Big race in my backyard

[toolonglegs]

I have a leave past for a couple of days to go watch bike racing ...don't have to go far!...tommorow it starts 100m from my house.Tour de L'Ain 2010.
Although I was supposed to be riding it!...they have a cyclosportive race that covers the 4 full stages (not last nights prologue) run on the same day as the race.
Can't have everything I suppose!.

David Moncoutie Cofidis


Maxime Bouet AG2R la Mondiale


Haimar Zubeldia Radioshack (1st place Prologue)


Thomas Voeckler


Steve Morabito BMC


Wilco Kelderman Rabobank (2nd Prologue)


Cyril Dessel (?)


Laurent Mangel Saur Sojasun (3rd Prologue)


Mickael Buffaz Cofidis


Nacer Bouhanni FDJ


Jan Bakelants Omega Pharma Lotto


Beppu Fumiyuki Team Radioshack warming up

a quickr pickr post

[daacha]

Great pics TL......jealous much !!!

[shiv]

BBox couldnt afford a TT bike for Voekler?

[whitey]

NIce, I get jealous each time I read your posts about France.

[MichaelB]

Lucky bastard in one way, unlucky in another ...

Mickael Buffaz - love the face in th pic. Was that because he just made it around the corner ???

[Chuck]

Great pics TL......

+1, seems to know his way around a lense

[toolonglegs]

I don't know what little Tommy was doing on his road bike...he warmed up on a TT bike.It was a pretty full on technical course,down hill first km or so with air time on the speed hups etc...but even thou the corner I was on was pretty fast there wasn't too many close calls.
Today I will test my knowledge of all the little back roads in the area...hopefully!.

[toolonglegs]

Good pics were a bit hard to come by today...didn't get too many.

Stéphane Poulhies ( Saur-Sojasun )


Haimar Zubeldia ( Team Radioshack ) in yellow on the Cat 2 Col de Fay


Peloton


Radioshack leading the peloton


Peloton

a quickr pickr post

[MichaelB]

More great pics there TLL. I like the aspect of the last one - looking down

[Strawburger]

thanks for the Moncoutie photo!

[silkishuge]

Awesome pictures TLL. I am a fan of Beppu Fumiyuki...... Just because I am Asian and it nice to see another Asian getting somewhere in cycling. Not many Asians do well in cycling.

J

[im_no_pro]

Jealous. Oh wait, i've got a big race in my backyard at the end of next month. Something about a bunch of blokes fighting for a rainbow.

Nice pics btw

[toolonglegs]

Yeah the worlds will be great...plus it is a circuit race which makes life much easier...I made it to 5 spots yesterday which required some fun .
Today I will just watch in one spot.

[rustychisel]

you smell of cheese

nice photos though.

[toolonglegs]

Only one pic today...it is my wedding anniversaire ...one way to get in serious trouble is to chase velos all day!

Peloton near the start of Stage 2

a quickr pickr post

[toolonglegs]

Last day I could get to see some racing...shame I can't see tomorrow as they are going up the local monster...The Grand Colombier...although they are going up the easier side and descending the hard side...would be nice to see how they tackle the 2 km section downhill averaging 19%!.This climb puts most TDF climbs in the dog house .
Anyway pics from today...not my best work and I seemed to miss all the days players ...only got to 3 spots for snaps thou...was hoping for 6 or so but roads closed in the wrong places!.

Edit...had to move all my pics from this post... everything is here now.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52946773@N ... 599058123/

[AUbicycles]

Very nice - I like best the church and street images where the riders are placed in the scene and some of the close up peleton, where some riders are cut though you (as a viewer) are in the middle of the action.

I am thinking we need to save up to get you on the back of a moped during the races.

[Chuck]

Very nice - I like best the church and street images where the riders are placed in the scene

Agree, though they're all pretty good

[toolonglegs]

I thought about applying for accreditation for the race as I have covered it for a couple of years...but didn't bother in the end with all my physical problems going on.Being on the back of a bike would have been nice!...but following it around un-accreditated was fun anyway.Certainly tested my knowledge of the zillions of small back roads crossing the region.
I was pretty impressed with the crowds thou...some of the cols were comparable to TDF crowds (on the smaller cols) although the average age of the crowds was a lot older.

[jules21]

great photos TLL.

[velocopedant]

Help!! The guy in the Skoda is trying to run me over!!!!!!

[toolonglegs]

Help!! The guy in the Skoda is trying to run me over!!!!!!

I think he was feeling the pressure to preform...last years overall winner etc.In the end he was working for David Moncoutie who came in 3rd overall.Pretty funny pic thou .