Race

Only a few days in, I've already watched more of the Tour de France than I've managed in previous years. Perhaps it's merely another symptom of terminal laziness, but I like to think that it's the sign of a burgeoning interest in competitive road racing. Not that I have any intention to compete myself, as it looks quite a lot of effort, and not without an element of danger to boot. There have been a number of crashes on the tour this week, which look pretty nasty given the speeds the cyclists go at, and the lack of give of the average French road surface. And today they had to contend with cobbles, in the rain. It cannot get much more hazardous, unless the race officials let loose an occasional irate rhinoceros to help spice things up.

But it must be nice to leap on your bicycle and tootle off for a couple of hundred miles or so and end up on the other side of the country. Especially if at the end of it you were still capable of walking. You would get to see so much of our towns and countryside, feel at one with nature and all that sort of thing; be able to stop off at characterful inns to sample their local brews, or the cream scones at picturesque tea rooms. Clearly, the Tour de France competitors do not quite have the time to spare for all this, and probably would have a hard job finding a decent cream scone on the continent. Which is probably the reason why I am reluctant to take part competitively. However, they do get given lunch bags so that they can feed in the saddle. Although a cream scone would be a little messy.