Racing Lines
Art by Maxine Dodd
Tour de France Revisited: 2016 – Stage4 Saumur to Limoges
Tour de France revisited, Stage 4, 2016, read more…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 21 – Chantilly to Paris Champs-Élysées
Bonjour! Stage 21, the triumphal ride into Paris! The sun came out – a relief after the past two days and there was the usual friendly handshakes and congratulations to the Yellow Jersey. Team Sky were in good mood, enjoying beer en route and all processed gracefully to Paris. The racing began on the Champs-Élysées. The win went to André Greipel like last year,…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 20 – Megève to Morzine-Avoriaz
Bonjour! Stage 20 The last Alpine stage and, nearly the end of the race! In some ways it was a continuation of yesterday – pouring rain, tough climbs and daring descents. The stage began with silence to remember the victims of the terror attack in Munich, so sadly, my dove appears again. There were brave rides by Alaphilippe, Pantano and Nibali but the outstanding descent came…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 19 – Albertville to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc
Bonjour! Stage 19 was an amazing stage. It had everything, from sunshine to torrential rain, from brave breakaways to individual brilliance. The Astana team went to the front, took a look around and just went for it! They led for much of the day. The rain came towards the end of the stage, changing everything, suddenly everyone was losing balance, some falling badly including Pierre Rolland…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 18 – Sallanches to Megève
Bonjour! Stage 18 was the second time-trial of this year’s Tour. This one was an uphill course where time-trial specialist, Tom Dumoulin was expected to repeat his sparkling performance from Stage 13. He put in a great time which no-one could catch, until Chris Froome set out. At the first time-check he was in 5th place, ‘unusual for him’ said the commentator. At the…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 17 – Berne to Finhaut-Emosson
Bonjour! Stage 17 went further into the Alps – (an area where I confess I have a connection, as one of my paintings lives nearby!) It was another blistering hot day, with four major climbs, including the Col de la Forclaz, with its winding road and great descent. The final climb was tough too, the gradient so steep that first-time stage winner, Ilnur Zakarin, almost ran…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 16 – Moirans-en-Montagne to Berne
Bonjour! Stage 16 was a trip into Switzerland in honour of Fabian Cancellara for whom this will be his final Tour. The weather was fabulous and hot – perhaps a bit unbearable on a bike! The stage was lead most of the way by Tony Martin and Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step) in a such a strong ride that they both won the ‘most aggressive rider’ award, appearing…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 15 – Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz
Bonjour! Stage 15 saw the route heading towards the Alps – the mountains and Mont Blanc clearly in view. There were climbs and descents but the excitement came with the tactical race – almost time-trial-like to look at – between Rafal Majka and Colombian rider, Jarlinson Pantano. They needled their way to the finish with a sudden sprint that Majka looked set to win but…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 14 – Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux
Bonjour! Stage 14 gave the sprinters another chance to shine after a long hot day’s riding. There were some classic Tour de France scenery, fields of bright sunflowers and deep blue skies. A great partnership between Jérémy Roy (FDJ) and Martin Elmiger (IAM) kept everyone on their toes and there was a lovely handshake between them as they were finally chased down. The race ended with…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 13 – Bourg-Saint-Andéol to La Caverne du Pont-d’Arc
Bonjour! Stage 13 began and ended in silence for the victims of the Nice attack. Race director, Christian Prudhomme announced, “We must continue and not to yield. The Tour will continue but it is a day of mourning”. The stage was an individual time-trial through the dramatic landscape of the Ardèche. The standout performance of the day from Dutch rider, Tom Dumoulin, arguably the…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 12 – Montpellier to Mont Ventoux (Chalet-Reynard)
Bonjour! Stage 12 is one that will live long in the memory for the worst possible reasons. The day began with a change of plan – the mountain too savaged by winds for the race to complete there. A new finish was decided upon at Chalet-Reynard. Crowds and media installed at the top, moved down to the new location, where there were crowds already. As…
Tour de France 2016: Stage 11 – Carcassonne to Montpellier
Bonjour! Stage 11 was a hot, long route through red hills, violet skies and strong crosswinds but with a finish set for the sprinters. The expected win came from Green Jersey holder and World Champion, Peter Sagan. The complete surprise came from Chris Froome who sprinted alongside! Both men retained their jerseys and advanced their leads. A remarkable finish! Here are my drawings:
