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The 2004 Etape du Tour ...
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The inaugural "Étape du Tour and then
some ..." ride started at the gates of the Palace of Versailles
in Paris.
This was entirely intentional - a thing of poetry!
Unforunately the ensuing 450km were entirely the
most arduous of any in the ensuing years, a very unpoetical journey.
Within minutes of starting we were greeted by our first thunder
storm, and if our route was ever unclear during the next three
days of cycling, all we had to do was ride into the wind to ensure
we were back on track!
For three sodden, windy days we picked our way steadily
to the south to the starting line of the longest stage so far
in the history of the Etape du Tour: 248km from Limoges to St.
Flour in the Massif Central, a stage that was eventually won by
Richard Virenque after a long escape with Axel Merckx.
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. . and then some!
But the Étape is not all our ride
is about: Each day we rode from our starting hotel to the next town
in which we'd booked accommodations. Our route itineraries remained
flexible to keep our options open since wind and rain were our constant
companions throughout much of the 450km of the first three days.
Our helpful and capable Dutch driver Wouter, an accomplished
triathlete and runner, transported our luggage from the start point
to each day's arrival town, where various options for sight-seeing were
generally ignored in favour of watching the finish of that day's Tour
stage, eating and napping. Each evening we sampled the offerings at
a local restaurant to get ready for the next day.
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July 6: Arrival in Paris
Today was travel-and-meet day as we collected together
from throughout Europe, France and North America at the Hotel
le Versailles, only a few short steps from the palace of Versailles
on the outskirts of Paris.
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Hotel Le Versailles
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July 7: Versailles to Mer
The first day of riding took us from the gates of
the Palace of Versailles to the Loire valley town of Mer. The
riding was rolling until we'd left Versailles behind, then flattened
out for the remainder of the hundred miles into an endless succession
of wheat and sunflower fields and seemingly deserted towns and
villages. The same head- and crosswinds plaguing the riders of
the Tour de France this week also took on our little peloton of
seven riders, but the unrelenting wind, lashing rain and cool
temperatures only fueled our determination to reach Mer and "Le
Clos", our accommodations for the night.
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"Le Clos", Mer (Beaugency) |
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July 8: Mer to St Jean - St. Germain (Loches)
The weather didn't improve much on our second day
of riding, to the point that anytime we were unsure which way
we were to ride, all we needed was to point the bikes into the
wind to know we were heading in the right direction! But today's
120km route took us past many of the most famous castles of the
Loire Valley, including Chambord, Chenanceaux and Chaumont, so
scenery and flat terrain kept us rolling. By day's end we all
agreed that the harsh conditions lent an epic quality to the day
-- a real character-builder! Accommodations that night were in
the Moulin St. Jean, a 400-year old mill situated on a small island
in the Indre river.
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Moulin St. Jean
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July 9, 10: St. Jean - St. Germain to
St. Junien-les-Combes
Today the weather cleared and we rode 130km in reasonably
dry conditions all day. Even our old friend the wind slacked off
by day's end so we were able to enjoy some calmer riding in flat
to rolling terrain, through miles of open forest, hayfields and
farmland of wheat and sunflower crops. Our accommodations for
the two nights were in the Chateau Sannat, the family home of
Jacques and Claude, Count and Countess de Sainte Croix.
July 10: Rest day at Chateau Sannat
A couple of optional, easy hours on the bike in
the morning to keep the legs rolling and some careful attention
to our wheels marked the day. After nearly 500km of riding in
wind and rain, we needed a little time to restore each bike to
its full glory for tomorrow's race!
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Chateau Sannat
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July 11: L'Étape du Tour, Limoges to St.
Flour
With the race starting at 6:30 am, we rose before
dawn to a breakfast laid out the night before in the chateau.
The 237 km of racing meant we could all do with a good feed if
we were to conquer the course! Lucky for us the 4000m of cumulative
vertical gain for the day remained the biggest test of the day,
culminating in the final 2.5km of 15% gradient on top the Puy
Mary. A long, cruisy downhill and tailwind for the final 30km
into St. Flour ensured we finished the stage in fine form. By
early evening we'd been whisked off to the nearby Hotel Santoire,
our accommodations for the night, where a fine meal with the usual
selection of cheeses was done justice after the trip's 700km of
riding in wind and rain and over mountain passes.
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HotelSantoire |
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