Rendezvous with the Tour de France next!

It’s that time of the year, that time I leave the shop and head to France to LeTour. Something I look forward to for the longest time, spend untold hours planning and getting everything together, and still, the last couple days before I leave, I’m a stressed-out mess.

Tomorrow is one of those endless travel days, starting with a 10am flight from SFO to Chicago, then head to Munich and finally to Lyon. Three flights (4 hrs, 9 hrs, 1.5 hrs) with about 90 minutes between each. Then a train from Lyon to Avignon, rent a car and a short trip to our hotel 4 miles away. Leave on Thursday, arrive Friday. Settle in, then Saturday we ride from Avignon to Orange to see the old Roman Amphitheater, a check-out ride before the main event… Sunday’s ride up Ventoux. I wish I could say I’m looking forward to Ventoux. That this 4th time up it will be the time I’ve tamed it. Instead, I’m thankful for SPD pedals and shoes that allow me to stop and walk up sections if I have to. We’ll see!

The next day we drive to Grenoble where we stay for 6 nights, visiting all of the Alps stages (including the infamous day on Alpe d’Huez where the racers climb it twice!), then a Sunday morning train to Paris for the finale, and Monday morning, early, another train from Paris to Brussels where we catch a plane home.

And of course, it will all be documented here! –Mike–






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