Stage 11, over half way through the Tour now and today took us from Carcassone to Montpellier. Another supposed sprinter stage before the climb up Ventoux tomorrow. Neither of these going quiet as the organisers expected or intended.
Just the start town of Carcassone for me today and it was early an breakfast for the inhabitants of the two rooms at the b&b. Still ignoring the fact that I can't speak French the owner proceeded to point at everything and tell me what it was. When she got to the apricot pudding thing, she was trying to work out how to get across what apricot was in English. She delivered Apricot as we would say avodcaat, while I just spat out APRICOT in my no nonsense West London twang and we had found parity. Disaster was averted and my god it was close when making my tea, I found the milk in a little container thing. We had discussed for about 5 minutes the evening before how the English always have milk (i did my 'Anglais' and smile and shrug routine...which signifies just do it please. This is different to my 'Anglais and baffled look and shrug, which is I'm English this conversation can't happen or is very one way) so I knew there would be milk put out. I opened the pot and went to pour it in. Thankfully the yoghurt in the pot wasn't liquid enough so it didn't drop...she spotted this and said as if we had never met before 'would you like milk?'
The drive to Carcassone was very short, just 6 miles and I was parked up before 9. The reason for my briskness was that Carcassone had been on the list as a place to visit and not just because the Tour was in town. If you don't know it, the town has, well, basically a small town (tourist attraction - hotels, cafes, restaurants and shops) within the walls of an old medieval castle (though it is too big for to be a castle alone and they do call it a citie). Think Game of Thrones meets Disney. For me it was more spectacular out than in. Inside it was all twists and turns and small forecourts as you would expect but you kind of lose something of the atmosphere when are looking at a Best Western hotel. I did enjoy standing on the ramparts though but I don't understand why the two Chinese tourists didn't do as they were told when I screamed and order at them to Fire!
I have complained about the shops inside but I did buy a bit of tat from one lady who looked like she might have been a shop keeper in the sites original days. Culture over, I walked back round the castle over an equally old bridge and in to the newer and less interesting new town. It was still 2 hours until the teams were due to arrive but I had a place to be and that place was the guests stand to collect my pass. A very kind and lovely friend (😄) had arranged with the organisers of the race (ASO) for me to have access to the start village and rider area. I approached email in hand and said who I was...no Mr Cooper here she said. But, but names, emails, read, look again, eventually she decided to ring Charly the contact at ASO. They spoke and theresult was that Charly would come and get me. She would point me out, so stand over there. She promptly left her post, so once Charly arrived, no one knew who this Monsieur Coopear (their pronunciation) was. Anyway, we made eye contact, we shook hands and Charly was my new best friend, especially when he produced the pass. We walked back to the village and he told me that he is in charge of something (I think it's marketing but can't be sure) for the ASO races in UK and France, which in France is probably the three biggest races they have. The Tour makes up 60% of all the company's revenues and after the Tour he will have a long holiday!
I think I would like that job.
The village is really just an area for guest entertaining for the Tour's main sponsors and it was the arrival of the teams which was my main interest. This was the same format as what I did on stage one, with me taking a hundreds of photos of any cyclist that moved and some that didn't. It gets a bit chaotic around the bigger teams especially Sky and the French do love their teams but generally if you station yourself in the right place you will have them all come past.
It was a short stage today so they didn't start until 13:30 and this meant I was later than I thought for setting off to Carpentras.
Because I was jumping from the start of one stage to the end of another it was a 164 mile, 3 hour trek and probably the busiest road I have been on. I even got beeped at a peage...seriously, I'm performing a circus act here, give me a break.
It was during this journey that I got a call from booking.com to say that my fourth hotel had cancelled (flood this time). Now to be fair, I know it wasn't the fault of the person who rang me and they had actually found me a replacement that wasn't one of theirs. However I lost my rag and told him that:
1. This is unacceptable
2. You are ruining my holiday
3. The hotels are liars
4. How can you confirm a room if you have no control over the booking
5. You are ruining my holiday
Now the next section was very specific about the hotel
6. How far is your replacement away, this is the mountains, these things matter
7. I Booked it 6 months ago because of the location
8. It's vital because it's a 3 day base
9. You are ruining my holiday
Now there is a slight problem with 6-9 because i miss heard which hotel had cancelled. So I rambled on and 6 wasn't true, 7 is sort of true but not vital, 8 is nonsense, I still stand by 9.
I won't go in to it anymore but it did take about 2 hours of wifi faffing and the like to get a replacement booked.
Anyway the journey...it was again noticeable how the landscape changes from the lush Pyrenean region to a more Mediterranean feel, scorched grass and less trees. At one point in the distance you could see the rich deep blue Mediterranean Sea. Then at roughly 30 miles to go, Mont Ventoux suddenly appeared, just an outline at this stage but unmistakeable on the Provence skyline. Once in your vision it was hard to shift it as I drove straight at it, only deviating when the road becomes a traffic jam through Avignon. A stop in Avignon was the loser today, as I ran out of time. The bit you can see from the road and the pont (bridge) look well worth a trip back again.
As you got nearer the different stages of the mountain became more obvious.
Before reaching my hotel, I headed for Bedouin the town at the foot of the most famous ascent of the mountain. The town was already full of cyclists, staying in the area and having a spin up. The road up was shut to any vehicles from 1pm today, so it is likely that some camper vans have been up there for 3 days.
I will talk a bit more about the mountain tomorrow but it was while I was in Bedouin that I read that due to expected high winds tomorrow the stage will no longer finish at the top but at the small village (Chalet Reynard) about 5km short but more crucially before the vast exposed sections. This is definitely a shame, a finish at the iconic summit, in front of enormous crowds on Bastille day would have been great but safety must be priority (I suppose).
On leaving Bedouin, I made for my hotel, a 2 nighter which I had completely forgotten and I think my surprise at being reminded flummoxed the owner somewhat. The owner was very nice but I didn't need to be told quite so many times that the key doesn't leave the hotel.
The town is a mangle of small roads and lanes. Parking is a nightmare but it had a charm. Dinner was in an Italian (not pizza) that was called 'Little Italy', little being the word with just 8 covers and the waiter, chef and cook all being the same person.
I walked back to the hotel and found a churos seller doing 14 for €4. What would I do with 14 of them, 10, that's fine!
Pronunciation time...its back. Right here we go, it's Carpentras. As normal have a play, throw it a round, get a feel. Ok, first off ignore the first r...straight off the bat it's Ca, then a really soft pen and finally, take that s and sling it away, not needed. It's just a tra. Now put it altogether and you have ca pen tra. Easy
Before we move to stat attack a couple of apologies...
1. In yesterday's blog, I referred to Mont Ventoux as the 'Beast of Provence'. I have never heard this expression before and it is a stupid one. It is of course the 'Giant of Provence'.
2. It was rightly pointed out to me that I broke a cycling law yesterday when I referred to Michael Matthews, the stage winner, twice without referring to him as Bling Matthews. Matthews is by all accounts a lovely bloke and quite shy and retiring. One day he turned wearing an earring and from this day on he MUST be described as Bling Matthews in everything. Apologies.
Stat Zone
MIles covers in the car - 2060
Times I used the phrase you're ruining my holiday - 6
Times I said sorry I know it's not your fault but said it again - 3
Cheese of the day - Gorgonzola in my risotto
Number of times I questioned putting a dual carriageway in Avignon in front of the nice bit -
4
No comments:
Post a Comment