Friends of The Sports Fan Project, Tracey Martinson and Tim Parker, are vacationing near Lyon, France. They decided to take the short journey to Saint-Vulbas and experience the conclusion of the Tour de France’s Stage 5.
I’m including some of the images the pair captured as well as video clips of both the peloton (above) and the caravan (below). At the bottom of this post is the link to a special episode of Conversations with Sports Fans we recorded shortly after they arrived back at their French vacation home.
Clockwise, from upper left: The marker on course that signifies 1 kilometer until the finish for the riders; several hours before the finish, the crowd begins to gather; Tracey is sporting the King of the Mountain polka dot hat (the top mountain performer wears the polka dotted jersey); Tim and Tracey near the podium in Saint-Vulbas; the equivalent of a suite (maybe?) sits near the finish line. (Photos by Tim Parker)
In a stroke of good fortune, Tracey and Tim were part of history at Stage 5. English rider, Mark Cavendish, wound up winning his 35th career Tour stage with a slick move in the day’s waning moments. That victory broke the tie he’d had with legendary Belgian rider, Eddy Merckx, for the most stage wins in Tour history.
