1. Journal: July 19, 2004
2. At the top
3. Col deTurnoil
4. Ellen,Mike, Stu
5. Journey Begins
6. Lunch spot
7. Mike & Stu, we made it!
8. Riding the route
9. Sunflowers
10. Tandem in the Sunflowers
11. Stu and his buddy Oman
12. Back to Tour de France page

Click on listing for details and pictures.

We arrived in Bourg de Paige, (near Lyon) safe and sound. Stu came in from Chicago and met Dr. Ellen Gallant, a fellow Thompson Tour rider at the Lyon airport. I came down from Belgium, from where I had been working the prior week at SPCI. We arrived a day earlier than the rest of the tour group. Not wanting to wait for the afternoon ride, we ventured out on our own this morning. The three of us were all fired up and excited about getting on our bikes and seeing the countryside. Thanks to a tip from another tour group leader we set off to climb Col de Tournoil. The actual climb was 13 KM culminating at 1150 M (3,800 ft), a change in altitude of about 900 M (3,000 ft). … An extremely difficult climb for the first day. I would be remiss to say that Ellen, who completed a full Ironman three weeks ago, put Stu and I to shame. It was a gorgeous day, likely 80 degrees and sunny and we meandered our way through a number of small French villages and fields of sunflowers. Charming and unique, they were everything we have dreamed about for the last six months. A highlight of the day, besides the climb was travelling a section of tomorrows stage of the TDF. People were already out in their campers and tents parked at almost every mountain turn waiting to see their cycling heroes flash by. When we finally arrived back at the hotel, we had logged about 80 KM, (59 miles). Super day…..Stu and are on cloud nine and ready to view an official stage Tuesday.

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