Tour de France

Tour de France

                                        Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

We are not avid followers of the Tour de France, but enjoy catching up with it from time to time. It can be very exciting, nerve-racking even, as dozens of cyclists jostle for position on the country roads of France. It is a race of many races, over 2,200 miles in twenty-one stages. It is completed in twenty-three days, with two rest days, and encompasses speed trials, mountain stages and a final exhilarating sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Something between twenty and twenty-three teams take part, each fielding eight riders. Thus, at the start of the first stage, some 184 riders set off. Around a quarter to a fifth of the riders will not finish, because of accident, illness, or sheer exhaustion.

In addition to the cyclists, there are about forty-five motor-bikes, carrying photographers and video cameras, or race officials and sometimes medical professionals. There are also two official team cars per team, transporting spare bikes, tools, refreshments, and sometimes doctors. Many more cars are engaged in support roles.

The Tour de France is a huge logistical undertaking and is enthusiastically supported by onlookers, some of whom get dangerously close to the action. One person was knocked down by a team car on Saturday. I think he was shaken rather than badly hurt, but he really should have been more aware. It should be no surprise to bystanders that dozens of cyclists will be passing at speed, with following cars and motor bikes. In the excitement of the moment, personal safety can take a back seat. The bruises will be a reminder for a few days, no doubt.

The drug scandals of a few years ago seem to have abated, but the stamina and endurance of these outstanding athletes is phenomenal. It is astonishing to realise how fast the cyclists ride. The average speed is twenty-six miles an hour (forty-two kilometres per hour) dropping to twelve mph (twenty kph) on the mountain stages, Descents can be frighteningly fast to watch, particularly on wet surfaces or in fog.

When accidents happen, it is amazing to see how quickly the piles of bikes are cleared and how many riders remount, often on new machines. Some casualties are unable to continue, but it is not unusual to see riders with bandages and torn jerseys or shorts. Often, dressings are changed or refreshed by medics in cars as the cyclists ride alongside. Painkillers are also administered.

The following day, those bruised and battered bodies will usually mount their bikes once more for another gruelling day in the saddle, but there will be a rest day on Monday - twenty-four hours for aches and pains to subside and grazes to heal.

                                     This is the Great Britain boat.

                           New Zealand won. Great Britain came second. 

As a complete contrast, we switched to the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in the Solent off Portsmouth, with some rather over-excited commentary. Race sailing is a totally different beast to recreational sailing, and the boats are specially built to participate. It’s amazing to watch and requires a different kind of athleticism and nimble-mindedness.