Patricia Sands

Author

Le Tour De France

Le tour de France and My tour de France

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Okay, I  know it isn’t Friday, which is the day to celebrate France on my blog but I have a few France-related matters I want to share.

First, in case you didn’t know … but really, how could you not … you DO follow le tour don’t you? Even without Lance … and we won’t go there right now …

The 100th Tour de France began last Saturday and currentlymap_home the riders are passing through my favourite part of France. They were in Nice today and will be heading along the coast, past Antibes and up into the hills near Grasse, heading for Marseilles in this next stage.

FRIDAY UPDATE- My friend, Claire McAlpine, told me about the day the Tour passed through Aix. All the children had the day off school so they would not miss the excitement. I like that!

Today, the ride is from Montpelier to Albi.

Click here to go to the official site for videos and all the information you could possible want on this extraordinary sport. (I’m not mentioning the skin tight cycling outfits … but … if for no other reason …)

And now I want to mention MY tour de France. The fabulous Emma at Words And Peace now organizes excellent FRANCE BOOK TOURS that allow authors to share their work through the fine bloggers she contacts, according to the genre.

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If you have time, please go to her site or any of the sites below to join in the tour, try for a giveaway, or just say hello to me. The main purpose of these tours is to allow author’s to reach new readership by being featured on different blogs. It’s a wonderful way to get in touch with readers and I want every blogger involved to know how much their involvement and support is appreciated. Book bloggers rock! Merci!

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE
Monday, July 1
Giveaway at Vvb32 Reads

Tuesday, July 2
Review + Giveaway at Chocolate & Croissants

Wednesday, July 3
Review + Giveaway at The French Village Diaries
Interview + Giveaway at An Accidental Blog

Thursday, July 4
Review at The Most Happy Reader

Friday, July 5
Interview at The French Village Diaries

Saturday, July 6
Excerpt posted by Helena Fairfax

Sunday, July 7
Review at Walkie Talkie Book Club

Monday, July 8
Review at Vvb32 Reads
Review + Giveaway at Words And Peace

Tuesday, July 9
Review at Faith Hope & Cherrytea
Giveaway at Walkie Talkie Book Club

Wednesday, July 10
Review at Impressions In Ink
Review + Giveaway at Queen Of All She Reads
Review + Giveaway at The Redlady’s Reading Room

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Patricia will be co-leading an 11-day tour of 14 women
to Nice and the countryside of Provence in June 2014.
Come join in the magic!
http://womenstravelnetwork.ca/promenade-en-provence/

I’m dashing out now to go watch our 5-year-old grandson’s (The Adorable Jack) soccer game! If any of these links aren’t live right now, I will fix them later tonight. First things first, right? 

What are your priorities these days? Is your plate overflowing or do you have everything under control? How do you find the balance?

Which route would you choose?

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Cycling is a big part of European culture. I’m not talking about biking home from work or over to visit with a friend. I’m talking serious, strenuous biking over long distances that often includes steep mountain roads full of challenging switchbacks.

Certainly in France, at any time on any day, you are likely to see men or women on high-performance bikes in colorful gear heading somewhere. I’m always amazed when we are driving to some remote hilltop village (on a road we thought was a challenge to drive!) and we pass incredibly fit cyclists near the summit. We are in awe – truly!

Le Tour De France , held for three weeks every July, is one of the most famous international sporting events.  For years from the mid-1990’s, it was often referred to as the Tour De Lance as American Lance Armstrong dominated the winner’s podium, winning a record seven times! The cyclists cover 3500 kilometres or 2200 miles crossing every type of terrain imaginable. The start location changes each year but the race traditionally ends with a celebratory ride up the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

First held in 1903 as a publicity stunt, Le Tour has continued ever since with few exceptions. The 2011 race was the 98th time the race was held. Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the title.

I love to cycle but I have to admit flatter stretches appeal more to me! Biking along a canal or through vineyards, taking in the scenery, and stopping for a delicious lunch or packing a picnic is right up my alley this summer.

Cycling is a great way to spend time as a family too. The bad news is that head injuries account for 25% of all bicycle-related accidents. Each province in Canada has its own laws about bicycle helmets as I’m sure is the case in the U.S.A. too.  Doesn’t it just make sense to always wear a helmet, obey traffic rules, and be sure your equipment is kept in good order?

Happy cycling and stay safe!

Typical of sports fans all over the world, there are always those who show their enthusiasm in unique ways. The video below spotlights some of those fans along with some humorous incidents along the route of Le Tour De France.
Footage from over the years of some of the more light-hearted moments in the competition

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.1001726&w=425&h=350&fv=endpoint%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fvideo%2F2011%2Fjul%2F01%2Ftour-de-france-funny-bits-video%2Fjson]

Tour de France: The funny bits – video | Sport …, posted with vodpod

Cycling up steep mountain roads isn’t for everyone though. How do you challenge yourself through sports – as a participant, a fan, or both?  Leave a comment below if you like.

You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them and clicking the highlighted words takes you to more information. Thanks for visiting my blog!