Fil de la vie . . .: Le Tour

It's been just over a week since we ventured to 'Le Tour'.... I would like to claim that I am still getting over the effort to get there and the buzz of the excitement--but I think although the buzz remains, and will for quite some time (in my head anyway!) I can no longer claim that I am recovering from the day it took to get ready to go to it (a mere 25 minutes from home) and the day of it (9 hours of race-zone bliss) and the day after recouping the lost day (8 hours of laundry, house cleaning and menu-planning).....Really, it was only one day--but it swallowed up about 3 or 4 days.......and it was worth it!

I probably became a 'race-fan' while in college during my own 'foray' into cycling as a mountain biker. I was dating a guy that was a mt. biker...his family was into cycling...and soon enough we were traveling all around on the weekends to follow races and compete. I did really well in a few races...placing second or third....(okay--so the field of women racers was 4.....but still.) My favorite race was in West Virginia--Canaan Valley; a mostly single track 22 mile loop described as 'mild to wild, mountain bike madness'.... it was. It had it all, massive climbs, stream crossings, mud, rock, dust, dirt....killer down hills---yeah. Believe it or not, dainty, feminine me---loved it. (Didn't even break a nail!) I spent most of that race with the 'sweeper'--the guy that is at the end of the pack to make sure that no-one is left behind....me and the sweeper, my buddy.

So around that time -- I also became a fan of the Tour de France... and maybe somewhere in the very back of my mind, toyed with idea of someday traveling to France--to see it in person..... someday.....little did I know.....

I knew that the race would be passing through Lisieux which is just less than 30 minutes from our house. A week before the start I ~~demanded~~ suggested, that we should go. Lisieux was a finish destination for stage six... so we could go there and hang out and wait with a good chance of seeing racers as it was the end to a leg rather than just a pass-through. So after I sweetly requested ~~stomped my feet and pouted~~ to go.....the plan was made; picnic, sunscreen, activities for the long wait, games charged, two diaper bags...and yes, umbrellas (remember that part--it will be important later).

Off we went--arriving 8 hours before the racers would show up. We were in a blissful, excited, anticipatory mood.... for about 3 hours....It was a long day. There was the parade of 'freebies' tossed at the crowd. The garcons collected hats, giant foam hands, snacks, pom-poms.....As much as I wanted the garcons to instantly turn into cycling-FANATICs just simply from breathing in the air that surrounded the pending arrival of the pelaton---they were totally into grabbing up the freebies from the 'caravanne' that were tossed haphazardly (yes, I was pelted with a 'Bic' key chain that left a small painful dent in my chin!) into the eager crowd....it was chaos and happy mayhem.....it was all about the 'loot'.....really, who needed cyclists? ........ uh?.....moi!

Finally after the 7 plus hour wait--we decided to pull up the stakes and move-camp to get a better vantage point...French Guy took Petite Fille back to the car--she had had enough--too much noise, wind and........dark, looming STORM clouds. So he headed back to the car with Oldest Garcon...with all of our bags and stroller and picnic supplies....and UMBRELLAS...and Middle Garcon and I held fort along the railing at the 450 meter mark to the finish line--I was already hanging over the rail monkey-style with my camera---waiting for the blur of riders....poised in antipation of the moment I had waited for for TWENTY-FIVE years! (I was two when I became a race-fan......honestly). Then.......8 minutes from the pelaton and.......cue wind, cue darkness......cue..........DOWNPOUR! Middle Garcon and I were caught---shelter-less and umbrella-less in an 8 minute deluge of cold wetness......did we run for the car? Did we move from our prime race viewing spot at 450 meters and 8 minutes left to go until the racers appeared.....after TWENTY-FIVE years of waiting to see Le Tour in person.......No. I ducked my head, put my camera under my shirt and sat down on the pavement, I sent Middle Garcon to crawl underneath a semi-truck that was parked next to us....(p-a-r-k-e-d....perfectly safe...really.) and we waited it out.....for this....