So What's With This Saint Malo Place?
In July 2007, after the finish of Tour de France, on SBS TV in Australia, there was an interview or '5 second grab' with a teenager on following Tour de France...'I saw every stage on a budget' she said. I was not a runner, a cyclist/runner back then. Inspired, in 2008 I saw 19 stages of Tour de France. It was on a budget. It could have been 20 stages if Cadel Evans was in contention for the title following the penultimate Time Trial stage between Cerilly and Saint-Amand Montrond. I was at the finish to see Cadel win the 2011 Tour de France.
One of the places I missed was Saint Malo which was the start of the 3rd stage to Nantes where I was watching the finish. Logistics to travel to the north west of France when the race was moving south didn't make sense. An opportunity lost, maybe! I've been in France every European summer since. I've seen 120+ stages of Tour de France along with stages of Giro d'Italia, Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie, Criterium du Dauphine and Paris-Roubaix.
In 2011 the Tour de France returned to the north west of France. The 5th stage was between Carhaix and Cap Frehel. I was at Cap Frehel for the stage finish. On a run the day of the finish I discovered what the phrase 'inondation sur mer' means. Common in Brittany where the tides are volatile, especially during winter storms.
In 2013 the Tour de France returned to Saint Malo as a stage finish from Saint-Gildas-des-Bois. Along with a visit to le Mont-Saint-Michel it was a highlight. Sunny, warm, magnificent beach. I still wasn't sold.
In 2015, after World Masters Athletics Championships in Lyon, I went on a recovery holiday. I retraced the 2008 stage towns I missed or didn't fully explore during the Tour de France including Auray, Plumelec and Saint Malo. I stayed in the hotel I am staying in now, with a view of the sea. All I could manage in 2015 was the odd fartlek session, I was stuffed from athletics. What I loved was the theatre of waves crashing into the retaining wall above the sea and how the tide in and out changes so quickly. On the 3rd floor of the hotel a giant seagull regularly paid visits to the hotel room balcony. I was sold. I am here again, on the first floor there are no seagull visits :-(. It's great for running when the tide is out. When it's not it's still amazing. Today anybody could have been a corsaire (pirate) if dressed like one and visited the fortress village of Intra Muros.
One of the places I missed was Saint Malo which was the start of the 3rd stage to Nantes where I was watching the finish. Logistics to travel to the north west of France when the race was moving south didn't make sense. An opportunity lost, maybe! I've been in France every European summer since. I've seen 120+ stages of Tour de France along with stages of Giro d'Italia, Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie, Criterium du Dauphine and Paris-Roubaix.
In 2011 the Tour de France returned to the north west of France. The 5th stage was between Carhaix and Cap Frehel. I was at Cap Frehel for the stage finish. On a run the day of the finish I discovered what the phrase 'inondation sur mer' means. Common in Brittany where the tides are volatile, especially during winter storms.
In 2013 the Tour de France returned to Saint Malo as a stage finish from Saint-Gildas-des-Bois. Along with a visit to le Mont-Saint-Michel it was a highlight. Sunny, warm, magnificent beach. I still wasn't sold.
In 2015, after World Masters Athletics Championships in Lyon, I went on a recovery holiday. I retraced the 2008 stage towns I missed or didn't fully explore during the Tour de France including Auray, Plumelec and Saint Malo. I stayed in the hotel I am staying in now, with a view of the sea. All I could manage in 2015 was the odd fartlek session, I was stuffed from athletics. What I loved was the theatre of waves crashing into the retaining wall above the sea and how the tide in and out changes so quickly. On the 3rd floor of the hotel a giant seagull regularly paid visits to the hotel room balcony. I was sold. I am here again, on the first floor there are no seagull visits :-(. It's great for running when the tide is out. When it's not it's still amazing. Today anybody could have been a corsaire (pirate) if dressed like one and visited the fortress village of Intra Muros.
Comments