miles (209 km) of L’Etape du tour. Arc's time was just under 10 hours and 30 minutes.

The 2011 L’Etape du Tour was one of the most difficult Etape in recent history. Early in the morning, the 4,000-man amateur peloton set off from the start line in the town of Issoire. As I previously wrote, the stage’s profile was very challenging, with eight categorized climbs (3 Cat. 2, 3 Cat. 3 and 2 Cat. 4). Talk about a rollercoaster ride!

In addition to the seemingly endless climbs, the riders had to contend with drenching rain, strong headwinds and cold temperatures (7°C on the route). At the end, only 1982 riders, out of the original 4,000, made all the way to the finish line in the town of Saint-Flour.

Congratulations to our friend Arc and to all those who completed this freezing adventure!

STAGE 14 - VOECKLER REMAINS IN YELLOW - ARC RIDE L'ETAPE

By Debbie Bulloch



As I have written in previous occasions, bike riding is equal parts part physical strength and mental toughness. Feeding the physical engine is simple enough: eat the right foods in the right proportions and your body will be ready for the challenges of a hard ride.

Feeding the mental engine, however, is a bit trickier. There is no one standard “mental fuel” to keep the mental engine in fine fettle as it wills the legs to keep on turning the pedals long after the body has decided to give up.

Some riders feed the mental engine with music; other riders feed the mental engine with meditation. I am not a very religious person, but I find the following passage from the Old Testament to be particularly inspiring, especially when I am climbing a hard hill. The idea of soaring like an eagle and running and not getting tired is particularly powerful.

Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 40:31

Today, French rider Thomas Voeckler rode his bike up the mountains of the Pyrenees as if he had wings like an eagle. After winning the maillot jaune on Stage 9 of the Tour (same stage that our friend Arc will ride this Sunday) Thomas Voeckler was expected to quickly lose yellow jersey on the next following stages.

It seems, however, that someone forgot to tell the tough little French rider that the experts did not have much faith on his ability to hold on to the yellow jersey. Since winning the yellow jersey, Voeckler has beaten back every effort to take the leader’s jersey away from him.

On today’s Stage 14, the pre-race favorites Schleck brothers (Andy and Frank) launched one vicious attack after the other. Assisted by their teammates in the multi-talented and powerful Belgian Leopard-Trek team, the Schleck brothers tried to destroy the peloton and pull the maillot jaune from Voeckler’s back. With pluck and determination, Voeckler responded to every attack as he rode to the top of Plateau de Beille. At the end of the day, Voeckler remained in yellow for one more day making his French compatriots delirious with national pride.



Allez Voeckler. Toi etes un coureur cycliste sans paraeil.

Speaking of “un cycliste sans paraeil,” remember that this Sunday, July 17, our friend Arc will be riding L’Etape de Tour - 129 miles (208 km) from Issoire to Saint-Flour. Keep him on your thoughts (and prayers if you prefer) as he mounts up on wings as an eagle and climbs to the top Col du Pas de Peyrol (La Puy Mary) and later on to the top of Col du Perthus.

Allez Arc!

THE VIKING GOD OF THUNDER WINS STAGE 13 OF THE TOUR

By Debbie Bulloch



Call it the Miracle at Lourdes! World champion Thor Hushovd, the Viking God of Thunder, took his ninth Tour stage victory when he rode alone into Lourdes after an epic 30 km pursuit of plucky French rider Jérémy Roy. The Norwegian rider, who is not known for his climbing ability, had been dropped by the Frenchman on the ascent of the Col d’Aubisque, and was two minutes behind going over the summit, but steadily chipped away at Roy’s advantage.

Hushovd caught David Moncoutié, who had been second over the Aubisque, on the drop from the Col du Soulor, and the pair set about chasing down Roy. At 15km to go, the two chasers had cut Roy’s lead to just 31 seconds.

With little less than 3,000 meters to go before the finish line, Hushovd pedaled away from Moncoutié and was soon up to Roy. The big Norwegian kept on hammering away, jumping past Roy and going on to win the stage.

Roy came in on third place just 26 seconds behind Hushovd and 16 seconds behind second place finisher Moncoutié. Roy, however won the polka dot King of the Mountain (KOM) jersey for his phenomenal attack on the Col d’Aubisque.



THE VIKING GOD OF THUNDER ENJOYS HIS VICTORY

There was no change in the overall standings, with Thomas Voeckler finishing towards the front of the peloton to hold the yellow jersey for another day.




MAP OF STAGE 13 OF THE TdF





PROFILE OF STAGE 13 OF THE TdF

Not a bad day for the European riders: a stage victory for Thor, French rider Voeckler defending his maillot jaune for one more day and fellow compatriot Roy earning the polka dot jersey. Mark Cavendish, the Manx-missile (he is from the Isle of Man, located right smack in the middle of England, Ireland and Scotland) retained his maillot verts (green jersey)

Quick Results

Stage 13:

1. Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) in 3 hours, 47 minutes, 36 seconds
2. David Moncouti (Cofidis) at 00.10
3. Jeremy Roy (FdJ) at 00.26

General Classification:

1. Thomas Voeckler, Team Europcar, in 55h 49′ 57″
2. Frank Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 1:49
3. Cadel Evans, Bmc Racing Team, at 02:06
4. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 02:17
5. Ivan Basso, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 03:16


Congratulation to ALL riders for yet another epic effort riding up the mountains of the Pyrenees.

Finally, the answer to yesterday’s quiz question: What BEATLES' song opens with the starting notes from "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem.

The answer: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Take a listen!

BEATLES - ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY AND STAGE 12 OF THE TOUR

By Debbie Bulloch



Today is Bastille Day, the French national holiday that commemorates the storming of the Bastille July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis XVI’s Ancient Regime. The storming of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution. By capturing this symbol of the French monarchy, the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

Although the Bastille only held seven prisoners at the time of its capture, the storming of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the Tricolore flag, it symbolized the Republic's three ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all French citizens.

Bastille Day was declared the French national holiday July 6, 1880. As in the United States, where the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, signaled the start of the American Revolution, in France the storming of the Bastille began their Great Revolution. In both countries, the national holiday thus symbolizes the beginning of a new form of government.

To read more about Bastille Day (from a previous Between Homes blog article) go here



Do you want a “traditional” French dish to celebrate Bastille Day? Then try mussels steamed in wine with shallots, garlic, and lots of parsley and oven-fried pommes frites flavored with herbes de Provence.

To celebrate Bastille Day in great style, French riders in today’s Stage 12 of the Tour de France (TdF) won significant victories.

On this special day for the French people, French rider Thomas Voeckler, of Team Europcar, defended the maillot jaune that he won on Stage 9 of the TdF. This marks the first time, in many years, when a French rider wears the maillot jaune on Bastille Day. Another French rider, Jérémy Roy, was the first rider to reach the summit at Col de Tourmalet. So on Bastille Day, France is 2 for 2. Félicitations! Viva La France!

Here is a recap of Stage 12:

The Tourmalet

After experiencing technical problems on the descent before the final climb to the Tourmalet, Welsh rider Geraint Thomas was a man on a mission as he pedaled his way up the Tourmalet, dropping his remaining breakaway companions and going at it alone for the second half of the foggy climb. In the meantime, French rider Jérémy Roy valiantly hung on to Thomas’ wheel. But on this day, the French rider would not be denied a victory. Roy finally made contact with Thomas just under a kilometer (0.62 miles) from the top and eventually took the King Of the Mountain (KOM) points and a cash prize of $7,000 Euros (or approximately $5,000 USD in this lousy year for the US dollar).

Final climb to Luz-Ardiden

On the descent from the Tourmalet, Sammy Sanchez (from the Basque team Euskaltel – Euskadi) hit the base of the final climb with a 20-second gap. As the climb steepened, Sanchez and Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) caught and dropped Thomas and Roy. The pair looked fresh and traded paces steadily and built a gap of over a minute ahead of the yellow jersey group.

Thomas Voeckler and his team took over the front at the base, as the lead group dwindled to nine or 10 riders. In the final 3000 meters before reaching the summit at Luz-Ardiden, the Schleck brothers (Andy and Frank), Alberto Contador (last year’s winner of the TdF), Cadel Evans, Voeckler, Ivan Basso formed a group to give chase to Sanchez. After at least four attacks, Frank Schleck finally got free. Evans and Basso took up the chase, with Andy Schleck, Cunego and Contador following and Voeckler finally losing contact.

Frank Schleck quickly closed on Sanchez, coming within sight in the last 500 meters. Sanchez, however, would not be denied and powered the final 300 meters to cross the finish line seven seconds ahead of Jelle Vanendert and 10 seconds ahead of Frank Schleck (team Leopard-Trek).

Quick results:

Stage 12 Results

1. Samuel Sanchez, Euskaltel – Euskadi, 6h 01′ 15″
2. Jelle Vanendert, Omega Pharma – Lotto, at 0:07
3. Frank Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 00:10
4. Ivan Basso, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 00:30
5. Cadel Evans, Bmc Racing Team, at 00:30

General Classification (overall standings)

1. Thomas Voeckler, Team Europcar, at 01:49
2. Frank Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 1:49
3. Cadel Evans, Bmc Racing Team, at 02:06
4. Andy Schleck, Team Leopard-Trek, at 02:17
5. Ivan Basso, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 03:16


Here are some pictures of the Tourmalet in previous TdF:



Tourmalet 1934 – Please note the poor road conditions. Also note the absence of team cars to support the riders. The riders had to carry their own supplies, including spare tires (see them draped across the rider’s chest and shoulders).





Tourmalet 1937 – Take a close look at the pulley arm underneath the bike, right behind the front chainring and ahead of the rear gears. These pulleys were the predecessors of the modern front derailleur; they helped keep the chain properly tensioned when the rider shifted from the big ring to the small ring (in the front).





Tourmalet 1952 – By now, riders were using “modern” bikes with regular front and rear derailleurs.





Tourmalet 2003 – American rider Lance Armstrong and German rider jan Ullrich battle it to the top. Eventually Lance would win the stage and the TdF.





Profile map of Stage 12 of the 2011 TdF.

Finally, in honor of Bastille Day, here is a little musical quiz. What BEATLES' song opens wiht the starting notes from "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem?

Look for the answer in the next blog post.

HOW TO BEAT THE PAIN - MORE TdF "STUFF"

By Debbie Bulloch



Yesterday I wrote about what it means to “suffer” on the bike. I may have left the impression that bike riding is all pain and no fun. While there is some amount of pain involved in bike riding, for the most part riding a bike is a great deal of fun. If bike riding were not a fun, healthy and socially responsible activity, you would not see so many people out on their bikes, enjoying the fresh air.

Bike riding, however, is more than just making your feet spin in a circle to transmit forward momentum to the bike and keep moving forward (hopefully while staying upright). As Henri Desgrange the man who created the Tour de France (TdF) once commented, bike riding is all about the “tete et jambes” (head and legs).

There is a huge mental component involved in bike riding. Simply put, bike riding often becomes a purely mental exercise. We all have heard tales of the human body accomplishing incredible feats of strength-the same is true in bike riding. For a bike rider there are many situations when the chips are down and Dr Pain starts to knock at the door. This is the time to mentally battening down the hatches and telling your subconscious to ignore the pain coming from the legs and to just keep on going for another meter, for another kilometer. Or as Desgrange might have said: tete over jambes!

I find the following suggestions useful when under pressure. For those readers accustomed to racing or really intense levels of exercise where you push your boundaries, you’ll already have your own methods to overcome physical barriers with mental strength. I just speak from the experience of having been deep in the Hurt Locker:

Music: When I am riding hard, and especially when I am climbing hills, I like to listen to classical music. I picture myself as the orchestra’s conductor, directing the musicians (my muscles) to just play along and to keep on playing until the finale.

In a group ride, if I am struggling to keep up with better or faster riders I wait for someone to come past, and grab his wheel and I hold it as long as I can. When it start to hurt my tete tells my jambes, “two more pedal rotations.” Then two more. And two more. It is a case of pushing through my comfort zone, and getting into that red zone, and adjusting to it. Then pushing just a little bit more. This takes a lot of practice, but you need to be able to focus intensely on one thing: be it holding a wheel, or looking for posts at the side of the road and getting to the next one. This advice especially for climbing - climbing is really all about dominating your body with your mind. Many a time I’ve been on a climb and grabbed a wheel of someone much stronger and focused ALL my mental energy on just holding that wheel, and managed to ride way outside my comfort zone and to the top of the climb.

Another thing that helps me when my jambes are ready to give up is to set small targets. This is a process where you target an object just up the road – say a signpost or a tree and aim to reach it (but don’t hit it). You quickly look for the next target and bit by bit you make your way up the road (or up that nasty hill). Often, I find the process of intensely concentrating on a small, reachable target distracts me from any discomfort I am feeling. I usually then regain strength and can tap out a good rhythm again. Incidentally, this process works in “real life” as well as it works on a bike out on the road. Many times, we face a seemingly daunting project (whether it is finishing a report at work or studying for finals at school). Instead of looking at the ENTIRE project and becoming dispirited by its sheer size, try instead to focus on small sections of the project. When you complete one small portion, move on to the next and then next and then to the next. Before you know it, you will be done with the entire project and what at first seemed to be an impossible task, ends up being a very manageable project.

Finally, the best advice I can give you is: Remain Relaxed!

Nothing is worse for your body than tensing up, gritting your teeth, sucking your stomach in.

No, no, no.

You need to create a frame with your arms, lats, and lower half of your body to “carry” your innards, like a big Sikorsky helicopter. The frame provides a compartment that should be relaxed, so your lungs and diaphragm can operate without restriction.

Following these bits of advice, learned from my own trips to the Hurt Locker, won’t necessarily make you a better rider or climber. I hope, however, that when the pain comes, you will remember my advice and will be able to ride through the “suffering.”

Finally, here are some pictures of suffering and joy, from Stage 9 of the 2011 TdF (the same stage that Arc will be riding on Sunday, July 17). Enjoy!



Dutch rider Johnny Hoogerland suffering after he crashed into a barbed wire fence.





Johnny Hoogerland happy after winning the King of the Mountain shirt in Stage 9 (after crashing)





Belgium rider Van der Broeck in pain after crashing and breaking his collarbone.





French rider Tommy Voeckler happy after winning Stage 9 and wearing the maillot jaune. (Last time Thomas wore the yellow jersey was back in 2004.)





Well, I don't know if this bulls is suffering or not, but he does not seem too interested in the TdF riders passing by him.