Breakfast at 7am at the hotel was the typical French cereal, eggs, bacon, bread and pastries etc. We were in the vans for the 129km drive to the start line just after 7:30am. It was again fine, sunny and calm. The initial temperature of 24 degrees reached 28 while riding and continued to rise during the day.
The stage itself was a Team Time Trial (TTT) but most riders wanted to take it very easy given what is to come. Roger, the Kortweg drive, a 65 year old accomplished former professional rider, along with two staff, rode with us. Roger showed his class by putting the hammer down and disappearing out of sight around what is a reasonably hilly course. We all re-grouped a number of times. I recorded 39.3km in 1hr 28m with 361m of climbing for the day.
Some of the riders noted we were not too far from Stage 2 of the actual Tour de France so suggested we should spend the afternoon watching it live. After a relatively short drive, we walked a few hundred metres to join hundreds of others waiting just before a chateau for the tour publicity caravan and then race to pass. I sat in the shade and still managed to get a few trinkets from the publicity caravan. After much waiting, four helicopters appeared in the distance before a solo rider came past with the peloton a few minutes back.
Once they had gone, it was another van journey back to the hotel and we arrived about 5pm.
Dinner was at 7pm at the same restaurant as last night. The owner was glad to see a large group again. Service was quicker as it was largely empty. I sampled the local carbonara.
The mechanics cleaned and checked the bikes after the ride and found my back tyre had a side wall gash with the tube poking out. Naturally, this was changed for a new tyre.
Breakfast tomorrow is from 6:30am at the hotel. As the start line is only around 5km away, the plan is to start riding from the hotel around 7:30am.
A video of Stages 2 & 3 can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykDF5Uf8u4s
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