Cycling in the summer sunshine

A short post this week.  The cycling season is with us (for us two, strictly as tele-spectators) - there have already been major internationsl races, but the Criterium du Dauphiné is the first of the year in France where the major contenders for the Tour de France  all show up.  This week the weather is getting warmer, and it's dry, so the scenery is a real pleasure in the early summer sunshine.  Geographically the Dauphiné is the mountainous region around our old twin area, the Diois, but the race spreads its route a long way to the north.  By the fourth day as I write it has more or less reached Valence passing through the rolling countryside of central France.  Mid-week we'll have the time trial, and then three tough mountain stages to finish thte week

The first days have gone more or less as expected - Pogačar, Vingegaard and assorted Dutch and Belgian riders up the leader board, the right mix of French riders near the top to keep the local interest up, though never quite strong enough to get right up there.  Over the first three days the lead changed, but we'll see by the end of the week when the mountains take their toll.  Meanwhile the scenery is a joy to watch as always in televised cycle races.  It is a shame the riders do not see it, especially (they say) because racing has speeded up so there is no time to admire views.  The normal speed on the flat is faster than a town speed limit for motors.

Thhis past week has seen the start of resurfacing work on the D24 road past our little cul-de-sac.  Slow work made even more sluggish by the bank hoidays that litter the month of May.  But for all the anxiety it provokes for me, the reality is that scarcely  anything seems to be happening.  Pictures of the preparations and improvided parking follow.

Having started talking about cyclists like Pogačar I needed a č, but the special ALT+ 0269 code I tried did not work (it is simple on the iPad) so I had to cut and paste it from a website!  The petty trials of modern life!