Tour Cycliste de Loire Layon

Philipp's friend Bernard, with whom he is renovating the castle, has another interesting hobby ... he rides his motorcycle in bike races, either to ensure the security of the cyclists and the crowds, or with a cameraman on the back. His son is an accomplished cyclist, and attends a special school that allows him to pursue his studies while training for a career as a professional cyclist.

Several months ago, Bernard and the other members of an association that provides motorcycle safety teams for bike races started planning a bike race for Junior competitors (17-18 years old). We’ve witnessed the process of planning, seeing to all the details, and their excitement as the registrations started coming in. After months of planning and preparations, the race was held on April 5th.

Bernard had asked Philipp and me to lend a hand on the big day, and we were happy to help out. After two weeks of beautiful sunny weather, we were all disappointed to wake up to rain the day of the race. Luckily, it subsided before the afternoon race, and the cool conditions were perfect for cycling. We arrived early for our briefing and a light lunch with the other volunteers, and then Philipp and I took a little drive to explore the area (not too far from Angers, but little villages I hadn’t seen before).

We watched the beginning of the race, and then headed to our appointed area to help direct traffic when the cyclists arrived. Philipp looked so official in his reflective vest. We cheered on the group of leaders, then the peloton. Several minutes later, some stragglers passed, and finally the broom wagon came by and we knew we could go. So we jumped in the Smart and followed the race route to the finish. The race ended with three loops, se we were able to park and see the last two passages, including the finish.

Following the finish, it was my turn to do my job. I’d been asked to be “podium girl”. This is a very difficult job, which involves standing on the podium and presenting flowers to the winners. And – as this is France – kisses are de rigueur. (A tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.)

We were both really happy for Bernard that his race was such a success. They’re already looking forward to next year’s event.