THIS MORNING I took our car in for a follow-up 'controle-technique' visit and headed over to the Cafe Du Cycliste here in Chateauneuf-de-Grasse for a cup of coffee while I waited. Two minutes after I sat down Stephen Roche (yes, that Stephen Roche) and a cycling partner pulled up on their bikes and sat down at the table next to me. Roche, for those of you who don't know, won the Tour de France in 1987 and his son Nicholas is a top-level pro who just signed-on to ride for Team Sky -- one of the biggest and best cycling teams in the world (I have a soft spot for Nicholas because he used to go to the school where I now teach) Stephen Roche has had a home here in the South of France since the early 80s when he was a pro and he owns at least one hotel and some other real estate in the area. It certainly isn't uncommon to see him riding in the area.
I guess today was one of his riding days.
Of course, I was too embarrassed to ask for a photo, so I don't have one. But the best part -- he was riding a brand new Carerra bike. Carerra was the team he rode for when he won the Tour in '87, so it appears there are still some ties there.
1 comment :
Too bad the Tour de France in 2015 won't be passing anywhere near where you or I live in France. The same was true for 2014. Hopefully, they will pedal by in 2016.
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