A series of essays.....
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| STAGE 5 OF LE TOUR DE FRANCE 2016 |
.....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
My Fitbit Charge HD is screaming names out at me from its tiny screen: Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan, Tejay van Garderen, Fabian Cancellara, "Little Tommy Voeckler," Nairo Quintana......to mention a few. Believe me, the act of 'shaming' leaves everything to the imagination. As a writer, the understanding and utilization of this concept is a daily practice with me.
My "Election Confession" is this: Like many of us, I need a nice, long, healthy break. I require a healthy distraction from poll stats, others telling me how I should feel and think, and too much raw information, positive and negative, being tossed back and forth like fresh eggs at a family reunion competitive event.
What better distraction than the 2016 Tour de France!
Stages: 21 (Legs within the race.)
Riders: 198 (From all over the world!)
Teams: 22 (Nine men per team.)
Duration: Slightly more than three, beautifully long weeks.
Location: As the 'Title' implies....riding sleek, well-balanced bikes throughout French villages and the breathtaking countryside in real time. (Or, at least, for the rest of the world, at the whim of the French television media system...France TV Sport.)
Beautiful narrow roads, plane trees, blue skies, with blue-white-red flags being caressed by a slight breeze are all witnessed and noted as the rhythmic peddling of each cyclist produces gentle sounds and a mesmerizing swaying motion. Quite often the motorcycle camera person follows the riders from behind, documenting and accentuating this syncopated rhythm created by man and machine; liquid poetry in motion! Each element mentioned above helps to transcend this seemingly simplistic sport into a phenomenal experience of the senses.
I am hooked.....and, have been for years!
The timing of the Tour de France could not have been better this year. When I needed a healthy distraction from man-made, political chaos, I found solace within the competition of music and dance atop feather-light bicycles made for speed.
Convincing my Fitbit that sedentary behavior is warranted for several days, at least, is another story. Flipping my arm up and revealing a downsized number of steps taken, miles walked, and calories burned has taken me a step back in physical progress, but a million miles forward in peace of mind and contentment of the soul.
As the French say.....Vive Le Tour!
Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
