I have just come back from Barcelona - a birthday gift from my beloved to watch Le Tour. This was probably the greatest birthday present ever despite the unusually heavy (actually, make that torrential) rain. Just being in a city that gradually shuts down as the caravan approaches, the air thickening with anticipation and the cafes turning their tv screens to Eurosport to watch the army of riders, support vehicles and commercial flotsam wend its way to its heart is an experience never to be forgotten. Magically the rain ceased as the flotilla of freebie giving trucks and cars crawled up the Parallel artery before disappearing into Montjuic. Then, as we waited on the slope that once hosted the Olympic Games, we listened to the mix of French and Catalan commentary announcing the impending arrival of THE greatest sporting event on Earth. 'Millar, Millar, Millar deux kilometres, trente seconds', Millar, vignt seconds' and so it went until finally, with one kilometer to go Dave was gobbled up, leaden legged but totally heroic to anybody listening, watching or praying that he might just hold out.
I thought it couldn't get any better than to be so close to the rain sodden peleton but how wrong can a man be? The next day, with the modest intention of getting as close as possible to the departing peleton, I walked as far as I could towards the start point. The closer I got, the closer I wanted to be and seeing the team cars and buses parking up made me determined to try and get even closer. Walking as far up the fenced pit lane as possible I could suddenly see the high barriers disappear into low-line ones with gaps - not 'squeeze through and we'll catch you gaps' but full, open 'come on in, well done, you got this far' gaps! Straight in, no questions and no problems - N-I-R-V-A-N-A!!!!!!! The world of cycling still seems so open compared to other sports (Astana maybe not so much) and being so close to all the riders, bikes and hangers on was incredible.
I don't want to shoot all my arrows (about 300!) in one post so will leak out the images over the remaining days of the race. But just a couple of mentions for now - Ballan is a real gent, stopping for many pictures with a gracious smile and total charm. He also looks so good on a bike - a true champion. And Contador, I only wish I had kept my presence of mind to get a better picture of what I am sure will be this year's winner (it is so hard when riders were clicking past me like leaves falling from a tree).
Literally a morning of walking amongst the giants.
