Stage Twelve

 

I had hoped to get within forty miles of tomorrow’s stage finish in Carcassone for my first Big Screen viewing experience, but swirling winds and considerable climbing left me ten miles short of my goal.  It still should be no issue to reach Carcassonne before the route is closed tomorrow, but if so, there is an alternate road I can take to the stage finish.  

I could be accompanied by Ralph as he turned up in the bar where I was watching today’s stage.  He has been playing tag with The Tour since Stage Seven, skipping the Alps as I did and rejoining the route to Valence, reaching it a day after me.  He’s traveling with just one bag on an arm jutting out from under his seat post, as his carbon fiber bike doesn’t accept panniers, so no camping for him, making him much speedier on the bike than me.  He’s at a hotel ten miles behind me, so shouldn’t have any problem overtaking me.  If not, we’ll meet under the Big Screen.

It could be good luck for Cavendish, as we saw him win Stage One of the 2016 Tour at Utah Beach, watching it on the Big Screen at the finish line.  We didn’t see him win today, as his team chose not to chase down the thirteen-man break that formed early in the race and gained a fifteen-minute gap on the peloton, relaxing after yesterday’s tough day on Ventoux. 

German Nils Politt escaped the breakaway before it entered Nimes gaining a much needed win for his Bora team, whose leader Sagan left The Race before today’s start with a sore knee, going back to his Stage Three crash. So that’s one less sprinter for Cavendish to contend with, not only in the sprints but for the Green Jersey.

There wasn’t much activity on the narrow roads I was riding today and few decorations, just one lone over-sized wooden bike.

And some token yellow flags going every which way in the wind.

On the only categorized climb a group of townsmen were constructing some design for the helicopter pilots.  

I was finally able on the long day in the saddle to catch up with all the cycling podcasts.  The granddaddy of them all, The Cycling Podcast, added a new voice to its crew of journalists covering The Tour, a precocious and perky young woman, Kate Wagner, filling in for Lionel Birnie the first week. She is covering her first Tour and brings the perspective of a classical violinist and architectural critic.  

She gushes with enthusiasm making such comments as feeling “an immense sense of privilege to be at The Tour,” so much so that her “one dream in life has come true.”  After spending time on Le Mont Ventoux during yesterday’s stage she said it was one of the best experiences of her life.  Though she articulates her thoughts very well, her naïveté comes through from time to time.  

When she commented she didn’t think the riders were giving it their all, saving themselves for the Olympics, Richard Moore didn’t correct her, well knowing The Tour supersedes all.  He just said, “That's an interesting alternative view.”  Still, she enlivened the podcast with her enthusiasm and the guys promised to have her back for more.  Her personal Kilomter 0 from July 1 of her fresh impressions of The Tour is well worth a listen.

With only four Americans in The Race this year, and all in support roles, they haven’t gotten much attention.  Randy and Dean Warren on their podcast are the only ones giving them much of a mention.  One of them, Brandon McNulty, is riding for Pogacar.  When he rode off the road after momentarily turning his head, Armstrong chided him for ignoring the maxim of “If you don’t look where you’re going, you don’t go where you’re looking.”