In the fine tradition of putting off something that can be easily done today till tomorrow, I have somehow managed to procrastinate myself into an inextricable situation: in order to post my TDP 2007 (Tour de Philippe 2007) report, I must first post my report from last year. You have already seen some reports from RBR'r Steephill on parts of this trip (see www.steephill.tv) so I thought it was high time to move these pictures off of my hard-drive and onto the internet. In preparing the reports for 2006 and 2007 (to follow "next week" <i> read: sometime in the following year if my past performance is anything to go by</i>, I have also realised that I have a backlog of other reports which I shall try (<i> and I mean "try"</i>) to post in the next few weeks as well.

Back to the TDP 2006.

As some of you who have followed my previous ride reports may know, for the past few summers I have organised a small cycling trip for some family and friends over here in France. The trip takes place in July when my wife and kids are visiting the in-laws back in the States and has revolved around either the Etape du Tour (www.leatapedutour.com) cyclosportive, the Marmotte cyclosportive, or, for the past two years, both. When not riding these two events, we spend our days riding, eating and spectating at the TDF.

Last year was no different and my Cat 1 cousin from Steamboat Springs, and RBR's MarkS, TeoTeoTeo and Steephill all joined in for the fun.

We started off with the Marmotte cyclosportive. Two days later, MarkS and I (who had managed to get entries into the Etape du Tour) foolishly and some might say presumptively rode the Etape (both the Marmotte and the Etape finished atop the Alpe d'Huez). Following that, we all headed over to the Vercors for some superlative riding. We finished off the week in Buis les Barronies just north of the Ventoux for some riding (the Ventoux!) and some spectating (on the Col du Perty). Teo then went off to work (guiding paying guests around the TDF), Steve went back to Toulouse where he and his wife were staying for the summer, Mark went back to the States to undergo a root canal and my cousin and I went back to the Alpe D'Huez to see the Pro's ride the Gap-Alpe d'Huez stage.

What follows is the photo-reportage of that trip.

The first few shots are of the Marmotte cyclosportive. This is the grandaddy of all of the French cyclosportives covering 170 kms (BigPinkt rode it this year and posted his report about it a few weeks ago -- I'll link to it in my 2007 report) climbing the Cols du Glandon, Telegraphe, Galibier and finishing atop the Alpe d'Huez. Last year, the ride was interupted for about an hour atop the Glandon due to a dutch cyclist careening off the downhill and taking out a course marshall in the process. My cousin made it past before the cut, The rest of us were caught behind the cut and thus took a bit longer (1 hr!) to finish the course than we otherwise would have liked. I finished comfortably in the top 3rd of the 7000+ cyclists -- a result that seems to be right on par for all of my cyclosportive rides. Below are pictures of the Italian GranFondo team car at our Gite D'Etape (hotel) the morning of the event, a few of us getting ready in the dawn chill and a few of the ride atop the Glandon and from the top of the Galibier. We had some spectacular weather and even though the climb to the Alpe was a bit on the warm side, it was much better than the few times I have ridden this ride in the cold, wet and snow!

As I mentioned above, MarkS and I managed to get entries to the Etape du Tour and after a few beers on the night of the Etape, gamely decided to ride this event just 1 day after the Marmotte. In hindsight, this was not the wisest of moves (understatement!) as although the ride itself was not so bad (I found it to be easier than the Etape and managed to climb the Alpe a bit more quickly than 2 days prior), I did pick up a persistent bout of tendonitis that flared up during the rest of the trip (but not enough to keep me off the bike!) and effectively compromised my cyclocross season. We took the bike-friendly train down from Grenoble to Gap where I watched in dismay as France lost the WC. The Italians were, to put it lightly, not dismayed at all and gave free reign to their feelings till well past midnight. Mark and I had managed to arrange for lodging with a local through the Tourism Office and had only a few metres to push out bikes for the early AM start. This almost made up for the disturbed sleep. The Etape, as usual, was a complete blast - I ran across a posse of team-mates on the way and felt strong over the Izoard and pretty much for the whole ride (with a momentary drop in power up the long slog to the Col du Lautaret). At least that how I seem to remember it with one year between then and now. I'm sure I might have described the ride slightly differently had you asked me then! In any case, the climb up to the Alpe was hot but as I mentioned above, I found it not as hard as during the Marmotte - I certainly went up it more quickly. After the ride, I went back down to our Gite (which happened to be on the Alpe d'Huez climb) where I came across nicely mustached rider who had abandoned the ride 4kms from the finish hust so that he could turn into the nearby cafe to quaff a few beers. I have to think back to my college days to remember when I last saw beer descend down a gullet so rapidly. The last shot is of the Hotel/Gite d'Etape where we were staying - I highly recommend it!

Nice report....

BTW clear your PM's, your inbox is full.

Not far from Bourg D'Oisans where we were staying is one France's nicest cycling regions, the mountain plateau of the Vercors located just west and south of Grenoble. We picked up Teo and headed over there for a few days of all-day riding. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves... just stupendous riding (mountain traffic jams - picture 3 -- and all!). Here too we stayed in a very nice Gite d'Etape on a half-board plan -- we wake up, we eat breakfast, we ride all day, we get back and dinner is served! Does it get any better than this! Well, yes it does, when you have your own personal bike-mechanic along for the ride (thanks Teo!)

Next stop, a few days on an farm surrounded by apricot orchards for a few days of Provencal riding including a climb up the Ventoux. Our base was in a Gite d'Etape just above the village of Buis-les-Baronnies just north of the Ventoux. While here, we went out for a grand circum-Ventoux tour starting in Bedoin, up the business end of the Ventoux, down the east slope to Sault, then a dog-leg to the Col de l'Homme Mort (thanks for the pose Steve!) and back to Bedoin via the Gorges de la Nesque (Steve has some great pictures of this last part of the ride up on his site at www.steephill.tv).

After a week and a half of of pretty intense riding, we were ready to see someone else do the hard work so we rode up to the Col du Perty to watch the pro's put in their dues.

We positioned ourselves right next to Didi "The Devil" Senft and all kinds of madness ensued....

After the broom wagon went past, we scooted past all of the cars heading off the mountain and back to the relative calm of Buis.

After Buis, Teo headed back to his day-job as a TDF guide <i>extrordinaire</i>, Mark back to states for some extreme dentistry and Steve back to his wife in their summer digs in Toulouse. My cousin and I headed up to Alpe d'Huez again to catch the Pro's ride the Gap-Alpe D'Huez stage. This was the second time my cousin and I had watched a stage at the Alpe together (last time was at the ITT) and the 6th time for me so we had the routine down. Get up the Alpe the night before, pitch our tent wherever we could find a spare spot of grass (in this case in the company of a large contingent of Norwegians under the chair lift opposite from the church), spend a sleepless nigh listening ... and jhoining in .. some old Norse drinking songs and staking out some primo real estate under the Jumbo-tron the next day at the finishing turn. In no time, we were packed in pretty tightly and the riders had not yet crested the Izoard! As the sun was beating down, we made some instant friends by proposing to set up our sun-tarp. The family next to us gave us some cold drinks from their ice-chest and we soon had a merry band of Italians, french and english enjoying our front-row viewing tent! Andy Schleck swooped by for the win in a blink and Landis was given the yellow jersey. On the way out we saw some Dutch (yes, I know they are wearing French kit ... but they were Dutch!) riders giving a new spin on low-oxygen training and caught a glimpse of Landis as he drove away.

I walked around the start village in Bourg d'Oisans and the finish area in Paris a few days later. Saw a lot of Pros, probably saw quite a few dopers and a few other things as well. The oddest thing I saw was Armstrong challenging K. Livingston and a few others to a push-up contest up in Alpe d'Huez. Anyway, here are some pictures from those two days. I won't say which ones were I believe were likely doping but I am reasonably sure that the last two were not. Dope or no dope, hat's off to those who finished the TDF.

Last picture is my parting shot -- hope you enjoyed!

Pictures like that make we want to invent a time machine, so I can go back to my youth and discover cycling at an earlier age and enjoy the wonders of the world from a different perspective.

These photos are not suitable for viewing at work.:p

I am up to my ears in work and have been complaing about how I don't have a spare second. I decided to sneak a little look on RBR and what do I see, the long-anticiapted 2006 Tour de Philippe report. Of course, I had to look. Then, as I was enjoying the report, my secretary came into my office and saw what was on the screen. I could have been viewing p(o)rn and her look would not have been less disapproving. I tried to lighten the mood by showing her that I was not just wasting time while demanding that everyone else around here jump to it, but that I was looking at pictures of the Tour de Philippe. When I showed her the pictures of the mountain ledge in the Vercors upon which we cycled and then told her that we had ridden up from the valley floor, she exlaimed: "I don't believe it." And, she was not engaging in hyperbole. Now she not only thinks that I am a hypocrite for surfing RBR while I demand that everyone else work, but she also thinks that I am a liar.

Pictures like that make we want to invent a time machine, so I can go back to my youth and discover cycling at an earlier age and enjoy the wonders of the world from a different perspective.

I, too, had a misspent youth -- too many hours studying and working and not enough play. I'm still working, but I am trying to make up for some of that misspent youth. I don't lose too much time regretting the years that I could have been riding in the great places I have ridden during the past few years. Instead, I take inspiration and hope from the guys in their 60s and 70s, 20 and 30 years older than I am, who I have seen riding up the hills at the Tour de France. I may not have seen Alpe d'Huez or Le Mont Ventoux at 20 or 30, but I am planning on seeing them a lot more times from the saddle before I hang up my bike for the last time. But, if you do invent that time machine, let me know.

I, too, had a misspent youth -- too many hours studying and working and not enough play. I'm still working, but I am trying to make up for some of that misspent youth. I don't lose too much time regretting the years that I could have been riding in the great places I have ridden during the past few years. Instead, I take inspiration and hope from the guys in their 60s and 70s, 20 and 30 years older than I am, who I have seen riding up the hills at the Tour de France. I may not have seen Alpe d'Huez or Le Mont Ventoux at 20 or 30, but I am planning on seeing them a lot more times from the saddle before I hang up my bike for the last time. But, if you do invent that time machine, let me know.
I don't lose any sleep over it at all. More thinking along the lines of "if I knew then, what I know now", what different choice I would have made. I didn' t start riding a road bike until my mid 30's. Spent most of my college years and a few after, fat and drunk with no direction. Played football because dad did and coached also, but was always too slow and small to be a good player.

Now I'm very happy to be a father and husband. Having fun riding with my daughter and wife. I also get out for fun with the boys so life is good. :)

Philippe, do you have a bigger version of this picture? It's great.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=100624&stc=1&d=1188915830

I don't lose any sleep over it at all. More thinking along the lines of "if I knew then, what I know now", what different choice I would have made. I didn' t start riding a road bike until my mid 30's. Spent most of my college years and a few after, fat and drunk with no direction. Played football because dad did and coached also, but was always too slow and small to be a good player.

Now I'm very happy to be a father and husband. Having fun riding with my daughter and wife. I also get out for fun with the boys so life is good. :)

I hear you. I did not get on a bike between my pre-driver's license years and the age of 40. My regret is that I really would like to do something like a coast-to-coast ride in the US or the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage on a bike. Back in my early 20s, when I was in school, I could have done something like this during summer break or before I began working full time. Now, I get negative feedback from people who matter, like clients, just because I want to spend two weeks away from the office in July. But, as you can see, I do get out for fun with the boys and life is good.:thumbsup:

Your photos are definitely the top of the heap. Of course, the actual adventures are even better I suppose. Thanks for sharing as usual.

I hear you. I did not get on a bike between my pre-driver's license years and the age of 40. My regret is that I really would like to do something like a coast-to-coast ride in the US or the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage on a bike. Back in my early 20s, when I was in school, I could have done something like this during summer break or before I began working full time. Now, I get negative feedback from people who matter, like clients, just because I want to spend two weeks away from the office in July. But, as you can see, I do get out for fun with the boys and life is good.:thumbsup:

I had a misspent youth, and I am now working on a misspent middle age....and looking forward to a misspent retirement :)

Great Pics Phillippe, as usual.

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Did you use a Holga for that one black and white pic?

Yes... a virtual Holga!

I'm just starting college and am a new road biker and hopefully a new racer in the spring.

Seeing these pictures really makes me want to experience something like this someday. What an incredible experience it must have been.

These photos are not suitable for viewing at work.:p



No Mark ... <i>these</i> photos are not suitable for work.....

In Mark's defense, after a few of these bike trips, he now has the modesty of an average frenchman (which is to say ... not much). The first picture is after a 170 km ride up and around the Ventoux -- I'm not sure he actually saw the family that walked by as he was changing into his street clothes. I'm reasonably sure they saw Mark!

The second shot is Mark enjoying the TDF on TV in Villard de Lans. Well, maybe "enjoying the TDF on TV" is not, technically speaking, a purely accurate description of what he was doing but at least I can confirm that the part about Villard de Lans is true!

Yep, I have the larger un-cropped version of the shot on my laptop at home. I saw the photographer whose head you can just barely see in the lower right get off his press moto and ask Didi if he would be willing to do "the jump" when the next set of riders came by. When Didi said yeas, I positioned myself behind the photographer and snapped the picture. Some people may not know this but Didi gets paid by sponsors to do his gig -- in this case, he was advertising the London departure of the 2008 TDF (as well as his long-running sponsor: Luk).

Next year, God and and a certain federal judge willing, I will in France in July and be bringing a camera along for defense. Beware!:eek:

Bring it on!!

This is my favourite thread, at least this year :) Phillipe, you have brought back many happy memories of my rides in the Alpes a few years ago.

Thanks for the great pictures, they really helped to tell the story. I hope I can go again sometime. I am still looking for revenge on Alpe D'Huez :)

Incredible photos! I can't wait for the 2007 edition.

Simply amazing!

Will only having one kidney effect my cycling? Because I'm going to "trade one in" for a trip like that. Seriously what an experience.

Don't get rid of that kidney yet! This kind of travel is *not* expensive (well, at least after airfare is included if you are flying over). Our budget typically runs about 30 Euros/day including food, lodging and car rental. Even with the dollar tanking against the Euro, that's a pretty good deal!

Don't get rid of that kidney yet! This kind of travel is *not* expensive (well, at least after airfare is included if you are flying over). Our budget typically runs about 30 Euros/day including food, lodging and car rental. Even with the dollar tanking against the Euro, that's a pretty good deal!


Yes, as Phillipe says it is very do-able even for first-timers so long as you have a good attitude. The lodging is the big secret as most people want to mostly go over and look at hotels instead of the Gites and B&B's. The Gites are a true treasure of France. You can do a low cost trip but you're not skimping so much because you get to experience calm, peaceful parts of France you won't find on a pay tour. Some of these places even have a kitchen you can use which makes for a nice treat. For foodie types French stores and markets are great.

okay, so put me down for next year (if they have the tdf :) ). already talked to the wife and with this kind of budget I am in! I got the fever from only catching one stage this year and now really want to go next year. After seeing you guys the hard part will be dropping down in weight about 20 lbs ... be meaning to do that anyway

Philippe,

Deja Vu... almost psychedelic. To see the whole trip revisited in one post is something else. You have a great sense of timing a picture... especially capturing Didi at the apex. I'm slowily working on season two of my 2006 trip. You're French, so your slow-to-post report is excusable :wink5: . I don't have one.

Vachement bien.

Here is a preview to Team Philippe 2007. I figured I would post these since Philippe doesn't get in too many photos himself.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1118/978719236_cd1d096dd4.jpg?v=0

I don't remember where exactly this was taken, but it's somewhere near Beaufort.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1115/977832725_6101d3c3d8.jpg?v=0

This was taken towards the beginning of La Marmotte. I think on the col du Télégraphe.