2010 TDF Stage 17 from the road
Well, sometimes you plan and make allowances and things just go wrong.
Our plan for the 2010 TDF Stage 17 was to get to the Col du Marie Blanque, the first climb of the stage and only 30km from where we were staying, and a reasonably steep climb. This would allow me to get good photos (due to the grade) as the riders moved past slowly (for them, anyway), then give us time to get home with no stress and watch it on telly over the Soulor and up the Tourmalet.
However, we ended up going to the Soulor as one of the group wanted to ride up the Tourmalet to watch, and the Tourmalet was about 150km from where we're staying – too far for him to ride a return ride.
It wasn't that bad a plan as whilst riding L'Etape du Tour this year, I found a cracking spot on the Col du Soulor for photos; a perfect switchback with the separation an old stone retaining wall. It was an absolutely cracking spot.
We left early for the Soulor as the weather set in. Miserable, drizzly rain, just like the 2009 Stage into Colmar. We got to the Soulor but the road was closed (and had been for a couple of days before hand). We found a good spot down the road from the town of Ferriere. Michael and Clarky decided to ride over the Soulor in the rain, to get to the Tourmalet.
![IMG_9895 Pain is temporary](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9895.jpg)
Pain is temporary
![IMG_9898 Our new team kit](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9898.jpg)
Our new team kit
![IMG_9904 Preparing for Armageddon](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9904.jpg)
Preparing for Armageddon
![IMG_9903 Over the creek](http://www.velnomad.com/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_9903.jpg)
Over the creek
![IMG_9908 Away](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9908.jpg)
Away
![IMG_9910 Up the road](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9910.jpg)
Up the road
After Andrew and Mike B took off, the rest of us (Amy, Sdot and I) wandered up into Ferrieres. Below are some photos I took. We found a Cave du Fromage, which means, Cellar of the Cheese. We didn't have a knife, so I sacrificed my CD of my cycling fit.
![IMG_0680 Cave du Fromage](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0680.jpg)
Cave du Fromage
![IMG_0685 MacGyver-ing up some cheese cutting](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0685.jpg)
MacGyver-ing up some cheese cutting
French villages are so nice, it's one of my favourite things about France. Loads of people grow their own veggies, and the veggie patches make me green with envy.
![IMG_0670 Veggie patch](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0670.jpg)
Veggie patch
![IMG_0672 Town church](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0672.jpg)
Town church
![IMG_0679 Overexposed, I know, but someone's little garden stream](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0679.jpg)
Overexposed, I know, but someone's little garden stream
We found some people from Mondevelo (the people who organise L'Etape) jury-rigging a satellite dish and buvette stand (coffee, tea, wine, food).
![IMG_0681 Emergency sat dish install](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0681.jpg)
Emergency sat dish install
![IMG_0683 This man is a professional](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0683.jpg)
This man is a professional
![IMG_0677 They cometh](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0677.jpg)
They cometh
![IMG_0673 The Soulor is not a delightful romp](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0673.jpg)
The Soulor is not a delightful romp
![IMG_0674 Thisaway](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0674.jpg)
Thisaway
People park in the most unlikely spots. I don't even know how this guy got his car in this spot.
![IMG_0684 Parked up](http://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/01005438/IMG_0684.jpg)
Parked up
The rest of us settled in with some baguettes and cheese which we had bought from up the road. I got absolutely soaked walking about 3km, so was glad to have spare clothes. I was also sort of glad I hadn't ridden to the Tourmalet as all the camera gear would have gotten wet.
![IMG_9913 We put 3 of these bad boys away](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9913.jpg)
We put 3 of these bad boys away
I ran through our spot and found multiple vantage points. One spot from high on a wall on a bend would be excellent for a wide angle, one shot from across the raging creek would be ripping, and one from up the road.
![IMG_9968 Atop the wall](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9968.jpg)
Atop the wall
![IMG_9965 Down the road](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9965.jpg)
Down the road
![IMG_9929 Across the creek](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9929.jpg)
Across the creek
![IMG_9917 Down the road](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_9917.jpg)
Down the road
![IMG_0009 Holty is happy to be here](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0009.jpg)
Holty is happy to be here
![IMG_0049 Me](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0049.jpg)
Me
Due to the foul weather, the caravan had battened down the hatches so the freebies were few and far between. I scored a sought-after Caisse D'Epargne tshirt. It was a bit of a let down though.
There was a real lack of atmosphere as the choppers did not appear out of nowhere, heralding the arrival of the protagonists. Two gendarmes on motorbikes with lights flashing, with a breakaway arriving soon after.
Their arrival surprised me and I only managed to reel off a couple of shots. #timfail.
![IMG_0053 Lead group](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0053.jpg)
Lead group
I sprinted up the road, realising I would not have enough time to shoot through the trees across the creek, as the group would not be split up enough.
Sastre appeared, solo (turns out he attacked a crash).
![IMG_0063 Sastre](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0063.jpg)
Sastre
![IMG_0066 I appeared on telly briefly](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0066.jpg)
I appeared on telly briefly
![IMG_0068 And then he was gone...](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0068.jpg)
And then he was gone...
I vastly underestimated the peloton's speed as they approached and barely managed to get my shots away.
After they'd passed I started looking at my shots, and my heart sank. Normally I'd have enough time to check my settings (even after doing pre-shots to check lighting etc), but due to the closeness and speed of the group I just didn't have time. Sometime between racing up the road and switching out my lens, I'd knocked the setting from shutter priority to aperture priority but hadn't checked. The shutter speed dropped from about 1/320th of a second to around 1/30th. I was heart broken. We'd been in such a great position and sooooo close (with my head even appearing on TV as they followed Sastre's breakaway), but it had all been for nought.
I was utterly gutted.
![IMG_0069 Sdot loved it.](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0069.jpg)
Sdot loved it.
![IMG_0071 Here they come...](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0071.jpg)
Here they come...
![IMG_0074 Contador](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0074.jpg)
Contador
![IMG_0084 Sky](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0084.jpg)
Sky
![IMG_0100 One that wasn't too bad](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0100.jpg)
One that wasn't too bad
Anyway, we now had to hightail it down to a town for a TV. The funny thing about France is that there are no obvious signs of life in bars and hotels. We searched two towns until we saw other people going in to a place for the Tour. We bunkered down with a beer and watched the carnage unfold up the Tourmalet, as Andy Schleck battled his guts out to break Contador.
What an epic battle. Clearly Schleck is not far away from a win.
Afterwards, we met the boys in Lourdes. I was a bit bummed I didn't get to go to the grotto, as my grandfather wanted a vial of the water, but there's always a next time [update 2019: as it turns out, there's not. Grandfather departed in 2014, and with 2 kids I have not been back to France since 2011]. The traffic was absolutely horrendous.
![IMG_0130 Jersey helmets](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0130.jpg)
Jersey helmets
We got the guys and headed back across the Soulor and Aubisque. The sheer drop off the Aubisque is truly frightening.
![IMG_0131 The summit of the Aubisque](https://d3f0ruoapofrs1.cloudfront.net/vni/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/01005438/IMG_0131.jpg)
The summit of the Aubisque
In any case, I learned some lessons again this year, that I hope you can learn from this. My key tips here are:
- Be on an uphill to get more free stuff.
- Get to your proposed vantage point 4 hours before the Tour is scheduled to. You can usually find the expected arrival time of the caravan and the lead group to key areas, which lets you plan. This means if your vantage point is up a Col/climb, allow 6 hours. I promise you won't regret it.
- If the weather looks the least bit sketchy, pack rain gear. If you have camera gear, have a back up plan. Pack a plastic rain bag/hood that covers all of you. There's nothing worse than standing in the miserable rain, getting wetter and wetter.
- Have a back up plan including a different route to where you need to be.
- Be prepared to walk (take note of point about rain gear). Pack food and water in case you can't find a place that sells food and water, and prepare to be located in a place with no toilets.
- Always choose a steeper part of the climb (~10%+) to ensure the peloton is not bunched, and check your photos after the first two!.
If all of of this sounds awesome and something you have to do, check out the comprehensive Guide to Cycling through France.
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