Dynamos on Tour ( De France )

[butcherboy]

There are many dynamos out in France this week. Well 4 that I know of. Clover, stumpy and our teacher Nick have all been climbing the Alps. I have been dragging my family around the north of France chasing the tour in a motor home. (With bikes on the back)

We arrived in St malo Monday morning where a stage was going to finish the next day. There was no sign of a bike race anywhere. Asking the locals all day where the tour will finish, they all either didn’t know or didn’t care.

We needn’t of worried where to find the finish because next morning the town was transformed into 1 big circus that is the tour. Our camp site was just a 10 minute bike ride out of town and we thought that getting into town by 10 am was early enough for a 5.30 finish. But there was thousands of people there. We walked up and down the last 100 meters of the route to find a decent place to watch but it was already 2/3 deep. I got a place about 50 meters the other side of the finish line with the bonus of being right opposite the podium.

I stood there for 6 hours waiting (jan went shopping). It was worth it though, the atmosphere was great and we could watch them coming in on the big screens. Met a fellow cyclist from Jersey who had just popped over for the day. Asking about his riding, he said that Jersey was very hilly but that it was only 12 miles long and 5 miles wide. Talk about hamsters in a wheel!

Also met Sean Kelly who said to put your money on Cav, what does he know about cycling ( Kittel won).

After the race we barged our way to the sky bus and I was admiring a pinnarello parked behind the bus when who came out but David Brailsford. Jan was star struck and had her photo taken with him then he promptly jumped on the bike and sped off.

With that I heard a loud shout ‘can I have your autograph please dynamo’. Turned around and who was standing there but our teacher Nick.

The next day was the time trial. It was about an hours drive away. We planned the night before on where to watch it and left St malo at 7.30 next morning (Much to the delight of my family). Arrived on the course at a little village called Juilley. There was hundreds there but managed to get a good place on a bend. The first cyclist came through at 10 am and the last (froome) went through at 5 o’clock. A long and very hot day but worth it.

On the ferry now on our way back. My first experience of the tour and I would recommend it to all keen cyclists. Maybe next year we can watch a big mountain stage, down in the alps or Pyrenees. Any one up for it?

[Clover]

I agree with you Andrew 100%, it’s worth every second of the long wait to see the pro’s fly past. I cycled 18 miles up to the Col Du Glandon at 5:30 in the morning to watch Sir Brad breeze his way over the top last year.

Just arrived back early AM today, fantastic trip again, Alpe D Huez, Col Du Glandon and many other Col’s. The Marmotte sportive passed though our village all 8,000 riders, so two days later we thought we would give it a go, “How hard could it be” was mentioned.. Well, first up was the Col du glandon altitude 1,924m next up to the Telefraphe altitude 1,566m which leads straight on to the Col du Galibier altitude 2,642m and finally a mountain top finish at Alpe du Huez altitude 1,801m, yep it was Bloody hard..110 miles in 9:08 hrs and 7,933m of climbing.. anyone interested in signing up for next years Marmotte ? It really is cycling heaven.

Photo’s to follow with Narberth dynamos shirt on display. (when I can work out how to add them)

[Andrew_Wright]

Perhaps a trip to the Alps next year for the Dynamos?

The Cardiff Ajax trip I just return from was more than worth it, with £150 covering a chalet in the Alps (just 25km from Alpe D’Huez) and £180 covering all transport (van hire, petrol and tolls). We managed to get to three stages, the second individual time trial where we could easily get a spot on the barriers on the finish, Alpe D’Huez the following day plus seeing them roll out the following morning.

The riding there is spectacular, climbing over 10,000m during the week with a few of the major cols concurred at a leisurely pace.

Road trip next year?

[Andrew_Wright]

I think team cars are the way forward for the club! (see pic)

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