Who could ever have guessed that the entire Tour de France would be altered so dramatically with just a time trial? Time trials are usually a part of Le Tour - both individual and team, sometimes both and sometimes just one or the other. This time trial, held on the day before the procession into Paris, had a steep end climb for the riders and two friends and countrymen battled it out on the slopes.
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From the left: Primoz Roglic, winner of 2nd place in this year's Tour. Tadej Pogacar, winner of Le Tour after an outstanding time trial where he picked up more than 57 seconds on Roglic, and Richie Porte, 3rd place winner, who said his only goal for this year was to have a photo of himself on the Podium in Paris. Well, here you go, Richie! |
The holder of the Yellow Jersey and assumed winner of Le Tour, Primoz Roglic (Slovenia) was the final rider. Just before him was the young phenomenon and fellow Solvenian, Tadej Pogacar. They rode for different teams, but were best friends, and Pogacar's 22nd birthday was upcoming within a few short days. Pogacar had already managed to nail down the King of the Mountain Polka-dot Jersey, as well as the Best Young Rider's White Jersey, but he rode like a man possessed, with an incredible ride that ended up giving him the trifecta - The White and Polka-dot, of course, but also the Yellow Jersey and the absolute win of Le Tour de France this year. Roglic, who had worn the Yellow Jersey for eleven days, ended up in second place, with Richie Porte of Ireland coming in third. Fabulous! Absolutely fabulous! Sam Bennett of Ireland ended up beating long-time rival Peter Sagan for the Green Jersey (Sprinter's Jersey).
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Here's what the woodshed looks like fully loaded. I know several people have asked "Why the staggered roof line?" DH wanted to make it more Frank Lloyd Wright style because it's more visually interesting and he knows that I adore Frank Lloyd Wright. I'm not arguing - it's absolutely beautiful. Now he's planning some above- ground planting boxes for my strawberries, closer to the creek bank. |
I wasn't watching the final day - the ride into Paris. We were busy loading the truck up with wood for the compost yard, taking the wood out there, and then doing a final clean-up of the patio area. Later in the early afternoon we took a break from watching the US Open Golf and some really bad football and sat on the patio for a while. It was cozy and nice and seemed a bit alien - I've never sat there without the wood stacked all around me before. It was oddly exposed. Of course, we have a large maple tree that overhangs the entire area so it's a place of high-shade. That will make choosing plants for next year quite challenging for DH.
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Looking North, to my left as I sit at the patio table, it's a far different sight than I'm used to. There's open dirt instead of stacked logs. The plants, that had been pushing up against the logs, now look sparse. DH will have lots of planting to do next Spring. |
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Looking from a different angle, you can see all of the open space that once held wood. All of this will need to be planted with shade-loving plants. It'll keep DH busy over the winter while he figures out what might be best. |
Dinner was wonderful, as I had planned. The ribs cooked up perfectly and the potatoes and cole slaw were exactly what I had wanted. All in all, it was a very pleasant Sunday, topped off by "Van der Valk" before sleep. But today I dive back into routine once again. Have an excellent Monday and enjoy your day. Be safe, be kind and please, wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow.
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