Bretagne
Land Of The Lighthouse
Mythical creatures rising defiantly to protect and guide brave sailors who dare to tossle with angry wild seas. That is what my imagination conjures when I view these captivating images of lighthouses from the Brittany region of France.. [see source below]
Strength, Power, Beauty and Endurance are the words that come to mind. Words that could also describe the riders in Le Tour as they battle it out for rankings and stage wins in this feat of endurance.. Our own aussie rider Cadel Evans won the victory of Stage 4 beating out Alberto Contador by an unmeasurable fraction of a second... A great feat considering only 15kms out from the finish line he had to change bikes and make up lost time to get back to the front of the peloton and on to victory..
No such luck for Victor Fontan back in 1929... At that time the rules stated a rider must complete the stage with the bike he started out on.. After destroying his bike in a tumble.. he borrowed another and amazingly completed the remaining 145kms with his crumpled bike strapped to his back.. That is not only endurance but ferocious determination.. It is stories like these that add to my love of Le Tour..
Perhaps it's the ardent love for their sport.. a boyhood pleasure that captured their hearts and was never lost to the burdens of adult life.. I imagine all the riders must retain some of that childhood spirit to conquer the obstacles that exist to train and compete in these events.. and the determination to see it through to the end..
Have A Great Week Everyone
'and remember to keep your childhood spirit'
IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS
Le Tour Facts: Info sourced from wikipedia
Lighthouse Images: Jean-guichard.com, Aqua door: pulsarwallpapers.com, Vintage Ladies: Glamoursurf.com, Striped Beach Tents: nyaxe.com, Flag of Brittany: commons.wikimedia.org, Map of Brittany: car-hire-europa.com, Vintage photo Victor Fontan: vintagephoto.livejournal.com, Stage 4 Photo Finish: http://www.isport.in, Le Tour Logo: created by [beingRuby©]
