Pyreneean Fecundity

Following several comments (thank you), this is much better in large.

After yesterday's epic in the heat, today has been a very lazy day indeed. A few people here doubted my ability to take a rest but, contrary to appearances, I'm not actually daft enough to ignore the messages of my body when they are as clear as this. I've been slowly rehydrating myself and getting some food down in the hope of having one last good day on the bike before coming home. I feel like I owe that to Dave, the other member left from the original group of five. I'm still feeling a little delicate but I'm expecting that another good night's sleep will restore my normal energy levels.

The sum total of my physical activity today has been a delightful walk from Perles to the tiny settlements of Tignac and Vaychis. The route followed what must be very ancient pathways, probably pre-dating the roads. I was very much in bimbling and blipping mode and took more photographs that I was pleased with than on the rest of the trip put together. It helped that there was quite a bit of mist about, clinging to the tops of the hills, the sun breaking through just often enough to provide great light for photography but not too much for me to overheat.

During our stay here we've been watching the Tour highlights every evening, trying to avoid knowing what has happened, except for the one day where we caught the end of a sprint stage at a bar. It continues to be a compelling spectacle, perhaps getting a little predictable for some, but for a Brit, to be here in the Pyrenees and witnessing two British riders bossing the race in such a comprehensive way has been nothing short of amazing. If asked ten years ago I would not have predicted that I'd ever get to see a British winner of the Tour de France. I doubt that anyone of my generation would have had any such expectation. Things have now changed so much that there is now an expectation that we will dominate this race for many years to come.

I'm trying hard to ignore the positive drug test on Frank Schleck, which was gutting to hear about. Cycling has had a bad and very sad history in this respect but I believe that the lack of combativity we've seen this year is an indication of a mostly clean race. I think we may have to accept the price of less excitement on the big climbs for a fair and equal contest. I do have to say, however, that it is perhaps only when you ride these climbs yourself that you can fully appreciate the pain and suffering these riders experience. The pressures upon them are immense - which is not to condone cheating in any way, but just to try to understand the temptation within a pre-existing culture. I'd like to think that this Tour marks a significant change in that culture. I'm really hoping so - even if the racing does become a little boring for some!