It's July so I spend my late evenings sitting up watching the Tour de France on TV. It's quite a commitment in Australia. Because of the time difference our broadcast normally doesn't start until 10pm, and the race will typically end sometime after 1am. It's a tough pace to maintain over three weeks, but it's worth it of course. I've been doing it for
a few years now.
The final stage is on tonight, always compulsory viewing, so much Parisian beauty on show it makes your heart ache.
I was right there two years ago, on the Rue de Rivoli. The atmosphere is electric.
Every year I mean to read some TDF related books, and every year I have too much else on. But I keep buying TDF books just the same. I will read them at some stage.
I just bought this one today (it's on sale on kindle at the moment).
I know I have these books waiting in the TBR.
I guess the books I'm keen to read are more about the race, rather than the cycling as such. I did listen to Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike a few years ago (
see my review), before the now famous Oprah interview. That of course colours any thoughts about him, but there were still interesting insights into the practicalities of racing in a peloton.
There are many more options.
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TDF books on display
at Galeries Lafayette 2013 |
7 comments:
Have you ever dipped into Gabriel Gate's food and travel book for the TDF? A few regular customers of mine get a copy every year!!
I took a writing class a couple of summers ago from a reporter who did an extensive interview with Lance. Not a nice fellow. Sadly, I say this, as Lance is a fellow Texan.
You certainly show a lot of pluck, watching from 10 pm to 1 am every night for three weeks. Wow.
Louise, Like you, I'm obsessed by watching the Tour de France. It takes so much time, but all worth it. For us, the tour is on from 8 a.m. to noon usually. I started recording it and playing it back in the evenings because I couldn't stand the Hannah and her horse commercials. If you haven't seen them, then you're lucky. I don't even know what the commercial is for, but it was on every commercial break. Sorry for the rant.
I loved watching the tour and I'm so excited about the up and coming riders. I even started to root for Peter Sagan this year; he's working on his karma.
Thanks for playing along with Dreaming of France. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme
We're lucky here -- we can see it starting at 8 a.m., sometimes earlier if it's a really long stage. I watch bits and pieces in the morning as I do my day thing; perhaps catch the afternoon repeat as I'm between shopping or garden or cleaning up; then watch with Rick in prime time! Now that it's over, I am watching the 3-5 minute segments on demand on cable because I miss the dulcet tones of Phil and Paul, the commentators we hear in the States. Their wonderful Brit accents make me swoon. Definitely withdrawal.
If you are interested in the race itself and its people, versus cycling (my pref, too), I recommend two books by Richard Moore -- Slaying the Badger, which is about the competition between France's Bernard Hinault and America's Greg Lemond and his later "Etape," which looks at several of the major stages and their characters. Rick, who used to race, turned me on to them after discovering Moore's work through a great blog called "George the Cyclist."
Wonderful to have the memories of being present! Great reminders as you view I'm sure. And your growing book collection will not go to waste!
HapPy Paris in July - glad to see my button put to good use :)
How wonderful to have actually been there watching. I've enjoyed bits and pieces this year but the year my dad was over there watching I had some sleepless nights keeping up. Obviously you really love it. I had no idea there were so many books on the great race.
I read and reviewed George's Grand Tour, loved it!
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