Nice, Carces, and Le Tour.

According to plan, we all arrived in Nice, found each other and were met by Sophie and her friend Andre. They had brought two cars and a trailer and all our bike boxes and luggage fit perfectly. An hour and a half later we were having drinks on Sophie's terrace overlooking vineyards, olive trees and wooded hills. Sophie's only neighbor is a horse ranch, and the only visible sign of that is a young colt they have in a pasture next to Sophie's yard. He adds entertainment as he is quite lively and prances and gallops around like the kid he is. The sound of cicadas filled the air but stopped as promised by Andre at 8pm, followed by a night totally devoid of the sounds of traffic or neighbors.


For all the apparent isolation, Sophie's place is only 3 kilometers from Carces so the next morning we rode into town and "pre-rode" the Tour De France route as it wound through the town and out along the reservoir. Some of us northwesterners realized we were going to need a little time to get used to the heat of Provence, 85-90 degrees.


We stopped back at Sophie's for lunch and showers, watched the beginning of the tour on TV and then drove back down the hill to town to watch the Tour come through. For Bob, Lisa, Dave and Cathi, this was a first. Rick and I have seen many stages of the tour in person and many times and most members of Sophie's local club had seen this spectacle before.

Walking through town on our way to meet Sophie's club members, we paused to watch some of the caravan pass through. We happened to be accross from the town "cooperative" where the local farmers bring their grapes and make their wine. The mayor and several of his cronies were handing bottles of Provence Rose to the drivers of the caravan vehicles. If the drivers couldn't take the bottles, they would just reach through the windows and drop a bottle or two into the passenger seat! Of course a few bottles got away from them and glass and wine flew. Sophie actually got hit with a bit of shrapnel and bled quite a while. "Pas de problem," she said, and on we walked. To watch the tour, we planted ourselves on the 90 degree turn just where the riders would cross the River Argens on a narrow bridge before heading out of town. The club members in their jerseys designed by Sophie lined up along the outside of the corner While Rick and I took our American flag over to the inside corner. We stood outside the bridge railing (over the river) with the flag on the inside of the railing. A small sidewalk separated the railing from the road where the riders would be. As the advance motorcycles whizzed by, Rick and I realized we had better hang on tight to that flag. They leaned around that corner with their handlebars only inches from the railing.

And then the noise of the crowd rose in a wave, announcing the arrival of the "break-away" group of four that had been leading the race. They were by in a flash, but it was still exciting. Then, a few minutes later, the crowd announced the coming of the peleton, approximately 180 cyclists (minus the front 4) riding at a speed none of us would ever attempt around such a corner (heck, even on a straightaway!) each rider only inches from the rider in front, behind, and beside him. In one incredible wave of color and motion they flowed around the corner, up onto the bridge, and washed past us.

They leaned in even closer than the motocycles. Rick and I gripped the flag tight to the rail and watched in amazement. Although we have watched about 8 tour stages, this was the closest we have been. To say we could have reached out and touched them with our hand implies distance that was not there. Reaching out our hand would have been disaster. The sidewalk might as well have been non-existent. Every face in the wave of cyclists was intent on negotiating that corner as fast and safely as possible.

"Oh my God," I said.

"Go Astana!" Rick yelled as the cluster of that team passed us with Lance and Levi in their midst.

It was over too fast, but it was worth the wait. This unplanned tour sighting was the most exciting for me ever. Cathi has some photos of the tour, but this time, I just watched! I'll upload some later.

Well, I must get some breakfast as we are off to ride before it gets too warm again today!













Sophie's pool and Sophie's place from across the neighbors' vineyards. The house has the upstairs, which you see, with a large patio on that level. Beneath the patio is a "daylight basement" level with a whole other apartment. The pool is just beside the house and there is an outdoor shower there, as well as two full baths inside the house. Sophie has no TV but Bernard loaned her one so we could watch the Tour while we were here!