So..... this year with le Tour coming to within 30 minutes of our little village, we both decided way back in April, we just had to do this. Lots and lots of research on the route for stage 5 of le Tour beginning in April failed to turn up the towns that le Tour would be passing through, or for that matter exactly which roads. I mean... you can’t just drive out to the general vicinity and hope to be at the right place at the right time. May... little more in the way of information. I had a tour operator for le Tour explain to me that logistically, le Tour is a planning nightmare. Roads have to be scoped out in advance, possible hazards noted and either routed around or possibly even redesigned. Spectators must be accommodated as well the whole of le Tour’s apparatus. It’s really mind boggling when you think about it. So, it becomes clearer, the mystery about the exact route of Stage 5. By late June, the information is more forthcoming. The official le Tour de France website begins to post more and more accurate information. Armed with this new information and my newly acquired highly detailed maps (I love maps) for the area, I plot our destination for viewing le Tour.
Friday, via the internet, I book us an itsy-bitsy little car with Europecar, for if you can believe it, US$57.32 for three days. I wonder, how is that possible? Tuesday, the day before Stage 5, pick up the little car in Bandol and off and up into the mountains of the Var. I want to scope out the route from the small town of Signe to Roquebourne de Bedoule, about 25 kilometers in all.
I’m interested in access, safety of the viewing site and the probability of a great view with good photo opportunities. We settle on a small carre four (crossroads) of the D2 & the N8 in the little, really little hamlet of le Camp Castellet, near Paul Ricard’s mega racetrack facility.
Wednesday morning, both our tummies are a flutter. We’re not really sure how all this works. When will they close the roads? How soon will people show up? So... down to our bakery, and pick -up a freshly made buttered ham baguette sandwich (they’re unbelievable) pack some chips, cold drinks, fresh fruit, et voila! A picnic in the French tradition for a thoroughly French event.
Oh... and pack the umbrellas. Yes, it’s decided to piddle on us this morning of all mornings. First time in weeks. Merde!
Wind our way up the twisting mountain roads, and in a few minutes, we’re there. Still piddling however. We’re early. Real early by my estimates. It’s about 11:30 but people are definitely showing up, the roads becoming lined with cars. Le Tour probably won’t be coming through until about 4:00 or 4:30 this afternoon.
The rain stops just before lunch and we walk down to the carre four. Along the way ,we get to see tailgaiting, French style. One group had a table with china, a roti chicken, roasted potatoes, a baguette and, of course, a chilled bottle of Rose. I would later see this table being interviewed by French TV.
A little Auberge/restaurant sits on the corner and it’s obvious that they plan to cash-in on today’s event. OK, grab a little curbside table and, deux pressions sil-vous-plait. Aaah... a cold beer hits the spot. Decide to hang here for a while, break out the sandwich and chips, you can do this in most cafes if you buy something to drink.... so, une carafe du Rose sil-vous-plait.
The longer I sit here, staring back at the carre four, I become convinced, this is a perfect viewing area with potentially a fantastic photo op. Our only concern is that as the afternoon passes, will the crowds by the road grow to the point where , mind you,Sandy who is five foot tall, they might block our views. I decide that a little aggressive staking out of a spot is in order. So as I suspected, the crowd thickens, I resolutely stand my ground at the front of the line with Sandy watching my backside.
2:00 and I’m already tiring of my vigil, but... needs must. You can feel the excitement building around you. The gendarmes (police) have showed up, and the preparations for closing the roads is underway. The crowds continue to swell, well relatively speaking, remember this is a really tiny place. I nervously check, recheck and check again my sight-line to the corner. Focus... pull out... no closer... wow, I think I’m gonna’ get some great shots. Roads are now closed, Gendarmes are zooming to and fro, making sure all the preparations have been made. Crowds are being pushed back along the edges of the roads. Advance vehicles have began to appear, official le Tour vehicles. There is a buzz in the air. About 3:00, the Caravane arrives. Part carnival but mostly advertisement, the sponsors floats, some quite outrageous, zoom around the corner and by the waving, cheering crowds, tossing out little freebies as they pass. I caught an Antartigaz hat for Sandy and a bag of Madelines (yummy little butter cakes). It’s great fun and it just serves to whip up the crowds even more. We know that the Caravane is typically about an hour ahead of le Tour , so.. About an hour to go before the real excitement begins. A long hour. Very little happens. Gendarmes scooting all over, occasionally an official car, or a team support car zooms, and I mean zooms by. Everybody is restless. Nudge nudge, must protect my space at the front. Getting harder and harder... little old ladies are the worst to push in front. I’m not feeling generous at the moment. Sandy continues to watch my back, trying to make sure I don’t get squeezed out. It’s our plan, at the last moment, to install her in front of me and I’ll shoot over her. We’ll see.
About 4:15, after a disappointing lull that seemed to last for ever, the police and support staff seem more nervous, cellphones at the ear, looking down the D2 , adjusting the barricades.
Word is they’re on the way, helicopters have began to circle and pass by... just minutes now.
Check the sight-line... focus long.... focus short....breath out, right.. I’m ready.
It’s just before 4:30, helicopters are hovering just up the D2 now, I think I can hear crowds cheering.... and.... two Gendarmes on motorcycles, side by side, they lean hard to the right as they round the curve. And.... as if almost on top of the Gendarmes, bicycles... the breakaway no doubt.
Stand my ground, sight-line... focus click, click pan pan, click click, they whiz past in a blur, followed closely by the team support cars. Wow! Couldn’t have been more than 15 seconds. Wow!! My hearts actually racing.
How long? How long now before the peloton arrives? The crowd’s really whipped up by now. The excitement is definitely here. Waiting.... 1 minute.... 2 minutes...5 minutes.... and.......here they are!!! Gendarmes again at the front, first riders appear. Crowd’s roaring and yelling at the riders Quick... focus.. Click, click, click... I just stay focused and shoot nonstop. There’s a buzzing in my head. I can feel the wind as the pelaton passes.... wooosh, wooosh, man that was close. I hope I’m not too far out. Click, click, click wooosh......and.... they’re gone. All that remains are the team support cars chasing after the pelaton.
Breathe, just breathe..... I can hear my heart pounding in my ears. My fingers are still clenching the camera. Relax Kevin... just relax. Big grins and smiles all around.
All of the research and planning. 4 maybe 5 hours of waiting.... and in about 60 seconds it’s all over. But wow! What a high.
And.... just as it began... but in reverse...the crowds mill away from the carre four, the police and the support begin clearing the barricades, directing what I’m willing to bet was a massive traffic jam, for this little spot at least.
It’s all over.
By the time we, in our itsy-bitsy little Toyota, make it through the carre four and on our way back down the D26 on our way to Bandol, you’d hardly know that anything had happened.
Later that evening, we pulled the video up onto the PC for Stage 5 and began to relive the moments. There they pass through Signe, where we’d began two days ago.... hey... I think I recognize that stretch of road. I think they’re getting’ close now.. Hey.... yeah... I think that’s the carre four up ahead. Yes... it is. Motorcycle cameraman’s following the 4 man breakaway.... into the curve and.... wait... I think.... yeah I think I see me . Yellow shirt, cargo shorts... camera in hand. Shootin’ for all I’m worth. Yes... I think so... back up, slow motion. Yep pretty sure.
About 5 minutes later, motorcycle cameraman imbedded in the peloton... sweeping into the curve... better picture this time.... and yes, yes I see me. It is me and I’m shootin’ my ass off.
Wow!! I would so do this all again!
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| The Caravane begins! |
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| Peleton rounding the corner. |
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| Swoosh! Wow that was close! |
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| Todays Winner! |
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| Swallowed up in a sea of bicycles! |
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| It's all over except for the team cars |
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