Day 13

17 miles

Marmottes: too noisy for them, only our trusty mascot came with us for fun

We collected our Europcar first thing in Chamonix and got on the road South towards Tignes, which was today’s TdF stage finish, first going through the Mont Blanc tunnel into Italy (impressive engineering!) and then working our way up and down endless hairpins, in particular the Passo San Bernardo (impressive col, noted for a future bike trip!)

After carful planning we’d worked out a point on the road between Bourg-St-Maurice and Tignes, where we’d get closest to the race route as it headed North past Val d’Isère and hairpinned round Lac du Chevril to climb to Tignes. Like many others, we found a spot on the side of the road to park before the road closures started. We put on our running shoes while others pulled bikes out or started walking with rucksacks, picnics, banners etc in the pilgrimage towards the race.

We managed to be in sync with all the huge team buses making their way to Tignes and they hooted at supporters along the road. We soon got onto the race route itself and the 10k mountain climb to Tignes, and the crowds and pre-party were well underway. We quickly got given King of the Mountains T-shirts and caps by a passing sponsor vehicle chucking them out to baying supporters.

The climb was spectacular, at this stage still very hot, and we encountered the usual array of crazy fans all the way up the road, with lots of cheers, ‘chapeau’ shouts and ‘lost your bikes’ gags while they barbecued, picnicked, painted the road and drank beer and wine.

It was exciting to see the official King of the Mountains finish arch, the famous ‘flamme rouge’ (1km to go) and finally the finish line hubbub in spectacular setting.

We decided to drop a couple of KM back down the road to watch on the giant screen by the lake where there was a fun atmosphere despite the spitting rain with backdrop of thunder and lightning, and also so that we were within sprinting distance of the actual course for when the race finally arrived.

As the race was really getting dramatic after summiting the penultimate giant Col de l’Iseran, we joined our own scene of the collective global bewilderment and confusion as TV helicopters started showing a freak hail and snow storm and landslide on the course, and a solitary snow plough inevitably overwhelmed by the situation. The race was stopped suddenly, and we like everyone else around the world wandered around for a while in total shock!

After a while we headed down the mountain, and we could see the exact spot across the lake of the snow and the flashing lights of the various snow ploughs and diggers at work.

When we were 5k below the summit, the police suddenly cleared the road so everyone was stuck, and we watched the most bizarre and rather sad procession of all the team vehicles making their way up the mountain for the awards ceremony and mainly for the riders to get reunited with their kit and taken to their hotels. We saw G and Bernal in one of the Ineos vehicles and numerous other riders cramped into their cars all with bewildered expressions.

Finally released from the surreal scene, we ran back to our car, just in time to avoid another huge downpour, and made our way back to Chamonix. While obviously disappointing in some ways not to see the race close up and see a dramatic finish, it is still always an amazing experience to enter the TdF bubble, and it was still an exciting day to be a part of.