10.7.07

Ronde van Frankrijk

Countless cafes in the city center were decorated much the same as this one.

Yesterday I had thought I might be doing day two in Ramsdonk, but instead I made a rash decision and boarded the train to Gent to witness history in the making. After 40 minutes of watching Flanders rocket past me as I rode the iron rails I tried to slow everything down and enjoy the experience upon arriving in Gent, but as it turned out Gent was a city overcome with a fanatical buzz unlike anything I have ever experience before. From the moment I stepped out of the station it was apparent that the worlds greatest rolling circus was about to arrive. I simply followed the masses, several kilometers, to the finishing straight of this the second road stage of the 2007 Tour de France. It seemed as if the entire center of the city had been shut down as people on foot claimed the street as their own.
Already and hour and a half before the earliest predicted arrival time the finishing straight was completely packed and as you can see the energy and anticipation of the riders arrival was well on its way to reaching a climax. I began to seek out a prime location to view the finish, but quickly discovered that with already tens of thousands of people cramming the narrow straight it could be an impossible task. I made my way to the far side of the road and settled in to a spot that got me a faint few of the road with 50m to go and a unhindered view of one of the many screens broadcasting the race as it unfolded on route to the heart of Flanders.But then the VIPs arrived and I could see nothing...
As the race approached I relied on regular updates from a guy sitting on his window sill above us who had the race going on his television. With every update the excitement escalated. News of the pileup a few kilometers out reached us and sent waves of speculation as to the safety of Boonen and the blue train through the crowd. I began to understand that today was Boonen's day, the day he was to win on home soil and pull the green jersey over his shoulders before the race officially entered France.
You got to do what you got to do...

With no sight lines to the course or television and with people pressed up against me on all sides preventing any mobility I soaked in the atmosphere that can only be created by the population of a nation so incredibly in love with the bicycle and all it brings. To my right the deafening roar of crazed fans filled the hot late afternoon air. And as the roar grew closer and louder and then eventually passed I managed to make out a blue helmet streaking passed and a fist pumping the air. Then the news spread like wildfire...Steegmans! Steegmans had overpowered his leader in the final meters and taken this historic stage to the center of the cycling universe. Belgium one two in Gent and Boonen takes green, the party began!
After the finish I wandered to a square to view the podium presentation on the big screen and witnessed the embrace between Steegmans and Boonen. The embrace was one thing, but the crowds reaction was equally as special, it was a moment that connected an entire nation in their love of sport.

After the race I set out to explore the center of this ancient city stumbled upon the Quickstep and Bouygues Telecom team areas outside their hotel. At Quickstep the mechanics were busy building Boonens new bike to celebrate his green jersey leading position. I even saw the green shorts being brought out and whisked into the the hotel for the man himself.
I still managed to wander the streets and see the architectural wonders that Gent has to offer before I had to call it a day and again return to the station and my home base of Liedekerke.
Two of three Grand Tours down, only the Vuelta to go.




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