Bagneres de Bigorre!

We survived our first day! Barely! The hardest part was actually the weather, as lame and wimpy as that sounds - it was really cold on top of the Col d'Aspin, so cold in fact that I couldn't wait on top long enough to see the peloton power up the mountain, but rather was forced to descend to the comfort of a cafe in the town on the other side and watch them come wizzing by on their way up. They finished yesterday in Bagneres de Bigorre, where they will come through again today on their way over Tourmalet to the finish on the top of Hautacam. I am about to ride up to Tourmalet, where I am optimistic that I will have a better view of the climb today, as it is sunny and nice. Plus I have come prepared this time, with a baguette and cheese to stick in the back pockets of my CU cycling jersey. Thus will I feast on the side of a mountain while I wait. My father made it the whole way yesterday, although he was somewhat delayed when they kicked him off the course to make way for a whole slew of corporate sponsored vehicles decked out in parade-like fashion. After they passed, the riders eventually followed, and then we were finally allowed to get back on the course and pick our way through a sea of spectators attempting to descend from the mountain while we rode up. The sheer amount of exhaust being emitted from all of the cars makes me hope that nobody ever does an environmental impact study of the Tour de France, because it must be roughly equivalent to the pollution generated weekly by a developing country. Or maybe not, but I certainly felt like I might pass out from all the fumes. Anyway, off I go now for more! Allez, allez, allez!