With the 2012 Tour de France almost upon us, I thought I'd put up some of my pictures of Pyrenean places they are going to this year.
This is the Col d'Aubisque finish in 2007 with Cadel Evans just getting to the top.
This is the view from half-way to Col d'Aubisque towards Col du Solour, again in 2007.
This is the view from Col d'Aubisque towards Col du Solour, again in 2007.
This is the finish in Luchon in 2009, with Ballan just coming in.
This is the main street in Luchon in 2003.
This is the main street in Luchon in 2003 with the race coming through.
This is a wine merchants in Luchon in 2009. I got read out on the Eurosport coverage about this!
This is the start in Luchon in 2009. Wiggo just heading for the start line.
This is the signing on in Pau in 2007. This is where the yellow jersey of Rasmussen did not appear.
This is the view from Col du Solour of the Cirque du Litor, in 2007.
This is the view from below Col du Solour of the Cirque du Litor, again in 2007.
This is some of the wildlife on Col du Solour, in 2007.
This is the view from Col du Solour, in 2007.
This is narrow top of Col du Tourmalet, in 2005.
Beautiful photos. At what point would it be fair to drag the kids over to France and expect them to ride up Tourmalet with me ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark!
DeleteDespite Tourmalet being the mecca, I'm not sure I'd go there. It's alway too crowded & closed very early (like 2 days!).
I'd recommend camping out on Col du Solour, then cycling up to Aubisque. Kids should be able to do 400 metres up over 8km. And if you want more, just drop to the bottom of Solour and pick them up on the way through!
Hi - huge nerd point - but isn't that Ballan in the 4th photo? Or is Cavendish just out of shot to the right? Back mid-Aug but will miss last week of Tour since we'll be on the road. See you some time in autumn.
ReplyDeleteCorrected! *Embarrassed look*
Delete"On the road"? So cycling home from Stockholm?
that's the plan - 4 week holiday, 50 miles a day with a day or so off a week. Liked the photos - lots there I hadn't seen before.
ReplyDeleteCool! Have to spoken to the Leithgoe sisters? They cycled Manchester to Stockholm a couple of years back.
DeleteI've also just put up an Alps post, although less shots of places they will be this year. I've got loads of photos from the seven trips in the past decade. Many of them have never made it out of my laptop!