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.

L'ETAPE DE TOUR - ARC WILL RIDE AGAIN!

By Debbie Bulloch



American singer and songwriter Carly Simon once sang:

'Cause I haven't got time for the pain
I haven't got room for the pain
I haven't the need for the pain

Obviously, Carly Simon is not a bike rider because if she were, she would find a way to make room for “the pain.” Bike riding is, to a large extent, about pain and suffering. If you haven’t got time for the pain, you should pursue some other endeavour, such as stamp collecting. If, on the other hand, you wish to channel your inner-masochist then get on a bike and head for the hills.

People who do not ride a bike on a regular basis do not understand that suffering and bike riding are inextricably linked. Just like peaches and cream, peanut butter and jelly, ying and yang, and Ben and Jerry (of ice cream fame), riding and suffering go together hand in hand. Non-riders constantly ask me: what kind of sport is this where pain is your constant riding companion and what kind of person is crazy enough to voluntarily subject himself to such suffering?

There are no easy answers because unless you have been on a bike, at the end of a long, 60-mile ride, climbing your fourth 8% grade hill of the day, you cannot understand the concept of suffering. The kind of suffering that a bike rider undergoes is not the stupid kind of suffering of the guy in the movie JACKASS who blows up a firecracker attached to his genitals. The kind of suffering that bike riders undergo on a regular basis is the same kind of suffering that a brittle piece of iron ore suffers when it is repeatedly heated and pounded with a hammer until it turns into a strong, sharp piece of steel that will go into the blade of a fine, unbreakable katana.

Suffering on the bike makes the rider a better rider. Suffering also helps to make him (or her) a better person. Only when a person is pushed to the very limits of his performance envelope, is he capable of knowing exactly what kind of “stuff” he is made up. You will never know how far you can go, until you have been there and back.

On July 2, 2011, the 98th Tour de France (or TdF) began and almost right from the start the suffering began. Most Americans only know the TdF as that really long bike race in the month of July, when every French man, woman and child goes on holiday and the country closes down. In reality, however, the TdF is more than a really long bike race – it is a three week party for sadists (the fans who delight in watching their favorite rider suffer on a long, steep climb and the tour organizers who are more than happy to accommodate the fans) and for masochists (every one else in the race). Anyone who has ridden a bike up even a moderate hill knows that at the core of our sport is suffering.

Eskimos have over a hundred words for “snow.” TdF riders can spit out a thousand lactic-acid singed grunts during a climb up a Category 1 mountaintop – each grunt as unique as a snowflake in hell.

Of course, the men who ride in the TdF (there are no women TdF riders – what’s wrong with this picture?) chose to do so, so it must follow that they also freely chose the pain and the suffering that is part of the TdF. No one has ever put a gun to the head of a would-be rider and forced him to climb atop his Bianchi and pedal away. Things were a little different in the early days of the TdF (or for that matter the Giro d’Italia or la Vuelta de España). Back in those days most bike racers came from desperately poor backgrounds – for these early riders the choice was between suffering on the agricultural fields and coalmines or suffering on the bike. At least while riding a bike through the Alps or the Dolomites the view changes all the time – the same cannot be said for working in a coalmine a mile underground.

This coming Sunday, July 17, my close and dear friend (salut mon cheri ami) and Between Homes contributor/officer, Arcabulle Odriscoll will ride on the 2011 L’Etape du Tour. L’Etape du Tour (French for 'stage of the Tour') is an organized mass participation cyclosportive event that allows amateur cyclists to race over the same route as a Tour de France stage. First held in 1993, and now organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation, ASO (the same people who sponsor the TdF, it takes place each July on a Tour rest day.

L’Etape du Tour is normally held over mountain roads in either the Pyrenees or French Alps, up climbs such as the Col du Galibier, Col d'Aubisque, Mont Ventoux or the Col du Tourmalet. Upwards of 8,500 riders participate - many travelling from other countries to compete - and the event takes place on roads closed by the police to other traffic, with refreshment stops and medical support provided along the route.

Monsieur Odriscoll like most riders, myself included, is a glutton for suffering. M. Odriscoll (or Arc as we affectionally call him) has participated in past L’Etape du Tour. In 2009 Arc rode to the top of Mont Ventoux (elevation 6,273 feet/1,912 meters). Last year, Arc rode to the slightly higher top of Col du Tourmalet (elevation 6,939 feet/2115 meters). This year Arc will ride L’Etape from Issoire to Saint Flour. This is the same stage that saw several riders involved in spectacular crashes forcing many of them to abandon the race. Arc’s epic ride will not only be long and painful, it will also be extremely dangerous – who says that the French are just a bunch of frogleg eating poseurs?

The 2011 L’Etape will be 129 miles (208 km) long and it will feature so many climbs and descent along the 129-mile course that it has been referred to as the “roller-coaster” stage.

The following climbs will be included in Arc’s Sunday ride:

Issoire (Departure) to Saint-Flour (Arrival) - 129 miles/208 km

• Mile 27/Km 43.5 - Côte de Massiac – 2.12 miles/3.4 km climb to 6.2 % - Category 3
• Mile 61.8/Km 99.5 - Col du Pas de Peyrol (Le Puy Mary) (5,213 feet/1589 m) – 4.8 miles/7.7 km climb to 6.2 % - Category 2
• Mile 72.0/Km 116.0 - Col du Perthus (4,295 feet/1309 m) – 2.74 miles/4.4 km climb to 7.9 % - Category 2
• Mile 79.22/Km 127.5 - Col de Cère (4,245 feet/1294 m) – 1.80 miles/2.9 km climb to 6.3 % - Category 3
• Mile 86.70/Km 139.5 - Côte de la Chevade – 1.86 miles/3.0 km climb to 7.9 % - Category 3
• Mile 95.70/Km 154.0 - Col de Prat de Bouc (Plomb du Cantal) (4,567 feet/1392 m) – 4.97 miles/8.0 km climb to 6.1 % - Category 2
• Mile 119.90/Km 193.0 - Côte du Château d'Alleuze – 1.25 miles/2.0 km climb to 4.9 % - Category 4
• Mile 129/Km 208.0 – Saint-Flour Montée des Orgues – 1.0 mile/1.6 km climb to 6.1 % - Category 4

The difficulty of a climb is established by its steepness, length and its position on the course. The easiest climbs are graded 4 while the hardest climbs are graded 1. Then there are the exceptional climbs (such as the Tourmalet) that are so difficult that they are beyond category or hors catégorie in French. In fact, the term “Hors catégorie” has now entered the French language to refer to any exceptional phenomenon. Notable hors catégorie peaks include the Col du Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux, Col du Galibier, the climb to the ski resort of Hautacam, and Alpe d'Huez. Our friend Arc has already climbed two of the hors catégorie mountain tops in the TdF - Mont Ventoux and the Tourmalet.

The 2011 L’Etape will feature eight categorized climbs: three Category 2 climbs, three Category 3 climbs and two Category 4 climbs.

Come this Sunday, while most of us will be enjoying a quiet morning drinking coffee, eating pastries and doing the crossword puzzle, our friend Arc will be on his velo (bike) suffering as he, and 7500 other hardy souls, pedal the hard miles from the lovely town of Issoire to the top of Saint-Flour.

Please keep him in your thoughts and channel all your spare energy to him. When Arc’s leg muscles want to stop moving and he cannot pedal another stroke, he will feel a huge rush of energy coming from all of his friends at Between Homes – your thoughts will be like a tailwind, pushing him to the summit.

Allez Arc, Allez!

NOTES ABOUT THE 2011 L’ETAPE DE TOUR:

For a map of the 2011 L’Etape course click here:

Map 2011 L’Etape de Tour

Elevation (profile) map of the 2011 L’Etape (click to enlarge):



The towns of the 2011 L’Etape de Tour.

Issoire – departure

• 14, 780 inhabitants

• Sub-prefecture of Puy-de-Dôme (63)
Issoire is at the centre of a small community near Clermont-Ferrand, whose architecture and landscape give it a Mediterranean feel, where its rich heritage sits side-by-side with its industrial know-how.

The Saint-Austremoine abbey, one of the largest churches in the southern Auvergne, shows off its bright stonework, its colors and ornamental style, while from the top of the clock tower, a fiftenth-century belfry, visitors are afforded stunning views of the town.

Issoire is also famous for its light aircraft industry thanks to the Wassmer family. The APM-20 Lionceau is manufactured here, for example. Alcan is home to the world’s first aluminium-lithium casting factory, while Issoire is also home to major businesses such as Aubert et Duval, Valéo, Praxy Bourbié and the Moniot group.

On a cultural level, concerts are a regular treat for those living in Issoire, which has welcomed artists such as rap star Abd Al Malik and singer Thomas Fersen. Summer brings with it festivals for folklore and Roman art, night-time markets and a rugby tournament. A protected nature area (the town has been awarded ’three flowers’ for its flower displays and natural environment, and is a candidate to be awarded a fourth), Issoire prides itself on being a warm and welcoming town to all.



Saint-Flour – arrival

• 7, 300 inhabitants

• Sub-prefecture of Cantal (15)

The capital of the Haute-Auvergne, Saint-Flour is a lively city served by the A75 motorway. It is unique in that it split between two levels: the upper city on the volcanic plateau of Planèze at 900 metres, and the lower city down in the Ander valley. Known as an area of history and art, Saint-Flour boasts a rich heritage, and is home to the fifteenth-century Saint Peter’s cathedral and the Halle aux bleds – a fourteenth-century Gothic church, which has recently been renovated so as to show off its wooden archways, its volcanic rock sculptures and its bright colours once more. Nicknamed ’The Windy City’ by the poet Camille Gandilhon Gens d’Armes, Saint-Flour plays host all-year-round to a number of festivals.

The Festival des Hautes Terres celebrates mountain culture, while la Festa del Païs brings together the world of agriculture. Then there’s the Chemin d’Art Contemporain, when works of art are displayed around the town, and the Dit d’Alleuze festival – a night-time spectacle in the heart of the Gorges de la Truyère.