I’ve just returned from a memorable weekend in Provence where I saw the Mont Ventoux stage of the Tour de France. I’ve wanted to see a TdF mountain stage for some time so when I found out that the 2009 race was heading up Ventoux on the penultimate day I knew I had to get there. We arrived on Thursday and after a quick stop on the summit to admire the views we descended into the forest to set up camp. We camped next to the car about 10km from the summit and spent the next couple of days drinking the excellent local wine and dancing to dodgy Euro-Pop with hundreds of crazy Dutch. On the day of the stage we walked up a few kilometres and waited for the race to arrive. The atmosphere was amazing and I couldn’t believe how many people had turned up. The riders were gone in a flash but it was worth the wait and it’s definitely one of the best sporting events I’ve been to.
