Passing through

I wouldn't have known about this low profile cycle race (featuring Chris Froome among others) if I hadn't gone to Ferrals to drop off a package. I wondered what all the team cars with cycles on top, and the parked police cars, were up to. When I got home Google told me it was the Route d'Occitanie, and what's more a bit of research suggested that they were imminently going to pass through our village. Who knew? There has been zero advance publicity about this.

I headed out with my camera, and S remained at home to update me on their position before going out himself. I did encounter a couple of people waiting for them, and two team cars parked outside the cave coopérative, but it wasn't exactly the ambiance of the Tour de France. They didn't even close the roads until immediately before the first vehicles arrived (scores of motorbikes and almost as many cars -- I wonder what the carbon footprint is?).

Not being a sports photographer I decided to go for the Abstract Thursday theme of colourful. A more conventional photo of the breakaway in extras. And S's better phone photo of the peloton.

In the afternoon I went to my second dental appointment of the month. It was fairly uncomfortable, but the dentist proudly announced he'd done everything to his satisfaction, got me to smile at the mirror, and cancelled the remaining two appointments. Result! 

In other medical news, S went to the doctor yesterday afternoon because his ribs hurt after he slipped and fell on river pebbles when we were hunting bee-eaters on Tuesday. He now has strapping on his broken rib. I ache too, but that's because I went to the village gym class for the first time since January yesterday evening. It was hard, but the others had arranged a surprise apero for coach J-F, so at least there was a reward afterwards :)