Sailing the South of France

Today is the first day of the new NFL season. This, for me, has been the ceremonial end to the cycling season. I had a late dinner, a couple glasses of wine, and got to watch my Broncos win a nerve-wrecking ridiculously nail biting wild game in the closing seconds. Thank you internet-streaming! Suffice to say, what follows will [thankfully] have a more festive tone to it. It's a pretty big one-man party in my room right now. A swell time, all around, and I've just realized that this is my last Sunday night in this glorious place. Gonna miss it so much.

I rode my bike last week. Lots. The South of France. Like I mentioned, there wasn't a set itinerary. Only one thing: head south. It was really just a big bike ride, shooting the shite with France, with the bike, with myself. The whole cyclo-tourism thing, it's great. There's eco-tourism, that's supposed to minimize the effect of the tourist on the environment, but that doesn't hold a candle to a guy on a bike with lots of time and no itinerary. I was cognizant of this. I was also aware of how cool it is to use "bike-racer form" for purposes other than bike racing. Really, think about that. All of you that race bikes real fast, you need to try this late season cleanse session. I even used my tubulars for this trip, and it was a smooth trip at 105psi throughout the land. You actually have a chance to see why it is that good wheels are good. and so comfy. I was particularly amazed on the final day, where chamois-time ended up being more than 8 hours. I didn't go hard, mind you, but if I wanted, I had a couple of big efforts still in the legs. Such a rad feeling, and I didn't care that there wasn't a finish line or anything in which to gauge my efforts. So, let me just summarize where I went, for anyone who cares about the non-racing pulp...

I care!

Day 1: Aubenas-Ales-Nimes-Uzes-Avignon

This was a good one. Had my espresso and was out the door at around 1pm. I've ridden to Ales already a couple times. In fact, one of the first rides I ever did in France were to this place, and I distinctly remember stopping at a little market without a clue as to how to communicate with the clerk. I've come a long way...hehh. The market is pictured in photo #4. It was a nice ride, and had a bit of a crosswind the whole way. Wasn't hammering, just sustaining a nice endurance pace. Ales is a neat little town, a bit bigger than Aubenas, and with the cool downtown area that's a mainstay of all southern cities. After Ales, I actually rode on a highway for the next 40k with a good tailwind. Blasted through it, and ended up in Nimes. Cruised around Nimes (pronounced NEEM) for a while, and it was pretty neat. A giant roman Colosseum was the main attraction. That, and the tailwind that brought me there. After Nimes, I got lost (which is very much a part of this game), and ended up in a Military test zone with funky lookin military vehicles blasting by and a headwind that I'd rather not remember. I figured I was well west of Avignon, so I just started heading east, and Avignon came up! Beat the sunset. Barely.

Day 2: Avignon-Arles-Saintes Maries de la Mer-Avignon

This ride. Geez. The trouble began on the way South. On the way down, I was spinning out my 53x11 on the flats...and...in spite of this speed....ZERO wind was touching my face. Scary, but who among you stops while sailing on a nice tailwind section of an out and back ride and says "hmm...but what about the way back? when i'm against the wind?". I was aware of it, but didn't care. Drunk on tailwind. The way back. I don't want to write too much about it. It was hard. Lots of time was spent in the 39x23 cranking 40rpm. I'm serious. Ipod was off. I didn't want to associate any of my music with such drastic and forgettable weather. I cursed the wind on numerous occasions, and laughed at how feeble the whole thing was...and also at the birds who were sharing my plight -but still trying! Eventually, I just took it a kilometer at a time, and got through it. The legs were fantastic. The mind was the limiting factor here.

The cities? Arles: Awesome. I really dug the town's style. Unlike the other towns i'd visited, this one was largely empty. Totally desolate and without any sort of commotion. Tourist season is over, and you realize just how huge the tourism industry is in this place...without it, there's nothing. Shortly after Arles, I entered the Camargue region. Whoa. What happened? No cars, no people, no open shops. "Empty" is an understatement. Weirded me out, but after reading about the region, I really came to appreciate the thing's I'd seen...despite the destructive winds. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer was the town I visited to check out the Mediterranean. Had a great lunch there (pizza, baugette, coke) on a bench overlooking the ocean. A swell time.

Day 3: Avignon, Carpentras, Orange, Nyons, Montellimar, Aubenas.

Ok, I'm fading here, and need to get this out before I sleep. Day 3 was my favorite. The wind persisted, but I really enjoyed myself in it. Learned a great deal about different positions for the wind, and the deep-wheels really shine in cross-wind situations. I always thought that was their primary weakness. Anyhow. Nyons was my favorite, and i'll never forget the fig tree that came up out of nowhere to help stave off a bonk. I got home at 9:30, an hour after the sun set. Cutting it close! I was particularly amazed with energy levels, as I mentioned up above. That's gonna do it......have tons of photos, check them out: