Cycling

This is a good weekend to write about cycling as the Tour de France reaches its climax. Since we've come to Lunel our bikes have come into their own - nice flat countryside after the serious hills of Derbyshire. We often use our bikes for gentle trips into town, and Jon rides around the local countryside in search of old roads, nice views and good photos. Lunel itself has made some efforts to accommodate cyclists, with green lines on pavements here and there, but these seem to lead to places you don't want to go to, or to peter out or include serious bumps over kerbs that are not really adapted. So I've joined Lunel à Vélo, which is a combination of social cycling group and campaigning organisation. You can see their blog at http://lunelavelo.over-blog.fr/

Cycling is a passion for many in France, and there are few fine weekends when you don't find parties of lycra-clad cyclists pedalling the roads into the Cevennes. That is far more sporting than we, or I think the average Lunel à Vélo members, are. The Tour of course is at another level altogether. Two years ago (amid drug scandals which have frequently marred the race) it passed the end of our road here, and my main memory is of 2 hours of wierdly-shaped publicity vehicles and then two groups of cyclists, two pelotons (the word comes from the same root as platoon) flashed by. This year we have watched most of it on the television, to begin with with curiosity, but with increasing admiration and sense of suspense.

There are some who say that the whole race is bound to be riddled with drugs - how can we know, although there are random tests? But the sheer power and endurance of riders who can ride over 150 km most days for 3 weeks at speeds averaging nearly 50 km/h (30 mph in old money) is awesome, and we have cheered the heroism of the American many times former winner Lance Armstrong who has returned this year after several years recovering from cancer and retained his third place with the most formidable climbs. We have admired the transition of Bradley Wiggins from Olympic track gold medallist to successful Tour rider who found reserves of strength to hang on to 4th place on Mont Ventoux; the amazing and talented Schleck brothers whose performances credit the tiny country of Luxembourg; and the sheer brilliant speed of the Manx Mark Cavendish who bursts through to win more stage than anyone else and hopes to do the same on the Champs Elysées tomorrow. We admire the supreme talent of the winner Contador. And we admire the teamwork of those whos pace-making and sheltering from the wind enables each of these stars to achieve what they do.