TOURING THE TOUR de FRANCE

So many people are aware of my 14 rides on the Routes of the Grand Tours and since i started blogging with " Parrabuddy " about two years ago they have enjoyed insights of behind the scenes action during each July .

There is one character originating from Holland that does the route the day before towing a trailor and starts as the signs go up . Spoke briefly with him on the 2010 tour as i had decided to do two stages the same day so as to have extra time in Morzine visiting friends in that area . This middle aged gent was also doing a film with a support team so whilst he knew about my episodes on the Tour he was not too keen to ride any of the route together . Suited me since i was travelling light and thus travelling faster and of course had far more distance to cover those two days . Whilst i slept at the finish in the Jura that night i guess he was camped along the route .

Uncharacteristically i took the car to Britany for the start one year expecting to connect with some acquintances who were to drive my car supporting three riding , with two on the road throughout each stage .

They on the other hand after a few days decided that they were not so interested to cover each stage in full so we went our separate ways . Thus i found that i was doing far more than the scheduled route each day with having to go back for the car and move it down the next days route so as to take advantage of any shortcuts that would be created by the Tour dog legging rather than when it travelled in a direct line . Similar situation occured in 2009 when in the last week the car was abandoned by the driver at the start in Martigny and i was looking for him in Bourg St Maurice .

Whilst on the Tour route that year i picked up with a couple of Americans for a few days and was introduced to the star of this post .

" GEORGETHECYCLIST " travels the world on his bike and if you go to www.georgethecyclist.blogspot.com you will enjoy a smorgesbord of stories from all over . Somewhere in his tales he has mentioned yours truly several times . So to start the third year of my blogging i will leave you with his story of our meeting . Sometime later i hope he will return with links to the various posts where he has mentioned many of our escapades :

" George on Skippy


Every June the week-long Dauphine-Libere in France is the final tune-up race for many of the riders planning to compete in the Tour de France. I too made it a preparatory race before attempting to follow my first Tour in 2004. It was in fact the first professional bicycle race I witnessed in Europe. It gave me a small glimpse of what La Grande Boucle would be like riding its course and submerging myself among the throngs along its route. I was hoping to find others similar to me on loaded touring bikes tagging along with the peloton. Unfortunately, over the years I have only happened upon a very small handful, rarely more than one or two a year making the attempt.

I did notice though at the Dauphine on several of the stages a tall, lanky, distinguished looking gentlemen with gray facial hair decked out in Lycra on a quality racing bike riding the course at a near racing clip. He was clearly a devotee of the sport, one of those cyclists who have logged so many hours on their bike they look as if they are at one with it, as if they virtually live on their bike. I immediately recognized him as a distinctive character, someone I would like to get to know. He was wearing an Italian club jersey, implying that was his nationality. That seemed natural, as the Italians are the most rabid of cycling fans. I doubted that he spoke English, so I did not make any effort to track him down, nor did any opportunity present itself to casually meet him.

It was no surprise to see him a couple weeks later at The Tour. He was looking as Italian as ever. Bike racing was clearly his life. I saw no others who even remotely compared to his dedication or flair. He was most definitely the ultimate of racing fans and followers.

Over the next couple of years I'd continue to catch glimpses of him, but without any contact. It wasn't until I met a German cyclist with panniers on his bike doing what I was doing did I finally learn who this Godfather of Tour followers was. The German said he had met him and claimed that he was an English-speaker, if Australians can be said to speak English. When he said "Australian" I didn't think I heard him correctly, thinking he meant Austrian. But no indeed, this fellow was Australian and was known as Skippy. It was towards the end of The Tour that year and I didn't see Skippy again. I returned the following year determined to finally meet him.
Coincidently that year I met an American cyclist from Texas by the name of Jesse who had teamed up with Skippy. Jesse was trying to ride The Tour route in its entirety, though using trains for the transfers between stages, in tribute to a cycling friend who had died of cancer. His brother was accompanying him, biking some, but also hopping aboard trains with their gear so Jesse's bike would be lighter. About a week into The Tour they met Skippy, who was trying to bike as much of the route too as he could, but also with the assistance of a car. He was looking for a driver. Jesse's brother assumed that role.
Jesse was experiencing pain in his knee so wasn't rocketing along as fast as he would have otherwise, more at my pace, allowing us to periodically ride together. He began telling me some of the extraordinary stories of Skippy's Tour experiences dating back to l998 when he was befriended by Marco Pantani. A day or two later when Skippy joined us as we were riding along, and I got a first hand dose of his stories, I quickly learned he was as well known in the peloton as The Devil, and knew quite a few people along The Tour route as well. He'd stopped and have a glass of wine with someone he knew and then catch back up to us.


In the years since our meeting we have become fellow comrade in arms making the effort to meet up as often as possible during The Tour to share our different perspectives and experiences. He hasn't stopped amazing me with who he has last bumped into and with anecdotes from his many Tours past, not only of France but Italy and Spain and others, hanging out with the riders at the start and finish of the stages and also riding with them on their rest days. I was thrilled when he finally started a blog in December of 2009 http://parrabuddy.blogspot.com to put some of them in print.

If I had had any doubts as to his celebrity, they would have been laid to rest three Tours ago at the Grand Depart in Monaco, I was on the outskirts of the principality, just arriving on my loaded bike, when the French AGR2 team passed me as they were out on a training ride. One of the riders blurted, "Hey it's Skippy," a joking reference to me, as other than my similar gray beard and skinny figure, I would not be mistaken for Skippy, not wearing Lycra and chugging along on a loaded up bike. When I mentioned it to Skippy later in the day he said he would give those guys a scolding for having a laugh at his expense. For me though it was a high honor.

OFFICIAL 2012 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milan

2012 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milan

Leaked info last week was CORRECT as was shown in this day’s GIRO Presentation in Milano !

Great to see that the Third Etape is Dedicated to Wouter Weylandt , this being the third year that his name will be prominent . All of you will recall that he won the third etape in 2010 and died this year on the Passo Boca during the third Etape , now 2012 , and perhaps future editions also , will memorize his contribution to the Giro’s History !

I know that there was an Event in Italy during September to celebrate his contribution to the relationship between Belgium and Italy . The original intention was to run said event on his September Birthdate !

Below once again the basic “ Etape details ”:

2012 Giro d'Italia, May 5-May 27
May 5, stage 1: Herning - Herning ITT, 8.7 km
May 6, stage 2: Herning - Herning, 206 km
May 7, stage 3: Horsens - Horsens, 190 km
May 8: Rest day
May 9, stage 4: Verona - Verona TTT, 32.2 km
May 10, stage 5: Modena - Fano, 199 km
May 11, stage 6: Urbino - Porto Sant'Elpidio, 207 km
May 12, stage 7: Recanati - Rocca di Cambio, 202 km
May 13, stage 8: Sulmona - Lago Laceno, 229 km
May 14, stage 9: San Giorgio nel Sannio - Frosinone, 171 km
May 15, stage 10: Civitavecchia - Assisi, 187 km
May 16, stage 11: Assisi - Montecatini Terme, 243 km
May 17, stage 12: Seravezza - Sestri Levante, 157 km
May 18, stage 13: Savona - Cervere, 121 km
May 19, stage 14: Cherasco - Cervinia, 205 km
May 20, stage 15: Busto Arsizio - Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli, 172 km
May 21: rest day
May 22, stage 16: Limone sul Garda - Falzes/Pfalzen, 174 km
May 23, stage 17: Falzes/Pfalzen - Cortina d'Ampezzo, 187 km
May 24, stage 18: San Vito di Cadore - Vedelago, 139 km
May 25, stage 19: Treviso - Alpe di Pampeago, 197km
May 26, stage 20: Caldes/Val di Sole - Passo dello Stelvio, 218 km
May 27, stage 21: Milan - Milan ITT, 31.5 km


Those of you who are involved with “ Couchsurfing ” or know people that participate could help me by putting me in touch with people who are able to assist me with accommodation within 20km or so of each depart point . Would prefer to ride this last Giro without a support vehicle since the past two events have generally been hampered by having to travel back to the car at the end of each day ! Not much fun to be had with riding 200+km each day !

2012 Giro d’Italia ?

Nearly every year we hear speculation of what the Grand Tours will serve up several days before the Presentation ! So with the TDF “ leaked ” and now the “Giro ” will we see an early release of the “ Vuelta Espana ” ?

Thanks to Velonation you have an early " Heads Up " !

Photo of Alberto C. !

IS THIS ROUTE SPECULATION or essentially the real thing that will be announced on Sunday the 16th October ?


Giro d’Italia stages (to be confirmed by RCS Sport)
5 May: Herning – Herning ITT (8,7 km)
6 May: Herning – Herning (206 km)
7 May: Horsens – Horsens (190 Km)
8 May: Rest day, transfer to Italy
9 May: Verona – Verona TTT (32,2 km)
10 May: Modena – Fano (199 km)
11 May: Urbino – Porto Sant’Elpidio (207 Km)
12 May: Recanati – Rocca di Cambio (202 km)
13 May: Sulmona – Lago Laceno (229 km)
14 May: San Giorgio nel Sannio – Frosinone (171 km)
15 May: Civitavecchia – Assisi (187 km)
16 May: Assisi – Montecatini Terme (243 Km)
17 May: Seravezza – Sestri Levante (157 km)
18 May: Savona – Cervere (121 km)
19 May: Cherasco – Cervinia (205 km)
20 May: Busto Arsizio – Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli (172 km)
21 May: Rest day
22 May: Limone sul Garda – Falzes/Pfalzen (174 km)
23 May: Falzes/Pfalzen – Cortina d’Ampezzo (187 km)
24 May: San Vito di Cadore – Vedelago (139 km)
25 May: Treviso – Alpe di Pampeago (197km)
26 May: Caldes/Val di Sole – Passo dello Stelvio (218 km)
27 May: Milano – Milano ITT (31,5 km)


Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10056/A-strange-day-for-the-Grand-Tours-as-Giro-dItalia-route-also-leaked.aspx#ixzz1af6TWu9m

TOUR de FRANCE 2012 ? leak or what ?

A.S.O. has had a “ leak ” of the official version of the 2012 TDF ?

Not likely that what “ Podium Café ” has reported will be 100% correct but I am sure that some of the rumours are likely to be true !

2012 Etapes ?

2011 route in photo , but sidebar shows 2012 details

Some of the comments to “ Podium Café’s ” announcement report :

If this is true
Some ASO employee will have had a very bad day at the office. L’ouch!
Me like bike, no?

me thinks it's a bad day out of an office after this one.
OR they released this to hear if it will float and the real course will be announced and be a doozy.

I'm sure this will be the course...I saw rumors of ASO wanting to show off the medium mountains next year
so they won’t be doing insane Giro amounts of climbing…though I’d love to see them get some tough finishes for flatter days


what ASO needs to do,
in my arrogant DDIFP-opinion
is to figure out a way to make the GC guys race the middle climbs and not just the last one.
The Alps rocked this year cuz of that.

mountain top bonifications, perhaps?


and shorter stages
moo


Absolutely
Alpe d’Huez was the best day of Grand Tour racing this year.


Should I find myself in Europe next July the ITT in Chartres will allow me to get to Paris to see the finish on the “ Champs Elysee ” ! This year I finished in the Alps since a return trip to Paris to watch the jostling on the Sunday had no appeal .

OF Course this “ LEAK ” could be deliberate as “ Giro d’Italia 2012 ” is also available !

OOPS ! Go to www.Tourdafarce.blogspot.com