Bonjour! Welcome to Provence! A very long stage through the region, through pretty villages, woodland, quiet lakes and rivers. What a treat? A great stage as well, with opportunities for the sprinters, culminating in an explosive shot over the line by Mark Cavendish. Bravo! Here are my drawings:
Bonjour! Welcome to Nice! Fantastic team time trial in the most glamorous setting. What more to say? Exciting racing, Omega Pharma-Quick Step held the lead until Orica GreenEdge pipped them for the win by one second. Agony and ecstasy! Here are my drawings:
Bonjour! This was last stage set on the beautiful island of Corsica. Another climbing stage on tough roads carving through the pink rocks. Then through the streets to Calvi where garden walls tumbled with purple bougainvillea. The race was hot and gruelling. The remarkable finish, was decided by a photograph. Peter Sagan just lost out to the Australian, Simon Gerrans by a whisker! All set for Stage 4, back on the mainland in Nice. Here are my drawings:
Bonjour! After the drama and strange happenings of Stage 1, the second stage seemed somewhat calmer until the race reached Ajaccio. Strong legs required for the first of the climbing stages. Sky flexed their muscles with a chase through the streets and there was a surprise win for a very happy man, Jan Bakelants, with a one second gap! Here are my drawings:
Bonjour! Welcome to the start of the Centenary Tour de France, beginning this year in Corsica. What an amazing start it was? Such a beautiful island; the 200 riders set out in glorious sunshine and rode by the sea and the lower edges of the mountains in a stage that seemed to be going so well right up to the finish. With only a few km to go, a team bus and the winning line gantry came together in a dreadful collision, which echoed further back amongst the riders themselves. Serious injury sustained by some, lucky escapes for others. A…
Stage 20 – The final stage began in glorious sunshine, with greetings between teams, team-mates, opponents and champions. The stage ended with the most heart-stopping race around the Champs-Élysées. A magnificent stage win for Mark Cavendish, helped by the brilliant gentleman in yellow. Wiggins a worthy winner and champion and Britain’s first. Here are my last drawings of this momentous event.
Stage 19 – Today’s stage was all about time. Good weather, flat roads and every man against the crosswinds, the road and the clock. The fastest man came out last, wearing yellow, and struck home in one hour, four minutes and thirteen seconds. His team mate three minutes and twenty-one seconds behind him, his closest rival three minutes and thirty-eight seconds further behind. We’re holding our breath for Paris tomorrow. Here are some drawings
