The tour in Rian

Izouard didn't happen.  The locals gave me an early warning that as the Tour was leaving from a town just south of Briancon, there'd be road closures galore.  I'd arranged to meet Nic at around 12:30 in Rian to see the Tour, but that was in jeapardy.

I headed out from Briancon and drove like a maniac behind the CSC van before being escorted off via a "deviation" around Tallard, the start town.  The deviation was a disaster!  Traffic slowed to a crawl and meeting Nic was put into jeopardy.  Worse, we'd lost a mobile phone, so were now no longer in contact with each other.

Five hours later (instead of three) I turned up at Aix.  Nic had headed off, and so instead of getting to ride out to Rian, I had to drive.  Turned up only three hours late and caught up with Nic finally!

Rian is "yet another nice town".  I know - it's a broken record.  Nothing was open though.  Even the local nuns had wandered down to the local "Shopi" and bought some little snacks to wander down the road to watch the Tour.  The day was stiflingly hot.

Then the tour was on us.  It's pretty cool.  There's this lull immediately after the caravanne passes, broken by only a few motorbikes and official vehicles speeding by.  Then, the dull rumble of choppers proceed the escape group, and they fly by pushing up the hill trying to distance the peleton.  Then, another lull, before the peleton, driven by Rabobank swarm after them like angry hornets.  The clicking of gears and the sound of the drivetrain is music to a cyclists ears.

After they passed, the roads open again, and it was a short ride back to the car as I offered Nic a lift home.  Drove past some magnificent sunflower fields and then into a town that Picasso lived in for a fair period of time for the best Cous cous I have ever tasted.  I found out later that apparently people come for miles to sample this cous cous and I just walked in not realising.  Superb!

Back home, and only one day left in this little escape - it's Off to Marseille tomorrow to see the tour start.  After that, we're back on the road.