What Do We Do Now?

Well, it's over. It's really over. The whole thing, wrapped up in bright, shiny, yellowy gauze, sealed away for history. But what about us? What about the fans who have lived and died for the Tour for the last seven years? What do we do now?

As promised, I missed the live coverage of the Paris finale, choosing instead to do a little suffering of my own in the jungle heat of Jacksonville Beach, Florida at the First Coast Off Road Triathlon. It was fun, but the last mile or so of the run, through soft sand dunes and along the deep sand of the beach, was unnecessarily brutal. By the time I made it home, I was dehydrated and delirious, but a quick nap gave me the energy to watch the OLN prime time rebroadcast.

And now it's done. The funny thing about this year's Tour was that, while it gave us some great moments, as a contest it was no contest. For the last two years, Lance and the Postal/Disco train have so thoroughly dominated the race that it's been nothing but back-to-back yawners. Voeckler and Zabriskie, respectively, made for great early stories in 2004 and 2005, and George and Vino and Paolo and Pereiro added some splendid action this year, but basically you could snooze for days this year and miss nothing critical.

Back in 2003, which now glows like a great race vintage, it seems like all I did was spend my time watching the Tour and burning up phone time with similarly obsessed followers. This year the phones rarely rang. There just wasn't much to talk about.

And now comes August, the cruelest month. Tour over, no NFL. Sorry, I'm just not into NASCAR or baseball. The Vuelta's coming up in September, and it will be interesting to see if Discovery can somehow sweep the three Grand Tours with three different riders, but somehow that just won't peg the fun meter, particularly since we won't be able to watch live daily coverage.

And after that, the long winter. By then I guess we'll know where Vino goes and we can do the hot stove thing, speculating on the prospects for Valverde, Ullrich, Popovych, Salvadelli, Hincapie, Landis, Leipheimer, Danielson, et al, but it just won't be the same.

For seven shining years, we've all been witness to history. One of sport's greatest stories has played out in front of us, in living color. It has been our privilege to witness an inimitable athlete at the peak of his power, authoring his saga on the Planet's most beautiful and challenging playing field.

But what do we do now?

Being There

With Lance just minutes from the start of his final Tour de France time trial, it's almost surreal for me to think that just over a week ago I was caught up in full Tour frenzy, sneaking around 'backstage', riding giant cols, clanking cowbells, reading L'Equipe and generally being immersed in the quintessential French experience. Now, perched in another hotel room, high above the Atlantic Ocean, the Tour seems as far away as it ever did.

Nonetheless, I was there and I thought this morning I'd finally get around to do something I had meaning to do all along, which is to talk a little about the logistics of going to the Tour on your own, outside the 'bubble' of escorted tour groups.

Whoops! Lance is underway, but up the road the trio of Julich, Landis and Hincapie are threatening to make this an All-Americam podium day. Incredible.

Anyhow, the point is that -- yes -- you can do the Tour on your own, but it takes a lot of focus and planning. Even more so if you plan on riding and not just watching. Below are some considerations you might want to keep in mind and how we handled them for good or ill.

When To Go

Not as simple a matter as it might seem. First, there are the Tour-related considerations. Do you want to be there for the prologue, for the crazy exciting sprint finishes, the first mountain finish or the thrill of the finale on the Champs Elysees? Alps or Pyrenees? North or south? There's lots to consider and if you don't have time for the whole three weeks, you have to choose wisely. Overlay Tour considerations with the personal lives of your traveling party and things get really complicated. My considerations included a hard date to drive my daughter to camp, some business obligations, the July 4th holiday and a wedding anniversary. When we got married many, many years ago, our honeymoon included several stages of the Tour; this year my stunningly understanding wife gave me the pass to go with the boys and do a belated Anniversary upon my return. That'll happen next week in Los Angeles (but the bike may go too.)

Ultimately, we found a window of dates that worked for all four of us, then aimed for the first mountain top finish, in Courchevel. That's when the fireworks usually happen, we reasoned, and we wanted to be there to see it. In Courchevel we would get to see a stage finish and a stage start and not have to chase around a lot to do it. Plus, we'd be able to ride and relax and let the Tour come to us.

Live High or Live Low?

Having seen how the Tour crowds have grown over the last few years, we decided to live high, and already be up on the mountain when the crowds rolled in. We didn't want to deal with getting up the mountain in heavy traffic conditions and, even more difficult, getting back down. This last consideration is not to be dismissed. Coming as it did after a rest day, the Courchevel stage saw people arrive over several days, but once the stage ended and the roads were re-opened, they all wanted off the mountain immediately. The traffic jam lasted more than six hours and there were times when it wasn't moving at all.

But simply opting to live on the mountain isn't all that easy. For those driving and living in camper vans, things are pretty easy. Unlike the States, where parking of these vehicles is stricly controlled, in France, at least during the Tour, pretty much anything goes. They were parked anywhere and everywhere and nobody seemed to mind. So, if you can put up with living in very close quarters withh several of your closest friends, you might want want to consider renting a 'caravan' and doing the camping thing. Certainly, if you want to follow the race for several stages this could be a good plan, but if you're planning on riding as well as watching, things could get very tight spacewise.

Camping was never a consideration for our crew, so we had to search for either a hotel or rental chalet. This wasn't as easy as you might think. Even though Courchevel offers superb mountain biking, it's still primarily a winter resort and, as such, operates at very low effciency after ski season ends. Most of the hotels shut down for the summer season and even those that were planning on re-opening for Tour week were very hard to contact back in May and June. After being told that the Hotel de Neige had reserved all its rooms for Tour officials, we went the chalet route and booked what appeared to be a sweet spot with four bedrooms. (We did this after contacting many leasing agencies that we found on the Net.) But the leasing agent, who shall remain nameless, kept changing the deal even though we had a signed contract in hand. Maid service would cost extra, even though it was included in both the original offer and the contract, and daily delivery of croissants and coffee was nixed. When the agent told us he had the right to tear up the contract if we didn't like it, we told him to go right ahead. At least we got our check back.

Fortunately, as departure date loomed, the Hotel de Neige contacted us with an offer for as many rooms as we needed, at a better price than we expected, with breakfast and dinnner included. Deal.

Still, there was a downside to living on the upside. You're pretty much stuck with riding the same stinking mountain every day. By the time you descend a Cat. 1 climb like Courchevel, all you can think about is that you have to climb back up. So we usually didn't stray too far and ended up doing rides that were relatively short, mileage-wise, but still ridiculously hard. Also, when we arrived, a spot of bad weather had moved in and we were constantly dressing up for the descents, then muling everything back up the climb in overstuffed back pockets.

Conversely, if you choose to stay in a town in one of the valleys, you might have the occasional option of riding the flats and you can pick any one of several climbs for your daily diet. Bourg d'Oisans was a good example of this. There was beautiful riding on several somewhat flat roads plus so many great cols to climb that it was a veritable smorgasbord. You may also find cheaper and more consistent lodging in the valley towns, along with a rider range of services. Still, the weather thing got us. It was too cold on Courchevel for several days, but in Bourg d'Oisans it was so hot we were constantly searching for relief from the sun.

Car, Van or Train?

Assuming you opt out of the camper van scenario, you still have lots of decisions to make. For covering long distances, it's hard to beat France's excellent train system. Most train stations also have car rental agencies on site, so it you want to combine the two, it's pretty convenient. Again, this is a good idea if you want to follow the race over the course of several stages. And, if you've never done it, it's worth the price of admission just to take one trip on the TGV. Flying on the ground is fun - and relaxing. France's toll roads are great, but sometimes it's nice to turn off the mind and just enjoy the ride.

We went to great lengths to rent a mini-van -- and ended up regretting the decision. European mini-vans really are mini and not the space offering beasts we're used to here. In short, our Espace van didn't have a lot of space. Plus, the rental agency refused to let us pull out the back row of seats to leave with them, so we were reduced to jamming the thing full. When just two of us were in-country, we dumped all our stuff off in Courchevel, then did a six-hour plus round trip to Courchevel just to get the other two and all their stuff. The fact that Papo's bike was left behind in London by BA allowed us to get them back to Courchevel with us.

When we split up for the last three days of the trip, I picked up a Toyota station wagon from Hertz in Moutier. It ended up handling two people and all their gear much better than the van and was fun to drive as well, with a six speed manual tranny that made getting up and down the mountains a real treat. There was a drop charge for leaving it at Geneva airport, but it wasn't too bad -- shop around, one of the European rental agencies really sticks it to you on drop charges.

Special Hint

If you choose to fly into Geneva -- a good choice for the High Alps -- be aware that there is a French sector and a Swiss sector to the airport. Finding the Frech sector by car is a real bear -- there are no signs -- but it's worth it, because the car rental rates are much, much cheaper on the French side. Also, you may face a one-time charge just for driving in Switzerland. Go French, but make sure your agency gives you explicit return directions.

Compatibilty

One critical thing: make sure everyone on your crew has the same ambitions or is at least comfortable with everyone else's ideas of what the trip will be. Do we ride every day or do we chill on a regular basis? Flats or cols? Do we watch the Tour live on Eurosport or wait for the condensed show at night? Do we always roll together or is everyone free to do his own thing? Will it be a party on wheels or an extended sufferfest? Get all this stuff decided up front, be willing to be flexible and decide to have lots of fun and things should be just fine. But make assumptions about what your companions have in mind and you could have 'issues.'

One Question Answered

One respondent wrote to ask if I was able to glean any insights as to what the riders consumed in the course of a day, not just food, but liquids, electrolytes, etc. In short, no. I'm sure you got more information about that type of thing from OLN or USA Today than I ever would standing by the side of the road, carrying a camera, clanking a cowbell and screaming my head off. You might have gotten more info, but I had more fun.

That's about it for today. Lance just won, Bobby and George rode great, tears should be shed for Rassy and tomorrow it all wraps up. Enjoy the ride.

What About George?

It occurs to me that I inadvertently gave short shrift to George Hincapie’s stellar win on the hardest stage of this year’s Tour, the death march over six Pyrenean cols to the HC finish at Pla-d’Adet. Tell the truth. Was there anyone out there who had George picked as the five-star favorite to win that stage? And, from the American standpoint, has there ever been a more popular and deserving stage winner?

The thing about George is that he’s a really, really good guy. I’ve had the pleasure of driving him around and dining with him when he made a series of appearances at the late, lamented Great Coconut Grove Bicycle Race. The Grove race came in the fall after George had already been through his season long grind with the Postal boys, yet he was always happy to fly down to Miami and support the race. Autographs for the fans, cocktails with sponsors, dinner with reporters, George was happy to do it all. He’d even line up for the race and put in some time at the front, just to show his jersey. A class act, all the way.

And while a steady procession of super-domestiques have joined the Motorola/Postal/Discovery camp, put in a couple of semesters at Lance University and moved on to team leadership positions and bigger paychecks with other formations, George has been the loyal lieutenant, always there watching Lance’s back. Remember the stage one wreck a couple of year’s back that took out Levi and injured Tyler? My most vivid image of that affair was waiting it out to see who went down and who stayed up. I held my breath until the smoke cleared and Lance rolled across the line, George glued to his side like the two dudes in “Stuck On You.” Always there, seven straight years.

Acting on his own in the spring, George has always been the great American hope in the spring classics, about which we cycling fans care so much and mainstream American media cares so little. Every year we invest tremendous rooting interest…maybe this will be the year George wins the big one – Paris-Roubaix. This year, of course, he came closer than ever, placing a valiant second to the Belgian superstar Tom Boonen.

The irony in this year’s loss is that George, once principally a sprinter, has lost some snap as he has transformed himself from a whiplash finisher to a man for all courses and conditions. By becoming the guy who can be there for Lance, he may have sacrificed the speed that would have allowed him to pip Boonen for the coveted block of pave that goes to the Roubaix victor.

Possibly only Sean Kelly and Laurent Jalabert have successfully prosecuted the same transition, from sprinter to hard man for the classics and ultimately to stage racer. But neither could graduate to the highest level and become a victor in the Tour de France. Certainly both had their share of glory in the Tour, with Sean always falling a mountain stage short of being able to pull it off and Laurent bringing his career to a close with a number of dazzling exploits in the Tour, but the Yellow Jersey in Paris was never to be for either of them.

And now the question comes: What About George? Even before the Pla d’Adet triumph, my friend Little Danny B. kept calling, asking “what do you think about George leading the team for the Tour next season?”

Much as I admire George, I was quick to dismiss the notion. “No freaking way,” I would say. “”They’re just not going to put all their eggs in the basket of a guy who can’t get over the high mountains.” Well, he certainly got over a few in the Pyrenees.

Okay. So, it’s time to reassess the situation. As much as Discovery may believe in Yaroslav Popovych, and as good as he is, what they really need is another American hero. NBA viewership dropped when Michael retired, nobody watches golf when Tiger’s not playing and the relatively large audiences that OLN has drawn this year will surely drop when Lance hangs ‘em up. That’s a given, but a viable American contender, riding for the only American team, would go a long way toward staunching the bleeding.

On the current roster, Tom Danielson may be the hope for the future, but the guy has yet to ride a Tour, much less ride one as a team leader. And to be a team leader, the team has to know they’re working for a guy who can deliver the goods. You’ll bust your butt for Lance because you know at the end of the day he’ll do what has to be done. Lance simply does not let his mates down.

So – what about George? You might say he’s too big…like that stopped Miguel Indurain. Time trialing? He’s getting better and better. Experience? No one has more. Killer instinct? Well…that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it. Every time Lance is isolated on a final climb, he reacts instantly to any threatening move and demonstrates unequivocally that he will not be dropped. You don’t make it into the final selection every year at Paris-Roubaix without knowing your rivals and knowing when to make your move.

He’s done his Paris-Roubaix thing basically on his own over the years. What potential would he have with the world’s best Tour team getting his back, with Ace and Triki and Falcon and Popo all ferrying him up the cols?

Not that Johan’s asking, but if the subject of Disco’s ’06 Tour team leadership came up, I’d have to say, “What about George?”

A Little Belated Interactivity

Went to the beach at first light this morning and even though there was a nice little summer swell running and the wind was cooperating, the tide so was too fat, so I gave it a miss. Instead I pulled out the Moots, slammed it into the big ring and did a test ride down arrow-straight, board flat A-1-A. Twenty minutes out, 20 minutes back at 90% effort. This little test confirmed what I already suspected...climbing the cols of France doesn't do a whole lot for Florida flats performance.

This doesn't bode well for this weekend, when I'm going to commit the cardinal sin of skipping the live broadcast of the big Paris wind-up in favor of having a go at the First Coast Off-Road Triathlon up in Jacksonville Beach. It's a great little race in the XTerra series, put on by really nice folks, so I just couldn't pass it up. But if I can't even ride the flats with any authority, what are the prospects that col riding will result in decent open ocean swimming, semi-technical jungle bike riding and soft sand running? Not good, not good at all.

Anyhow, I want to apologize for not takking greater advantage of the interactive nature of blogging. As I had mentioned, I was always under pressure when posting, so what I did was go to the blog interface, knock out my post, upload it and basically run out the door. I rarely even made it to the actual Active site, so I was completely unaware of comments posted there. Sorry about that.

When I did get a look, I was blown away by the nice amount of activity generated. This blogging stuff really works. Go figure. As it happens, I am once again pressed for time, but I want to respond to a couple of comments and then I'll get back on it tomorrow morning.

First of all, I want to extend my thanks for all the kind words said about the recent passing of my Mother, both of the Active site and from the phones calls and e-mails of those who know me. In a world that constantly seems like it wants to blow itself apart, the unexpected and generous kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me. Your thoughts were appreciated by our entire family.

In other news, one respondent asked about the treatment of Lance on Eurovision. By and large, it was very complimentary and early in the game they seemed to take it as a foregone conclusion that he would win the whole thing. They don't overpromote him, but they certainly accord him the respect he deserves. On the French broadcast, he was again treated well, though they seemed to make every effort to show French riders, if any happened to place themselves in a position to actually merit being in a camera shot.

On a side note, one of our crew had a long discussion about Lance with some young French kids..about 18-20. They also accorded Lance respect, but didn't like him. Their complaint was that they didn't think it was necessary for him to crush his rivals. They way the saw it, he should not break their spirit, just beat them 'enough.'

My friend tried to explain that this attitude just might be why there hasn't been a French champion of the Tour since the Badger, Bernard Hinault, who wasn't above crushing his foes. In fact, he seemed to thrive on the crushing bit. If my memory serves, it wasn't Lance, but the Badger himself who came up with the line, "Perfect, No Gifts" after Lance pipped Kloden for that lovely stage win last year. Crush, indeed.

Another correspondent fills in the blank that the female presenter on Eurovision is Christine Anderson, wife of the Australian great Phil Anderson. Thanks for that...and she is superb. She speaks with authority and knows the sport inside and out. She goes out into the field for te start and finish, then squeezes in the booth for the mid-section, serving as a nice balance to Sean Kelly. Top notch.

All for now...I'll scan your comments tomorrow and cobble that together with a lot of other stuff I've been meaning to mention. Was it Tyler Hamilton who used to say...thanks for reading.