More from L'Alpe D'Huez
by Le Comte on Jul 31, 2008 4:37 PM EDT
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Better late than never, I suppose. I just got back from France yesterday and didn't have access to a computer until today. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the photos I took of the now-famous Stage 17.
I stayed in a hotel in Huez-en-Oisans, roughly 5 km from the finish. First, a couple of pictures to set the stage. This one is from just above Virage 1. The little village you see down there was where I stayed.
This one is from Virage 9.
Prior to the race, I did as Drew suggested and added my own graffiti to the slope of the Alpe. This is just below Virage 6.
I haven't looked for it yet on my recording of the stage, but I suspect it wasn't visible because people were crowded in pretty close when the riders went by. I imagine, at best, you'd be able to see the "di" and "fe". Well, I tried...
Anyway, on the day of the race, me and thousands (anyone have any idea how many of us were out there?) of my closest friends were waiting with eager anticipation.
One way you can tell the riders are close is when you see or hear the helicopters.
Unfortunately, I had a camera malfunction when Sastre went by. It's my great (albeit only) regret of the trip. Nevertheless, I managed to capture the rest of the heads of state as they went by.
And, among others, Arvesen and Cancellara.
And le autobus.
(copied from video I took)
All in all, a great day, and very thrilling. I echo Albertina in suggesting anyone who can go should go. In fact, although I had thought of this going in as a once in a lifetime experience, I'm already thinking about going back again at some point (but first, I want to do the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. But that probably won't come off for a few years).
The depart the next day in Le Bourg D'Oisans didn't interest me too much, so, since I had rented a car, I drove ahead to a little town called La Cote-St-Andre which was on the course for Stage 18 to get an idea of the peloton in full flight. Once again, I managed to screw that up, but I did get a video of the two leaders some minutes ahead of the peloton.
(copied from video)
Finally, I went up to Paris and kicked around there for a few days. Of course, I went down to Place de la Concorde (well, near there, actually) to see the final stage. I haven't seen much about it other than to see that Steegmans won the stage, and it appears to me from this photo he had a couple of leadout men in the last km.
Seriously, you've got to go at some point in your life if you're a fan of this sport.
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I nominate you
for an award, which I also propose we name the “Le Comte” award, for the best road chalking. Well done!
Well...
it’d have been better if it had been visible on TV. Next time, whoever goes will have to do it above the beginning of the barriers. And bring more paint than I did (just one can, naive fool that I was), since it gets thick on the ground up there. I had intended to make the letters thicker, but you can see the limit of my single can…
I think I saw that as well.
Can we get Crashdan to youtube us a shot of it now that we all know what we’re looking for?
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
I've got preeeety much the entire climb of L'Alpe
on my mochine… I’ll see if I can ferret it out
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
OK, I found it
unfortunately, I recorded it on a DVD-DL, which my computer doesn’t want to read, otherwise I’d post it. However, it’s at approximately 3.4 miles to go on the Versus feed (5.5 km on international feeds), just before turn 6, about a minute after Riis puts his head out of the car to speak to Sastre. In addition, just before you get to it, you can see a guy waving a British flag on the right (and Phil comments on that). Also, to get an idea of where it is, look at the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrrZEhP7oe8 at 1:14 in. It’s in the shade, and that youtube video is of poor quality so I can’t read it even though I know it’s there (I was able to read it on the DVD playing out of my DVD player). But if you, or someone else with good quality video that’s computer-accessible, can find it, it actually comes through not too bad, although there’s someone standing in such a way that you can’t see it all at once. You either get “odium Cafe” or “Podium afe”. Oh well, c’est la vie, non? But, it came out better than I thought, and not a bad rider to have going over it, eh?
Chris has a new hero!
This ain’t no TOC chalking here people.
If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when are you going to have time to do it again?
Seriously
I got a tear in my eye when I saw that picture. You, Le Comte, are the world’s greatest hero. This is so excellent! +100000!
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 31, 2008 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
OK
I’ll find something nice.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 31, 2008 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions
reach into the schwag bag, Chris
if you don’t, I’m taking up a collection and we’re sending him this:
Gee
there’s such a fine line between quality meats and human intestines. Who knew?
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jul 31, 2008 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions
A Sausage Suitcase!??!??!?!
Is there anything better?!! Oh dear god I must have one… Look at that… have you ever, EVER seen anything as beautiful (barring Cervelo Lifeforce team members and having one’s website’s name chalked onto L’Alpe d’Huez and one’s children’s faces on Christmas morning and one’s wife’s face the first time you met her).
The tour is over… I’ve celebrated Carlos enough… “Deutsche Wurst. Alles andere als Käse.” is my new sig.
Bueno Carlos!!!!!
Yeah! He put us on the Alpe!!!
That just scores. :) Great pics and sounds like you had a great time.
As always – thanks for sharing with us. :)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Dude
Just so you don’t have to scroll back up.
If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when are you going to have time to do it again?
Le Comte
is now “The Dude”
"...The mind has to rule the body and tell the body, shut up and do what I tell you to do..." Jens!
Fantastic!
Glad you had a great time too. Yes, once you’ve been once you realise you have to go back, preferably next year!
I wish I could
but it’s not in the cards for me next year. I’m probably looking at going again in the 2-4 year range, at best (and when am I ever going to fit in the Pyrenees? Sheesh…)
I'm quite tempted by the Giro next year actually....
....but yes, Pyrenees have to be done one year too. I guess I’ll just have to wait for the routes to come out!
Truer words were never spoken
Seriously, you’ve got to go at some point in your life if you’re a fan of this sport.
Thanks for the pics, and thanks for putting the Café on L’Alpe. Bravo.
great job with the road painting
(and I hang my own head in shame)
well done being up the Alpe!
by cyclingchallenge on Jul 31, 2008 6:35 PM EDT reply actions
He rode the blazing saddles...
Bork, bork, bork!
by TheFigurehead on Aug 1, 2008 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Give his honor a harumph!
Harumph!
You watch your ass…............
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."
If Elk Grove wouldn't arrest me, I would attempt
a PdC at the race tomorrow night. But it’s not televised either, probably not the best place to waste an escorted car ride. Oooh, maybe Downers? Ha ha!
Le Comte does rule and now the game is on! CyclingChallenge has some planning to work on!
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Wow.
Impressive! You actually chalked it on the road!
I’m new ‘round here, but if it were up to me that’d get you a seat on the Board, if’n there was one.
Oh and the other pics are great, too. Nice work.
"....Up Sestriere on a rental clunker in jeans and loafers? Brother, lemme buy you a beer."
by Rolls on Aug 1, 2008 1:05 PM EDT reply actions
Actually, I painted it
I couldn’t find spray chalk so I used spray paint
That's even better than the chalk!
Chris – I hope there’s something in the goodie bag. Semi-Permanent road art is pretty sweet.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
That means its there for a while now
PCer’s will have to make an annual pilgramige to that holy site.
I don't think so
I got the strong impression they must resurface that road pretty frequently. When I got there Sunday I saw barely any evidence anyone had painted on if from last time, but by Wednesday the coverage was substantial. And I saw people using multiple buckets of paint to paint their signs on the road. Thus, I suspect that, even had I engraved it with a chisel, it would probably be gone by the next time the Tour goes there (probably 2010).
Thats good to know
Cant wait to see the future pictures of CyclingChallenge riding up the Alpe with multiple buckets of paint
It should still be there next year...
even if the Tour probably won’t be. When we rode up last year, there was lots of paint still visible from the 06 Tour. I suspect your enemy would probably be the snow plows clearing the road in the winter.
In anycase, great photos. Thanks for sharing! That was the one thing I wanted to do but never did – paint “ROBBIE- ATTACK!!” – but I would have a hard enough time getting up the cols. Didn’t need a few buckets of paint in my pack to make it harder!!! I wanna go back…
by Patrick B. Penguin on Aug 2, 2008 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
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