Or you know you're in Belgium when… This time it's the Circuit Franco Belge, a 4-day race run through--you guessed it--France and Belgium, featuring David and Rita's road again.
Unlike the national time trial championships I wrote about in August, the course for this race was closed only minutes before the race caravan passed. This cop has to explain to everybody why they can't come through for a while, though she did let anyone going to watch the race drive the hundred meters to the abandoned gas station right behind me and park. You can't tell from this angle, but she was kinda cute. I was thinking of doing something to get arrested. The cop at the other corner was even cuter.
The ever popular Rodania car. Rodania is the official timer of a lot of Belgian races. Next time I do this, I'm going to record, with sound. That way you can hear not only the gear clack-clacking of the peleton coming by but the annoying ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah that accompanies this vehicle.
The publicity caravan is a feature of all professional races. In the big races, the sponsors' vehicles have people on the back of a flatbed throwing things to the crowd--candy, key chains, and the like. Petrus is a Belgian beer. Throwing bottles of beer to the crowd would have been problematic. Thus, no free samples.
At long last! The peleton arrives! It lasts only a few seconds, but it really is an impressive sight to see 150 riders jammed shoulder to shoulder at 50 kph. These guys are totally fearless.
And here come the team cars, all bristling with spare bikes, bringing up the rear.
Unlike the national time trial championships I wrote about in August, the course for this race was closed only minutes before the race caravan passed. This cop has to explain to everybody why they can't come through for a while, though she did let anyone going to watch the race drive the hundred meters to the abandoned gas station right behind me and park. You can't tell from this angle, but she was kinda cute. I was thinking of doing something to get arrested. The cop at the other corner was even cuter.
The ever popular Rodania car. Rodania is the official timer of a lot of Belgian races. Next time I do this, I'm going to record, with sound. That way you can hear not only the gear clack-clacking of the peleton coming by but the annoying ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah ro-DAN-ee-aaah that accompanies this vehicle.
The publicity caravan is a feature of all professional races. In the big races, the sponsors' vehicles have people on the back of a flatbed throwing things to the crowd--candy, key chains, and the like. Petrus is a Belgian beer. Throwing bottles of beer to the crowd would have been problematic. Thus, no free samples.
At long last! The peleton arrives! It lasts only a few seconds, but it really is an impressive sight to see 150 riders jammed shoulder to shoulder at 50 kph. These guys are totally fearless.
And here come the team cars, all bristling with spare bikes, bringing up the rear.
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