Stage 8 of Le Tour de Coddenham, a roller-coaster in more ways than one and not for the faint-hearted.
The now familiar ordeal of a mountain stage, featuring a 1256 feet total ascent and the merciless Mont de Baylham, was actually the easy bit.
The riders faced emotional as well as physical challenges. On the high plateau approaching the summit, so reminiscent of the Andean Altiplano, the riders encountered a herd of Alpacas. Some of the South American riders showed signs of homesickness at that point and had to be comforted by Team medics.
But the really testing bits were the traverses
– a railway line,
– a river crossing,
– and last but not least, L’ Autoroute Quatorze (A14), taking care to adhere to specific social distancing rules relating to bicycles and 40 tonne articulated lorries travelling at 110 kph.
Viewers of the of the coverage of the Tour on Ciel TV were treated to awesome aerial shots of the magnificent Basilique Saint Pierre atop Le Mont de Baylham, surely on everbody’s bucket list of sights to see, up with the Taj and the Pyramids.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. A highlight of the stage was the discovery by the Yellow Jersey of an orchid by the side of the road. The Caravan of riders and support vehicles halted to admire the specimen in what turned out to be a deeply touching moment for all. Hard-bitten journalists covering the Tour, who have travelled the world and seen it all, were moved to tears at the sight of so regal a beauty in such humble surroundings.
Renowned veteran war reporter turned sports commentator Kay Taydee was heard to mutter ‘Gosh’, dabbing her eyes.
Negotiating the spaghetti junction interchange between L’Autoroute Cent Quarante (A140) and the Quatorze (A14) proved tricky.
Inevitably, in true mountain-biking fashion, the stage included an off-road section
… on rough and overgrown terrain, sometimes on foot, incorporating a hill climb with the bike on the rider’s back.
The leader has been thinking of a new set of wheels – his current machine needs new brakes, tyres, chain, gear train, saddle, handlebar rubbers. Might as well get a new bike. Team Sponsors, Ciel TV, are prepared to fund an upgrade to the latest aerodynamic superlight technology. But an article in this week’s Cyclisme Grande Bretagne has given pause for thought.
The Peleton wisely chose to stay home and do her Pilates.
Chance to Dream 