25 June 06

Tour de France 2006: Right up our street!

In case you don’t follow the Tour de France much, it will be starting this year in Strasbourg—that’s pretty significant. The Tour de France has only been to the Alsace region a few times that I know of since its inaugural race in 1903: twice to the Ballon d’Alsace in the Vosges Mountains, and thrice to Strasbourg itself, with one of the Strasbourg visits an actual Tour start. It’s a long history.

The first time was more than 100 years ago in 1905; it was the second stage of the second Tour, and the first “hill climb” ever (which have since become key aspects of modern Tours); taking place at the Ballon d’Alsace. (Incidentally, 1905 was the same year Jules Verne died, an author likely most notable for his book, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.)

The second time the Tour came to Alsace was in 1919 (stages 12 and 13 in Strasbourg), following World War I (1914-1918) and the signing of the Versailles Treaty. This was a very notable Tour with the French, as France regained the Alsace (and Lorraine) regions from Germany following the war, and thus it was dubbed the “revival” Tour. Most of the Tour’s star riders from previous years were gone by this point, all casualties of the war. The 1919 Tour was also the slowest Tour in the race’s history, as the roads were so badly damaged and pot-holed from WWI that riders had to reduce their speeds significantly to navigate the rough terrain. Even more, this Tour was the first to see the yellow jersey used. The Amaury Sport Organization had this flamboyant take on the yellow jersey’s introduction:

”...one of the most sensational inventions in the world of sport; the magical star, the sun God, the symbol of rebirth: the yellow jersey!”

—AMO, 2005

In actuality, it was simply the year when race officials realized that it would be easier to see the race leader in the crowd of riders if he were wearing the bright yellow color—thus it came to be.

The third time the Tour came to Alsace was in 1953, again after a significant war, World War II, and it was also the 50th anniversary of the event. The 1953 Tour was the first and only other time it started in Strasbourg, besides this coming race in 2006.

The fourth time the Tour came through Strasbourg was in 2001, stage 6. Not much to say about that except it was won by Lance Armstrong, again.

The fifth and last time the Tour visited Alsace was just last year in 2005 when riders once again climbed the Ballon d’Alsace in the ninth stage of the race. Unless you have been living under a rock, you should also know this was the last year Lance Armstrong raced (now retired), winning his record shattering seventh Tour de France trophy. Although I didn’t see any of this race, Hanane and I did attend a wedding out that directon and came across the road barriers where the race was to take place the following day.

The French are still gritting their teeth about Lance, an American, kicking their asses at their own sport, and doing it seven times! In fact, the French are still so bent out of shape about it that they continue to show lame television reports that Lance was doping during some of the later Tours. For fuck’s sake, give it a rest already, the guy had testicle cancer, lost a ball, and still came back to kick ass many times over. Hell, he even learned to speak French and told the French press to fuck off in their own language many time over too. He’s a winner. Hands down.

So here we are, 2006, and the great Tour de France once again starts in Strasbourg, and here I am, living in Strasbourg. That might not seem like much to you, but it’s pretty curious to me. I was a big road bike enthusiast when I was about 23. I rode everywhere and even romanced the idea of being in a race; not necessarily the Tour de France, but a race nonetheless. False hopes, but at any rate, I always wanted to see a stage of the Tour de France in person. I always pictured it as me going on a French holiday during Tour season and spending one of the days taking in a stage of the race on a nice, grassy knoll by some French country road. Of course having a blanket too for sunbathing and picknicking, because if you’ve ever seen a bicycle race, then you know it’s one of those blink of an eye type of events. Don’t run off to take a leak in the bush when the peloton (main group of riders) comes by or you will miss it. Seriously, one second they are there, the peloton, and the next they are gone, in a blink of an eye. If you’re lucky, a big crash will happen right where you are spectating so you get your money’s worth.

At any rate, I never would have imagined that I’d be living in France, and that the Tour would be coming to me, literally right in front of my apartment. The two Strasbourg events to kick things off this year are the Prologue (1 July 2006), which is a short sprint in the city limits itself, and then stage 1, which is an 184.5 kilometer circle in the Strasbourg countryside. Stage 1 begins downtown, runs out to the countryside, circles down and around in a southerly direction and then back up to Strasbourg again to finish in city center where it begins. In the early part of stage 1, the route passes right by our apartment, so if I don’t want to go downtown, I can still see the action right from my digs. Awesome!

I’ll be sure to get a photo or two.

Floral Pattern

  1. Nathalie :: 25 June 06 :: #

    Nice story as the previous ones: great pleasure to read what you write and I have revised about le tour de france effortlessly!Thanks for the summary!
    Nathalie.

  2. Destry :: 27 June 06 :: #

    Thanks, Nathalie.

    Hope you don’t take my notes about the French personally. It’s mainly the media I’m talking about in this case, not French people in general (though if anyone feels the same way as the media about Lance Armstrong, then I’m talking to them too).

    As for my language (i.e., my vulgar use of it), well, my writing is about my only vice anymore, and I’ll never give that up. This Weblog is a kind of therapy for me, an important one.

    I realize the risks though. Certain family members might read my stuff and be shocked, or a potentail job might read here and blackball me from employment. Either way, I don’t care. I’m not writing it for them, I’m writing it for me.

    At any rate, I’m very glad you like my articles. Hope you stick around. ;)

  3. Nathalie :: 27 June 06 :: #

    Don’t worry about me. I like the nice way you tell stories and your sense of humour. I follow you advice: “read with an open and understanding mind”.I won’t be shoked anyway because sometimes, you experience is closed to mine and what you could say is what I could think.But I get no talent in writing unlike you!
    I wish all the best for you, Hanane and Elyas and you are welcome in my house (we are still waiting for your visit!).
    I’m just expecting your following story…
    See you soon?
    Nathalie.

  4. isabelle :: 27 June 06 :: #

    super de découvrir tes textes … c’est très informatif et très bien écrit (avec de l’humour on peut se permettre plus de liberté dans ce que l’on dit ….) ; i’m French and I don’t find you comments offensive … anyway “chacun a le droit à ses opinions” ... on a quand même la liberté d’ expression en France !!!
    J’attends avec impatience les photos et tes prochaines impressions anthropoligiques (the reason I decided to become bilingual is that one of my teachers of linguistics was raving about a book called “the innocent anthropologist” which i eventually baught and read, after 8 years in the UK … just before we returned to live in France ….) Cross cultural comments are ALWAYS very interesting !!!!