All this month the Tour De France has been underway. Some weeks ago we went to Chateauroux to see the leg that was ending there, we came, they came, we saw, they left, we left. It happens like that MOST of the time...they FLY by and without TV to help that's all you get...a quick glimpse of a rider in colorful tight clothing and then he's gone into the distance. That and then the Peloton (Group) of some 150 riders that stay together behind the leader(s). I won't go into the rules and the strategy as it's quite complicated and subject to the moment just happening. It is a spectator sport though, of no small ilk...at least it is here. And poopsie, it is FREE! Yes, anywhere you go that it comes thru during the 20 or so stages it is absolutely Libre (free). Anyway, yesterday we were invited to watch the spectacle with Brit friends in the little village of Ainay le Chateau a few miles southeast of Saint Amand Montrond. I plugged in the village name in the Tom Tom and Bonnie directed us through St. Amand and then along the tiniest roads to Ainay Le Chateau. It was painless, parking was alonside the road into town and we walked the rest of the way. The village is a colorful medieval leftover with many beautiful buildings and an archway right over the middle of town that was the focal point of all attendees. People everywhere along the sidewalk, eating and drinking in cafes and standing watching out for the riders. It was the day of the Final Time Trial, 53 Kilometers (33 miles) from Cerilly to St. Amand Montrond. The riders leave in one minute intervals and really have to put out as they are by themselves and racing against a clock only. No challengers to watch, no middle riders, no peloton. It makes for quite a tough event and this time it was crucial for the yellow shirted leader Sastre (Team CSC) a Spaniard. A link for you: http://www.letour.fr/indexus.html We watched each as they flew by, some taking the long downhill into town as a rest and others working hard to increase their speed and lower their time.
We had sandwiches and beer with the group Mikel, Maggie, Elvis (The Dog), and P. A great time waiting was had by all. We spent about 3 hours then excused ourselves to go get cat litter (!!!) in Bourges! Yes, bloody cat litter. It's was for the Litter Robot newly repaired the day before, as it chokes on ordinary litter. Needs the clumping stuff, no clumps...no robot. No robot...Cat shit in box instead, causes me to have to fish in with a perforated scoop, you know the routine. A pain in the ass. Anyway we stopped at the LYTL store instead, in St. Amand and they had a 10 Kg bag of the apparent "Right Stuff"! So we will see if it's right enough over the next few days. Then home to rerlax in front of the TV and watch the last 20 oe so riders as they tested themselves in the aforementioned time trial.
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