Sponsor Ciaran Doran at : https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ciarandoranbeforethetour
This was the most incredible cycling stage I’ve ever done, one of the toughest but one of the most exciting. The longest stage in this year’s Tour de France at 221km (138 miles) and with 7, yes Seven sections of cobbles or Pave in French, totalling 13.5km.
I can’t remember much about the start as I was so focussed on the complete journey. The riders did very well and were anticipating the lunch stop but didn’t really know where the first cobbled section took place. Just before departing from a pit stop I asked and was told that the cobbles were a few kilometers away so I hurridly put some extra paddung using 2-inch silver plumbers insulation foam taped to the bars. Good job I did as the cobbles were just around the corner ! This was seciton 7 as they were numbered in descending order. This wasn’t so bad and was simply a taster of things to come.
We stopped for lunch in Geognies Chaussee which has one side of the street in Belgium and the other side in France. Quite strange to think that people must have lived here on different sides of a border between two countries. How did they pop round to the neighbour to ask for some milk or sugar or does that sort of thing not happen in Belgium/France.
The restaurant was a typically fabulous little french restaurant that catered for us with speed and efficiency and a wonderful buffet spread. Thank you to “Le Vieux Chene”.
Below is a mignificent photo taken by Jules, of Geoff Thomas as he led the entry onto section 6 of the cobbles. The horror was that as soon as the people carrier Jules was riding in entered the cobble area the dust was unbelievable, however, the photographs are tremendous.
I’m somewhere in the dust !
Section 3 cobbles had a plate announcing when this section was opened and by whom, that’s how seriously the French take these cobble sections of road between the fields – and there were many cyclists riding in each direction on them – how sadistic.
Right after this photo we entered the second to last cobble section which was 3.8km long. I took it slowly to begin, then on the crest of the road put my backside to the back of the saddle, hunched over to put most of my weight on the rear of the bike and simply used the palms of my hands to rest on the handlebars. Pushing a very big gear this had the effect of making the front of the bike act like a leaf-spring as I got faster and faster over those big stones – they were quite vicious and I’m really glad I didn’t puncture or fall off. Overall, it was an amazing experience and a thrilling one to get through this day so well.
The family were, again, at the finish line to welcome me and all the riders to Cambrai. A wonderful welcome photo here with the Mairie in the background along with one of our technical vans in front.
More news tomorrow from what is supposed to be a ‘recovery ride’ !!! 189.5km from Arras to Amiens and they call it a recovery ride – we’ll see.
2 Responses to “Stage 4 Seraing in Belgium to Cambrai in France”
I really loved the picture taken through the dust of the cobbles. I have just watched the Tour go over them and wondered what the visibility must be like – your picture tells me!
Yes Steve, it was quite something because the photographer said to us just before we entered that section of cobbles that she wanted Geoff Thomas to be first onto the cobbles so she could get a good photo of him. However, none of us had anticipated the dust that would fly into the air as soon as the people carrier hit the cobbles and she said she couldn’t have wanted for a better picture. There are many more excellent photos but since we’ve all been concentrating on getting to the destination and then preparing for the next day we haven’t had time to o stuff. More updates will come over the weekend as we have mnore time.
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