Monthermé was not far from the start and my Garmin StreetPilot C510
knew where to go. The race was to pass the town to go to nearby hills to
come back to the climbing goal. When they came, I saw Jens Voigt
in the break. I thought, "Wow! He is looking good. He can win this."
Other race fans on a bike, a lot of them, seemed to move to a mountain
point to see the race. They were locals and they knew what to do next.
I thought of following them but abandoned the chase. I had not
slept a second since Saturday morning.
I slowly but cheerfully climbed the last climb of 4km to the goal where
Team buses were already waiting for the riders. It was warm and
rather sunny by then. I stood about 220m before the goal.
And it happened. I knew Jens were still ahead of the peloton because the
French voice from the loud speakers announced his name at time.
From what I understood, with my poor French, the voice was telling
things like "the best placed French rider is whoever-so and he is
with whoever-so from Lampre in a group of ..." I could not see
who was leading. I had noticed this earlier that the French must
stress French names no matter what the race situation was.
I remember listening to French radio chasing the race in my car, Tour
de France 2006, and I could not understand what was happening
as I only kept hearing French riders' names.
Anyway, Jens Voigt came all alone with a rather big lead. Andreas
Kloden passed me next only to be passed by Valverde before the
goal. They were with in 1m from me. I tactically stood on the side
of the road where I knew riders would pass. I shouted, "Jens!!" but
I don't know if he heard it.
Jens Voigt, or shold I say, "Yents Voit", looked great in yellow and
green. With the lead he had, he could win the race unless he had a
flat during the short ITT.
I had my car parked in the town. I went back to it and consulted with
my GPS. I wanted drive to Charleville-Mézières. First my GPS told
me to pass the goal, where I had been earlier, to get to Charleville-Mézières
but the workers were still busy dismounting the podium and the
barricade when I got there. Police officers told me gently that
I could not get through that road and suggested kindly that I should
take the route along the river.
So I drove back down the hill. I drove along the river, La Meuse, but
my GPS insisted repeatedly that I turn round until finally, when I got
closer to Charleville-Mézières, it agreed with me and showed me the
way.
I found the place. Some Team buses were already there. It was
that typical European mid-size city center, a square with a fountain,
cafés and those pigeons if not doves. I guess I saw almost exactly the
same square in Mons in Belgium, 2006 Giro d'Italia stage 2 start.
I found them by the fountain two Danish nationals eating lunch, one
more to join a moment later-picking up the lunch at nearby café, whom
I last saw in Paris 2006. They are also Team CSC fans, of course.
knew where to go. The race was to pass the town to go to nearby hills to
come back to the climbing goal. When they came, I saw Jens Voigt
in the break. I thought, "Wow! He is looking good. He can win this."
Other race fans on a bike, a lot of them, seemed to move to a mountain
point to see the race. They were locals and they knew what to do next.
I thought of following them but abandoned the chase. I had not
slept a second since Saturday morning.
I slowly but cheerfully climbed the last climb of 4km to the goal where
Team buses were already waiting for the riders. It was warm and
rather sunny by then. I stood about 220m before the goal.
And it happened. I knew Jens were still ahead of the peloton because the
French voice from the loud speakers announced his name at time.
From what I understood, with my poor French, the voice was telling
things like "the best placed French rider is whoever-so and he is
with whoever-so from Lampre in a group of ..." I could not see
who was leading. I had noticed this earlier that the French must
stress French names no matter what the race situation was.
I remember listening to French radio chasing the race in my car, Tour
de France 2006, and I could not understand what was happening
as I only kept hearing French riders' names.
Anyway, Jens Voigt came all alone with a rather big lead. Andreas
Kloden passed me next only to be passed by Valverde before the
goal. They were with in 1m from me. I tactically stood on the side
of the road where I knew riders would pass. I shouted, "Jens!!" but
I don't know if he heard it.
Jens Voigt, or shold I say, "Yents Voit", looked great in yellow and
green. With the lead he had, he could win the race unless he had a
flat during the short ITT.
I had my car parked in the town. I went back to it and consulted with
my GPS. I wanted drive to Charleville-Mézières. First my GPS told
me to pass the goal, where I had been earlier, to get to Charleville-Mézières
but the workers were still busy dismounting the podium and the
barricade when I got there. Police officers told me gently that
I could not get through that road and suggested kindly that I should
take the route along the river.
So I drove back down the hill. I drove along the river, La Meuse, but
my GPS insisted repeatedly that I turn round until finally, when I got
closer to Charleville-Mézières, it agreed with me and showed me the
way.
I found the place. Some Team buses were already there. It was
that typical European mid-size city center, a square with a fountain,
cafés and those pigeons if not doves. I guess I saw almost exactly the
same square in Mons in Belgium, 2006 Giro d'Italia stage 2 start.
I found them by the fountain two Danish nationals eating lunch, one
more to join a moment later-picking up the lunch at nearby café, whom
I last saw in Paris 2006. They are also Team CSC fans, of course.
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