Le Tour: Paris Fin ....... [or is it?]

Le Tour 2011

Congratulations to Cadel Evans

The first Australian to win Le Tour de France in the 108 years of it's history... Twice a bridesmaid in 2nd place he finally won the big one! ... Congrats also to the Schleck brothers and Thomas Voeckler who once again held the Maillot Jaune for ten grueling days.

Well this is not the grand finale I had planned for the Paris leg of Le Tour .. but being so inspired by Cadel.. I felt I should make my own Tour..  Just like Le Tour.. I will start and end in Paris.. and make my way to  Rome and a few other destinations on the way... I've been so busy trying to put this together I've been ignoring my blog and yours!!! So forgive my absence and hopefully in September I'll be able to bring you some snapshots of the fun ride Tour de Ruby 2011 ...

Have A Great Week Everyone

... Hopefully I'll get back on here before I go ....

Le Tour: Pyrenees-Lourdes

Le Tour In Lourdes

[Gino Bartali - 1948]

[Thomas Voeckler]

[Jack Lemmon]

Maillot Jaune

[The Yellow Jersey]

At the end of the mayhem and carnage that was Stage 9, Thomas Voeckler of France managed to remain unscathed and secure himself the Yellow Jersey.. Back in the 2004 Le Tour, Voeckler held the Yellow Jersey for 10 straight days..  When asked a few days back if he could repeat this performance, he was quoted as saying  'I'm taking it day by day. What is sure is that I'm not going to keep it for 10 days'.

Well he might be happy to eat those words soon..  If he manages to retain the jersey after today's Stage 18 from Pinerolo to Galibier Serre-Chevalier he will have done just that!! Let's cross our fingers for him.. Each time I see his smiling face on the podium, I think he looks like a young Jack Lemmon.. don't you think? 

Here's hoping there is no more carnage of the likes we saw in the 2nd week and that Le Tour's pit stop at Lourdes will bring a bit of divine protection to the riders... I've been wanting to post these exquisite shots of La Madonna [by Annet van de Voort] for some time .. so today's collage of vintage Le Tour riders battling the mountains of the Pyrenees seemed like perfect timing... La Madonna watching over the riders as she did for Gino Bartali in 1948..

Standings

So back to the standings as at Stage 17.  No surprise Thomas Voeckler remains in 1st position, however Cadel Evans has moved himself back up to 2nd place and out of the Schleck brother sandwich he's been in lately.. [not that there's anything wrong with that!!] ... Go Cadel!!!

Have A Great Week Everyone

& to my fellow Sydneysiders - Stay Dry If You Can!!!

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS

Le Tour Facts Info sourced from : wikipedia and letour.com

IMAGES

La Madonna: .annetvandervoort.com

Jack Lemmon: original colour shot: cineclap.free.fr

Thomas Voeckler: original colour shot: cyclisme2011uci.skyrock.com

Cyclist [current image]: original colour shot: reuters

Cyclists [vintage images]:  original colour shot: 1st - pdxk.com,

Others: various [sorry I've lost my references and will update soon]

Le Tour: Vive La France

'Flying The Tri-Colores'

July 14th - La Fete Nationale

In a week that saw Le Tour being nicknamed Le Tour de Carnage... my hero of the week would have to be dutch rider Johnny Hoogerland... One of two riders thrown from their bikes by a rogue media car,  Johnny found himself wrapped around a barbed wire fence.. That however did not stop him from getting back on his bike and riding the remaining 40kms to the finish line and achieving King of the Mountain status for his efforts..  It took 33 stitches to put Johnny back together again.. Other riders that day weren't so lucky and abandoned the race to broken bones...  

Like La Liberte, Johnny bared all to fly the tri-colores in the week of Le Fete Nationale.

Have A Great Week Everyone

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS:

I took some liberties with the following images:

Johnny Hoogerland image: Reuters 

La Liberte Painting:  Eugene Delacroix

Unite poster:  Life Magazine Archives

Le Tour 2011: Bretagne

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©]

Le Tour 2011: And So It Begins

And So It Begins

It's that time again..  to pull up the sofa, turn down the lights and be transported by armchair to the mesmerizing landscape of France and the yearly daydream that is Le Tour de France...

Here in Australia we watch Le Tour in the quiet hours of the morning... Yesterday has only just left us.. Today is not yet begun and winter is calling us to find comfort and warmth in slumber.. but just as we practice our last channel flick before retiring.. a glimpse of Le Tour will capture us and find us lingering a bit longer.. Every year I find myself drifting into a meditative state as I watch the rhythmic cycling whiz past never-ending fields of lavender and sunflowers, or wind their way through rustic villages. My mind finds comfort in this yearly ritual, reminding me that a world of dreams  is awaiting  my return and that somewhere summer is alive and well and kissing the landscape with it's warmth.    

Last year I had a blowout on the first leg.. yes a nasty little spill called moving house.. It was over before it begun... I'll try a little harder this year to keep up.. and like any worthy endeavour, I'll start with the end in mind ...  Paris.. The location for success or defeat. Although I suspect all who make it to the finish line are successful no matter their position... These shots of Parisian rooftops are from my last trip to Paris.. 1996.. too long ago.. Time for more photo shoot fodder I think..... OK...

No More Monkey Business

on ya' bike!!

Have A Great Weekend Everyone

'may all your flatlands be dressed with lavender & sunflowers'

And to all my friends in the USA

 Happy 4th July Weekend 

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS

Rooftops of Montmartre: Original Photography & Artwork [BeingRuby©]

Monkey Image: unknown source