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Tag Archives: France

“Superman Sagan does an Incredible Hulk at TdF 2012”

This is a guest post by Mr.Q, a professional quizmaster and an ardent Tour de France fan who is reporting his 4th tour

The Incredible Hulk salute by Sagan

On a day marred by a horrific crash 25km before the finish, it was Peter “Superman” Sagan of Liqigas-Cannondale, who once again stole the thunder at the finish line with an incredible burst of speed and an impersonation of the Incredible Hunk!!

The crash

The 6throad Stage of the 99th Tour de France started of from Epernay to Metz, a distance of 210kms, with all the 195 riders who finished yesterday.

“The Gorilla roars again at TdF 2012”

This is a guest post by Mr.Q, a professional quizmaster and an ardent Tour de France fan who is reporting his 4th tour

Greipel the Gorilla Roars again

On a slightly uphill course with a false flat, it was Lotto Belisol’s Andre “Gorilla” Greipel roar of delight that was heard at the end of the stage on the 6th day of the Tour de France 2012, as for the second consecutive day, he finished of the race by winning the stage with a perfect run to finish line.

The 23 days in July is here again….:)

This is a guest post by Mr.Q, a professional quizmaster and an ardent Tour de France fan who is reporting his 4th tour

Scene from the Tour

Come July every year, an armada of cycling fans from across the globe, focus their attention on France, for its Tour de France (TdF) time. The biggest annual event on a global scale is in its 99th year and this year we will see a June30th start for what will be another epic saga enacted over 3500km of France and neighboring countries.

About France

Good food, great wine, beautiful beaches, enchanting mountains, chic fashion, bizarre fashion, invigorating art and culture, great monuments, clean roads, few people :) well that’s France for you.

France can either intimidate you or embrace you depending on how you take it. People here are friendly unlike many contradictory beliefs. A fact that many of us don’t know but was revealed to me by a local during my visit to France was, in his very own words “ Not that we are snooty and don’t want to help the tourists by speaking in English; its just that we feel our English isn’t good enough and we are anxious that we might misguide the tourist”!! Now that gives a whole new perspective to the belief; doesn’t it?    I had a ball in France be it be Montpellier, Bourg St Maurice, Nice, Paris, Mt Ventoux, Lyon…etc. Btw Monaco and Andorra which border France are also worth a visit.

Colmar

at the Colmar railway station Pic credit :Mr.Q

While I read about Europe’s worst first winters, am reminded of my brush with cold at Colmar in France. When Lance Armstrong made a statement that evening that it was perhaps the coldest day for him in Tour de France, trust me he wasn’t joking! I remember the clanking of my teeth and my fruitless effort to hold my hand still in order to take few photographs of the TdF cyclists. The make do rain coat I had bought in Barcelona, struggled to hold up against the downpour coupled with chilly wind and had I been sitting inside a café sipping a hot cappuccino it would have been a different experience. And this was the month of July! Nevertheless, am not complaining. The whole Tour de France experience was worth every single experience and needless to say my stay in Colmar was simply beautiful.

Holidays in Andorra

Andorra Pic Credit: Priya Q

Andorra Pic Credit: Priya Q

Tour de France 2009 took me to a small country bordered by Spain and France in the south west of Europe.  Located at an elevation of 1023 meters Andorra with a population of 85,000 people (approx) is a beautifully scenic country having a unique charm of its own.

Andorra is known for its thriving tourism industry with a fair number of visitors coming in every year. Though the place was bustling with activity and people due to cycling event (TdF) that I was following, I could still manage to enjoy the calm the country offers through walks into the mountains and even picnicking with my companions. There are electrical trolleys one can take if walking is not a cup of tea!

tour de France 2010- Stage 20

This is a guest post by Mr.Q, a professional quizmaster and an ardent Tour de France fan who is reporting his 2nd full tour

The Top three on podium

Manx Missile makes it 5, Contador makes it 3!

tour de France 2010- Stage 19

This is a guest post by Mr.Q, a professional quizmaster and an ardent Tour de France fan who is reporting his 2nd full tour

Cancellara in the world champion jersey at the finish line

Andy fights, Cancellara flies, Contador still in Yellow!

tour de France 2010- Stage 18

This is a guest post by Mr.Q, a professional quizmaster and an ardent Tour de France fan who is reporting his 2nd full tour

Cavendish dedicates win to Renshaw

Manx Missile makes it four for TdF 2010

The 18th Stage of the TdF was from Salies-de-Béarn to Bordeaux, a distance of 198km.  A flat stage after the last 4 days in the Pyrenees was a relief to all riders and the fact that there was almost no effort to chase the inevitable breakaway till the last kms, also showed the mindset of the riders, who just want to finish this tour on the streets of Paris on Sunday.

Tour de France 2010- Stage 17

This is a guest post by Mr.Q, a professional quizmaster and an ardent Tour de France fan who is reporting his 2nd full tour

Andy trying to drop Contador on the final 10km climb

The Andy & Alberto Show @ Tourmalet!!