Preparations for the Tour - the Glamorous and Not-So-Glamarous

The Glamorous



The Not-So-Glamorous




I don't have to look at the calendar to know that summer has arrived here in Provence.  I can literally feel, smell, hear and taste it.  As soon as I step out the door, I'm hit by a wave of heat that arrives early and stays well into the sunlit evenings.  The purply, deep, at the same time uplifting and calming scent of newly sprouted lavender fills the nose and resonates with the soul.  The whirring, drilling, chirping sound of cicadas comes and goes in waves in scattered pockets of trees throughout the countryside. The tangy, fresh taste of local fruit and rosé wine are back on the palate.  It seems that the whole body starts to relax and soak in this omni-present feast for the senses. This will be our fourth summer spent in France, third since moving here.  It is June.  The windows and shutters of the house have been opened, we have started to eat outside, afternoons are filled with the sounds of the boys and their friends playing in the pool.  The garden is in "full-on" mode with the scent of the fresh herbs of Provence, peaches and plums are on the trees, and everything is green and colorful.

Planning the 2012 Tour de France Trip

June is also a big month for bike racing for the boys, and it is the time of year that we start preparing for July, more specifically - Le Tour de France.  Some of our preparation is glamorous (trips to the Côte d'Azur and the Alps to ride and train on mythic climbs), some is not-so-glamorous (weekends spent in hot industrial parks racing criteriums).  It is all, however, done in the name of a sport that we love (cycling).  Last weekend we had the the "not-so-glamorous" GP Les Estroublans which was the last race in the Trophée de Les Bouches du Rhone championships.  The series was made up of 10 races - 3 cyclocross, 3 piste and 4 route (road) races.  Liam ended up second overall (Vice Champion).  It was a great result, representing a lot of hard work over the last few months.  To celebrate we turned to the "glamorous" with two days of ocean swimming, running and cycling in the Cote d'Azur near Nice and Monaco.

When you first hit the Côte d'Azur the first thing you notice is a lot of bling.  It is pretty much the opposite of the little village we live in.  I have to say that I prefer down-to-earth Auriol, but it is fun to check out the flashy lifestyle now and again.  Once you are out of the cities, the biking in the coastal mountains all around Nice and Monaco is truly epic.  Our two days of Father Son Tour training ended up being just that -- epic.  Day one we had a out and back run along the Promenade des Anglais followed by a mile open water swim in the Mediterranean, followed by a 20 mile evening bike ride over part of the Ironman France bike course.  Day two was legendary - for lack of a better word.  We started out on our bikes from Nice and headed up and over the Col d'Eze, then dropped down through Turbie and Cap d'Ail and then into Monaco.  Once in Monaco we pulled up on our bikes to the Monte Carlo Casino and the Hotel de Paris.  Liam is at the age that he is starting to appreciate sports cars.  Here in front of the Casino was parked a stable of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Maseratis, Porsches and Bentleys.  We were checking out the cars when a casino concierge walked up to us.  I thought he was going to tell us to move on, but instead he came over to talk about bikes.  He said that he had the same bike that I have, a Trek Madone, and then proceeded to point up at the Col de la Madone, towering nearly 4000 ft above Monaco.  I knew immediately how we would be getting back to Nice.  Through conversations with the concierge, we found out that if you ride out of Monaco towards the Italian border you can climb the Col de la Madone from the town of Menton and return to Nice the back way over the mountains.  The challenge was set.

Sainte Agnes

The Col de la Madone climb starts out at sea level on a very steep little road called Corniche des Serres de la Madone.  As you weave your way up through the many switchbacks, the views down to the coast below are breathtaking . . . or perhaps it was the 11% grade that was taking my breath away.   After about 7k you come upon a beautiful cliff-perched village called Sainte Agnes.  It is here that the road splits into three directions and there is a fountain of fresh mountain spring water just inside the forest. While filling up our bottles and drinking at the fountain we met an older lady who had - well - a saintly presence.  We spoke to her in French about the town and the peace and tranquility of the surrounding area. While talking, this petite gray-haired rather fit woman seemed to radiate the calm and tranquility of which she spoke..   We pulled out of Sainte Agnes after meeting "Sainte Agnes incarnate" with an almost surreal feeling.

From Sainte Agnes, it is another 5k to the summit of the Madone.  This part of the climb is made up of long straight sections that go up, up and  (you guessed it) up some more.  The top is not so obvious, and, unfortunately, the sign that marks the top has been stolen.  For Liam and me, it was a very special milestone along our Father Son journey.

We dedicated the ride and the climb to a person that is going through a rough patch at the moment.  An athlete and cancer survivor who has been an inspiration to many.  Someone, who, in 2009, took the time to ride over an Alpine pass with a father and his then 8-year old son and give them inspiration to turn dreams into reality and courage to make a positive difference in the world.  We dedicated the day's epic ride to Lance Armstrong.

In one week's time we will be up in Liege for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France.  It will be our fourth Tour in a row.  It is a journey that has - and continues to - challenge, unite and strengthen us both as father and son and as citizens of this incredible planet on which we live.

Liam at the top of La Madone

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!

This is Bill and Liam signing out. 



                                

Rights of Passage - A Truly Incredible Spring

An example of some of our spring training - a Sunday 70km ride with Peter - hang on!

The col de le Petit Galibier is a classic switch-backed, 6km, category 3 climb very close to our house in Provence.  We have a fun little 30km loop which takes us from our door to the summit and back.  The Petit Galiber is a standard "go to" for after school rides, times when we just feel like cruising, and, other times, when we want to test our legs with a timed sprint up the col's switchbacks to its pine covered summit. 

I have so many memories on the switch-backs of this little picturesque col.  It was one of the first rides Liam and I did together when we arrived in Auriol two years ago.  I still remember the joy of finding this little cycling gem right in our backyard.  There are bigger climbs around, but this one is just really special.

Yesterday, Liam nearly dropped me on the climb.  It was all I could do to just hang on.  I had to dig really, really deep just to keep contact.  There were no cameras or videos rolling it was just a moment shared between a father and son - a sort of right of passage. I was recording the ride on Strava and we set a new record and KOM on the climb.  I suppose that these moments will become more and more frequent until one day, probably in the very near future, Liam will just spread his cycling wings and off he'll go.  He has earned those wings.  At this point, I've taught him just about everything I know about cycling.  Liam has worked really hard and, as a result, is starting to cultivate some real success in the sport.

Last summer after a very difficult 90 k ride in Switzerland, a close cycling friend of ours said to Liam, "its hard to think of you as a kid, because when you are on the bike you are a man." 

A recap of a very busy Spring: 

View from the balcony of the Nice Promenade

Paris-Nice: In March we headed to the Cote D'Azur for a fantastic weekend of taking in some professional bike racing. We had some great digs right on the Nice Ville Promenade looking out on the Mediterranean sea. From the balcony of our room we could look down on Saturday's stage finish.  On Sunday, we rode along the coast and back up the Col D'Eze to take in the final time trial of the race.  We, in fact, ended up riding most of the Col with the Sky team and eventual winner Bradley Wiggins.  The team was doing a recon before the stage and they were all very cool.  On the way up we also rode for a few minutes with our friend Tejay Van Garderen who was in the white young rider's jersey and was in 5th place overall in the race.  In Lucca we promised Tejay that we would be making some noise up on the mountain.  The only disappointment was that our friend Levi Leipheimer had had a terrible time on Saturday with there crashes on the final descent into nice.  It was a testament to his character that he even started the time trial on Sunday. We had an excellent day on the mountain, and , for Liam, seeing the riders that he has come to know so well over the years up close doing their thing was, as always, very inspirational. 

Liam with Paris-Nice winner Bradley Wiggins 

Liam Making some noise for Tejay

Liam cheering on Levi Leipheimer

FatherSonTour back in action

Spring Junior races in Provence:

After Paris-Nice we headed straight into the Spring races here in France for the boys.  At the Grand Prix Sisteron Liam had an incredible race for a 1st place finish.

A win at the GP Sisteron

 Liam has improved an incredible amount on the piste (velodrome).  The track races are short and fast and very tactical.  At the races at the velodrome in Port de Bouc Liam had a 3rd place podium finish which is his best result so far on the track.

Rolling on the Velodrome

The biggest road race of the year was the Trophee de Provence.  All the cyclists from the South of France were there for a tough downtown circuit in Salon de Provence.  The conditions were windy and cold.  Liam had an absolutely incredible race to finish 2nd overall.  This is by far the best result for Liam so far.  Last year,  he was 17th in the same race. "Il a beaucoup progresse!" is the saying in French.

Huge result for Liam at the Trophee de Provence

Last weekend both Liam and Roan finished on the podium in 3rd place in their races in Berre l'Etang.  It has been a very successful start to the season.  The boys have been working at cultivating this success with consistent training, lots of passion for the sport, and dedication and patience. It has been pretty cool to be around it all here at chez Flanagan!

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!!!

This is Bill and Liam signing out.

The Strava profile of the rights of passage ride.

Col D`Eze Recon - Fun in the Côte d`Azur

The final time trial of Paris-Nice will take place on the Col d'Eze which is a climb that starts from the heart of the seaside city of Nice in the Côte d'Azur. Last Thursday we loaded up the bikes and headed to Nice for a day of fun. We made a recon video and also tracked the ride on Strava. Hope this gives you some insight into what is in store. We will be back on the mountain tomorrow. Two weeks ago, in Lucca, we promised Tejay VanGarderen that we would be in Nice cheering our "asses" off for him, and that`s where we'll be.

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!

Bill and Liam

A Taste of La Dolce Vita in Lucca

I have often wondered "what is the deal with Lucca, Italy?" How does an ancient walled city located in Tuscany, 30 kilometers from the Méditerranéen coast, become a stealth center for professional cycling? I figured there must be a reason that Mario Cipollini, Taylor Phinney, Ben King, Tejay Van Garderen, and Phillipe Gilbert- just to name a few - have chosen to base out of Lucca for much of the year. Liam and I had discussed this topic on many occasions; and, in the end, we decided a training trip to Tuscany was the best way for us to figure it out for ourselves.

Lucca - old city and surrounding wall

Last week all the stars aligned (Liam had a school vacation, the weather forecast looked excellent, my wife, Tavi, could stay with the boys). The window was open for us to be able to break away from our lives in France for a three-day cycling trip. The plan was classic "FatherSonTour"-- ride our bikes, check out the city, meet up with friends, and, of course, experience first-hand the pizza, pasta and gelato that makes this town famous.

Liam taking it all in

Lucca would not disappoint, in fact, the trip went well beyond anything we had ever dreamed. I had a clue that things were going to go pretty well when I started e-mailing back and forth with Ben King before we left France. Ben was "down" for pizza and gelato with us in Lucca on Friday night! We first met Ben at Levi's Gran Fondo a few years ago. He was fresh off a win at the US Pro Road Championships. Since that time Ben has ridden for team Radio Shack and he puts in a monumental amount of hard work and sacrifice for his team. Ben's work ethic and attitude are first-class. That is just how Ben rolls. Liam really looks up to Ben, and the fact that he would take the time to spend an evening with us was very, very cool.

Impressive architecture throughout the city

We left our home in France on Wednesday afternoon, and, 5 hrs later, we arrived in Lucca at the Piazza Santa Maria which is located at the entrance to the heart of the old city. Lucca is known for its fully intact Renaissance-era walls and ramparts which surround the old city. When I first heard about a walled city I had pictured something closed-in and a little claustrophobic, but in reality the structure is built in a way that adds and enhances to the allure and appeal of the city. Although the wall is about 6 meters high, you don't feel crowded by it; and the 4 km tree lined path running around its top makes for excellent cycling, running and promenades. Over the years, residents of the city must have felt the same way because, as Lucca expanded, instead of tearing down the walls, they just built the new city around outside of them.

Liam up on the ancient wall

The Lucca wall quickly became the centerpiece of our three day trip. It formed the book ends to almost every ride we did in Lucca. We would start our rides with a spin around the wall to get a warm-up before heading out into Tuscan countryside and into the surrounding mountains and towns. After the rides we would finish up with a victory lap around the wall as we returned to the city. We got the idea of the victory lap from Ben King's Lucca rides on his Strava profile. So if you are in Lucca and looking for some ride ideas, Strava is a great place to start.

On Thursday, our first day of riding, we had a basic idea of where to go, but the roads around Lucca are a little confusing. Unlike the States, roads in Italy are not laid out on a grid. They kind of curve around everywhere. The best way to get around and find the general direction you want to go is to read the road signs, but you need to know the names of the small surrounding towns and where they are located in order to do this. Neither Liam nor I speak Italian so that added another layer of complexity. ("Do we want to head towards Camaiore, or Cappannori ?" Two similar names that are, at first, easily confused if you don't speak Italian).

First day in the Tuscan hills

Day 1 - We headed out of town following the river to the North. We didn't know exactly where we were going, but we found some roads that climbed up to beautiful little hamlets perched on mountain sides with terraced olive orchards dotted by peaceful little churches and monasteries. We got some great video of the day's ride with our new Go Pro camera. GoPro® HD Cameras can be mounted on a bike helmet or bike frame making it is possible to have two hands on the handlebars while filming. These days it is never easy to follow Liam up a mountain, but it is a whole lot better with both hands.

When we got back to town we grabbed a late lunch at an outdoor cafe in a little sun soaked Piazza in the old city. It was here that we had the pleasure of meeting Jessica (Phillips) Van Garderen who was grabbing a quick coffee after a ride of her own. Jessica is a professional cyclist from Aspen, Colorado who lives in Lucca for part of the year with her husband Tejay Van Garderen, who is also a professional cyclist with team BMC. It was really fun for us to talk with a fellow American, especially an American who is passionate about cycling. Jessica is really cool. She is also very modest. We only found out later that she was, in fact, the 2009 US national time trial champion. After our conversation Jessica offered that, if Tejay was up for it, perhaps we could all start out on a ride together the next morning. Wow, only in Lucca!

After a few e-mails back and forth it was confirmed -- we would meet Tejay and Jessica the next morning for coffee, and then all start out on a ride together. Jessica had one condition for the ride, and that was that Liam come up with some questions to ask Tejay. (I think she will make an excellent parent someday). That night over a pasta dinner at Da Leo (a restaurant that I highly recommend), Liam was tossing around question ideas. I was just shaking my head a little in disbelief of what an incredible next day we had in store -- morning coffee and ride with Tejay and Jessica Van Garderen and a Friday night out on the town for pizza and gelato with Ben King. The Tuscan cycling gods must have been smiling on us.

The next morning, we met Tejay and Jessica at a cafe just off the Piazza Santa Maria. Tejay is an extremely talented bike rider. At age 23 he already has 2 grand tours (La Vuelta and the Tour de France) under his belt. Liam was very impressed by all this, but what he found even more interesting is that Tejay had been riding competitively since he was 10 years old. Liam could really relate to this.

Over coffee and hot chocolate Liam asked the question that he had chosen. The question to Tejay was "who have been his mentors in cycling?" Tejay's response was really cool. He said that he had had many mentors over the years, but that the first one he can remember was his father. His dad, who still races in a masters group, was his first mentor and he taught him the basics of cycling. I think I related to this as much as Liam did. I have been and continue to be Liam's mentor, but very soon, Liam's cycling ability will start to pass mine. I don't know if Liam will become a professional cyclist. It is a really tough sport and a very long road ahead, but if he does choose that path he will need some really good role models and mentors. In many ways that is what our trip to Lucca was about. For three days Liam had the opportunity to meet up with and spend some time with first-class young professional bike riders that could quite possibly be showing him the ropes in ten year's time.

Tejay and Liam talking about the Pro peloton

During the ride, Liam got to ask Tejay some more questions like "what it was like riding in the peloton of a grand tour?" It was a great morning and both Liam and I learned a lot. After about 20k, we parted ways as Tejay had some intense training to do on his time trial bike. (He is preparing for Paris-Nice, an 8-day tour, which starts on March 4th). Jessica continued with us on the ride leading the way to one of her favorite loops in Lucca. It was a beautiful ride on a mountain circuit up past the village which is know as the birth place of the fictional character Pinocchio.

After the Pinocchio loop, Jessica showed us another killer little loop in Lucca itself. This route was complete with a classic-style, cobble climb that had a beautiful view of the city. Half-way through the loop we stopped by a beautiful villa which is the Italian branch office of SRM. SRM is a company that was founded by engineer Ulrich (Uli) Schoberer who in 1986 designed and patented a system for measuring an athlete's power output while cycling in competition. Liam got the opportunity to spend some time talking power meters and watts with technician and super cool guy Rob Love. We may see Rob again this year in France when he passes by Provence on his way from London across Europe to Italy on a new custom motorcycle.

Talking power meters with Rob at the SRM house

That evening, Liam and I headed to the Antica Drogheria to meet up with our friend Ben King for what is quite possibly the best pizza in Italy. The Drogheria is an old general store that has has added a wood-fired pizza oven. It is a bit eclectic, which only adds to its appeal. The mouth watering pizza also enhances the effect!

Possibly serves the best pizza in Italy

It was great to see Ben again. When we met up, his sun-burned face gave him the appearance that he had just come off a stage of the Tour de France. It turns out, Ben had put in a monster ride that day - with 3500 meters of climbing. On Strava he appropriately named the ride "I need a Pizza ASAP." It was definitely a well earned pizza and gelato. We had a lot of fun chatting about cycling and life in Europe. Ben related some of his race experiences from his first year as a pro. We talked about seeing him pass by in Paris-Roubaix at the Trouée d'Arenberg last April. It was cool to hear his first hand account of racing the Queen of the Classics, the "Hell of the North." It was also good for Liam to hear from Ben just how hard it is to be a professional cyclist.

Ben and Liam out on the town

After pizza, we headed over to the new city where Ben showed us his favorite place for killer Italian gelato. We had fun making a little video in the gelateria, and the ice cream was really, really good! Ben walked us back to the Piazza Santa Maria and we said our goodbyes. When you are training hard, at 9:30pm the eyes start to get heavy and you instinctively head towards the barn. In Lucca, on a Friday night, this is just about the time that people start to head out to dinner. Although Liam was tired, he was also very happy. It had been a huge day -- one that Liam will likely remember for the rest of his life.

Great ending to a perfect day in Lucca

The next morning, before heading back to France, we got in an early ride all around our new favorite Tuscan training grounds. There is one word that is a perfect description for the riding in and around Lucca - "phenomenal." The cyclists we met on our trip all agreed. If the weather is good, Lucca is the place to ride. Well, the weather was great with sun and temps in the high 60s°F (18°C) for all three days that we were there. The company was also great. We met up with some really awesome folks who were willing to take the time to give us an introduction to a city -- a home away from home that they obviously loved. In the words of Ben King, the area "kind of sucks you in." Well, we're hooked. Now that we have a taste of "la dolce vita," we will be planning more trips to Lucca - si certo!

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!!!

This is Bill and Liam signing out.

In France the Meal is Serious Business

Getting in the all important lunch - Mountain bike outing

It took me awhile to realize the full extent of the importance and place of the meal in France. I knew that the French like their food; I also knew that the food was a cultural thing, but I never realized just how deep this goes. All meals are important in France, but lunch is the most important. It seems that the whole country shuts down for this mid-day meal. Lunch is usually served between 12 noon and a half past the hour. It will last anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. The French also do not believe in lunch on the go. The idea of grabbing a sandwich and eating it on the run is barbaric to the French. I once made the mistake of eating a sandwich on a street corner of Paris. I got all kinds of strange looks, however, the looks of horror were usually followed by a polite “bon appetite.” It just took the people a few seconds to recognize that my barbaric act on the curb was actually a form of the sacred ritual of eating a meal, and, once they had made the connection, their instinctive manners and meal etiquette kicked in.

It is a cultural thing and people need to be accommodated. In all the major department stores you will find restaurants, and at noon, sure enough, you will find people sitting down for proper meals. Cloth napkins, real silverware, entrees, main courses, wine, cheese plates, and desserts are all very common - even at the local sporting goods store cafeteria.

Proper meal presentation and prep is all important

I don’t think there is any aspect of French life where the lunch priority principle doesn’t apply. I was a chaperone for Liam’s school mountain bike team a couple of weeks ago. It was an all-day biking “raid” (serious group riding) on some pretty radical trails out in the local mountains. It was cold and the conditions were very difficult with lots of snow and ice on rocky trails. We biked for a few hours in the morning - doing a loop to end at the parking lot just in time for lunch. I was thinking that we would just grab our sandwiches, and then head back out on the bikes....Not a chance. I quickly realized my mistake when we got the looks of disbelief when Liam and I grabbed our sandwiches out of the car and almost started eating. No, it would not go down this way, not in France. We would all sit down together at some very cold stone benches in near freezing temperatures and enjoy nearly an hour lunch. The adult accompagnateurs were at one bench and the kids were at the others. We had our sandwiches, but there was also cheese, fois gras, wine (yes, even on a mountain biking trip), some small cakes for dessert, and coffee and tea at the end of the meal. I made the mistake of asking for some tea mid-way through the meal. (When you stop riding you get cold quickly). Although I was given the tea, I discovered that it was not proper etiquette. The French all waited till the end of the meal to have their tea and coffee because that is just how it is done. Never mind that we are sitting out in the woods on a mountain bike trip. It was a nice lunch with great conversation, but not what I had expected. After lunch we hopped back on the bikes for another three hours of riding (red wine and all).

Snowball fight after lunch

Another example of lunch taking priority over all occurred last weekend at Liam’s first swim meet here in France. Liam has started swimming again with a club at the piscine Alain Bernard in Aubagne. Liam had been away from competitive swimming for 2 years and he was starting to miss it. Swimming is really an important piece of his training and the conditioning really pays off on the bike. More about that in a future blog post, but for now back to the importance of the meal here in France.

The Benjamin Group of Liam's new swim club

Liam was swimming the 800 meter freestyle and the 50 meter back stroke in the morning and then he had a butterfly event in the afternoon. I noticed on the schedule that there was 2 and ½ hours between the sessions. I have been in France long enough to know that the lunch principle had to be involved. When we arrived at the meet the organization was handing out flyers that included directions to a cafeteria where the entire competition would meet for lunch. At 11:30 the competition stopped, the pool facility was locked up tight and everyone (teams, coaches, parents and judges) got in their cars and headed a few miles down the road for an hour and ½ lunch. We ate together as a team and it was very enjoyable, but the whole affair seemed somewhat odd from the American perspective. After the meal everyone got back in their cars and headed back to the pool, where at exactly 2 pm the doors were opened and the meet continued where it had left off.

In France the people take their meals seriously, because it is during these times that human relationships are cultivated. I guess back in the US we would be known as lunch snobs - turning our nose up at fast food and paper napkins. I think that after you become used to eating in this "civilized" manner it is hard to go back to grabbing lunch on the run, not to mention, what havoc it wreaks on your new found digestion.

By the way, Liam won the 800 meter freestyle on Sunday in his first competitive swim meet in two years. It must be due to all those great meals he has been having!

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!

Bill and Liam signing out.

Tête et Jambes - A Win in Marseille

There is saying in French :"Tête et jambes" ... "Pour gagner une course de vélo il faut avoir la tête et les jambes, mais surtout la tête." In English it means: "Head and legs. In order to win a bike race one needs both to think with your mind and have good legs, but most important is the mind." There is a lot of insight in this simple statement. It was one of the first things that was said to the boys when they joined their cycle club here in Provence. Coming from America, we are generally power riders. Lots of heart, great legs and the desire to get out there and just "get 'er done." That is a great spirit and attitude, but it doesn't always win bike races. In a bike race one has to know when to lay it down and when to conserve one's energy. You have to also be able to read the guys or gals you are racing against. It is almost like a game of Texas hold'em, but you pretty much know that everyone is holding good cards; it is more a question of when and where to play them. Last Sunday in Marseille, at the first race of 2012, Liam played his cards perfectly.


Arrivée of the first Pro race of the 2012 season

The Gran Prix de La Marseillaise is the first professional bike race of the year here in Europe - it is the season opener. The pro race is 150 kilometers long and finishes in downtown Marseille in front of the football (soccer) stadium. Before the arrival of the pros, there is a youth criterium-style race that takes place. The youth race is part of the Gran Prix and takes place all around the stadium on streets closed to traffic. It is well organized, and is timed so that, 30 minutes after the youth race and awards, the kids are all able to watch the arrivée of the pros from a great location right on the line. The youth competition is part of the budget of the race, a way for the organizers to give back to the community in their support of youth programs.


Le métier - warming up for the race
Because it was the first race of the year, the date was marked on the calender and all the boys were very excited about it. When we arrived to start the warm-up and get oriented with the course layout, Liam had some doubts. Because of construction around the stadium, the circuits of the criterium were shortened and there were many tight, technical turns. It was also raining most of the morning so the course was wet and slippery. Liam rides best on hills and where there are sections were he can open it up and power. This course was very different and he would have to adapt. We talked about the course and decided that Liam would ride the course like a cyclocross race, but with the only difference being that it was taking place on pavement. He wanted to get into the first group, make sure the tempo was high enough so that it thinned out the field, and then he wanted to be patient and wait. He was feeling that he had pretty good legs so he wanted to make a move early but not too early. He thought that he would make this move with either three or four laps to go to the finish.


The start

The plan went very well, and Liam pulled off a win in the first bike race of the 2012 season! He is now 2 for 2 here in France on the new Trek Livestrong bike. He is indeed an inspired rider.


Happy Liam

I was able to get most of the major parts of the race on film. What you don't see in the video is that, on the last part of the first circuit, Liam had a slight crash, he put a foot down, but got back up and going quickly, and was able to catch back up to the lead group. This is where the experience of racing cyclocross and mountain biking throughout the fall and winter has really paid off.


FatherSonTour Cycling project ready to roll

Aidan and Roan (Liam's younger brothers) also had very good races. They are all maturing and improving as riders on the bike. It is fun to be a part of it all as "Directeur Sportif" of the FatherSonTour cycling project!

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well,

This is Bill and Liam signing out

And its…2012… Round and Round We Go

Happy 2012 - May your year be filled with Joy!

Here in France, one thing that stands in marked contrast to our experience in Southern California is the intense difference between the seasons and the speed at which they pass. There is not a huge difference between summer and fall in California, the two begin to blend into each other, and it is nearly impossible to say when one ends and the other begins. It could not be more different here. “Boom” down comes the curtain and the total scene changes. One day we are out in the pool listening to the cicadas, taking in the intense heat of the sun. The next day we are bundling up against the wind and biting cold coming from the North. Gone are the sun filled afternoons that seem to last till midnight. The trees, as if responding to a stage cue, promptly start shedding their leaves, and, in unison, the whole landscape starts to pull back its outward vibrancy.

Mild Fall and Winter this year - great for riding!

I didn’t really like the fall and winter here last year. It was a rude awakening of sorts after living in the eternal summer of Newport Beach. This year, however, the intense differences are starting to grow on me. Instead of looking at the cold as an inconvenience, I am starting to appreciate the changes that the season brings. (I must admit that this winter has been very mild compared to last year). The whole French culture adapts in response to the changes in the weather. Take the clothing for example - the bright pastels are replaced by browns, blacks, dark reds, and greens. The food changes from the lighter summer fare to more hearty meals like roasts and winter soups. The rosé is put away until the spring and it is replaced by the darker red wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone valley. We are invited to parties to celebrate the wine harvest, the olive harvest, the release of theBeaujolais nouveau and, of course, Noël and le Jour de l’An. It is impossible to separate the food and wine from the culture of France. Just as the food and wine change with the seasons, so do the meals and social events that revolve around them. This is a concept that I (kind of) got the first year we were here, but now I am starting to get these things in a deeper more profound way. For the second year in a row we brought in the New Year eating and drinking with our French friends here in Auriol.

Winter vines on the mountain bike

It could be said that our time in France is kind of circular as we go round and round with the seasons, but it is really more of a spiral. With each turn we get a deeper, clearer understanding and insight into French culture. This spiraling journey also gives us a clearer and deeper bond as a family. Suddenly things that seemed very bizarre start to perfectly make sense. For example, take the incredibly time consuming tradition of French greetings. At first, I thought it was crazy to come into a room and be obligated to go up to each individual and give him or her either a biz (a kiss on both cheeks) or a handshake depending on the level of the familiarity. Each time a new person enters the room; you would have to start the whole process over again. It takes 10 minutes of kissing and hand shaking just to get our monthly vélo club meeting going. Now, this tradition is so second natured, that the old way of coming into a room and simply sitting down to start a meeting seems very impersonal and out of touch. It seems that the obligation has now turned into a joy.

Vivre les fêtes

All the boys are going through their own cycles with school, friendships, and their athletic accomplishments. So as we head into another year of our French adventure on and off the bike I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy New Year – may it be filled with much love and joy and may your dreams come true.

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!!!

This is Bill and Liam signing out.

L’art du Départ (The Art of the Start)

Liam Rolling at a Cross race near Avignon

Cyclo-Cross is a wild hybrid sport that takes road biking, cross country running, mountain biking and trail running, and somehow manages to merge them all together. The sport is primarily done on a cyclo-cross bike. The bike itself is a hybrid, taking the light frame of a road bike, beefing up the fork and wheels, and using a sort of skinny mountain bike tire. The handlebars of the bike are like that of a road bike, with the exception of an extra set of brake levers in the front. There is also more clearance between the actual brakes and the wheels; because quite often you ride through mud. Cyclo-cross is fun, but it is also physically demanding and very technical. The courses are usually over single track made up of some combination of mud, sand, loose dirt, and rock. The riders often have to dismount their bikes and run or jump over obstacles with the bike on their shoulders.


Cross terrain can be tough

Last year, the first year of cross racing for the Flanagan boys, was a tough initiation. Falls were common, their starts were horrible, and the technical tight turns and descents were intimidating. It takes awhile to learn and adapt. It also takes a lot of courage to stick with something that, at first, you are not great at. It is hard to go from always being on the podium (in the top three) to being back in the mid pack at 15^th or 16^th. By the end of last year’s cross season Liam did manage to crack the top 5, and was often in the top 10, but each race somehow left him a little disappointed. I guess when you are 10 and 11 it is hard to sit back and be patient with yourself (I can’t say that it is easy at 43 either.)

Liam started cross training this year in Late Summer

By the end of last year’s season Liam was getting the technical turns, dismounts, obstacles, and the descents, but when we looked back at what went wrong it often came down to the start. In cyclo-cross the start is all-important. You can’t win the race with a great start, but you sure can lose with a bad one. In Liam’s category you have about 40 kids all gunning to get into the top five positions within the first 100 meters of the race. If you are much further back it becomes nearly impossible to catch up and very difficult to pass in the single-track sections.

We started really focusing on starts at the end of this summer. It takes a lot of practice and motivation to be able to generate that type of explosive speed from a stand still. We worked on imagery (from hair on fire, bees chasing you - to the more zen “powerful volcano warrior”). In November it all started to click. Not only were the starts getting faster, but Liam’s ability to put in bursts at speed started to come together as well. His cadence (the revolutions per minute he could turn over the pedals) also markedly improved.

First Cross Podium finish at La Ciotat

A few weeks ago, at a tough race in La Ciotat, Liam succeeded to get onto the cyclo-cross podium for the first time with a third place finish. Then, last weekend to show that it was no fluke, he finished in third again at an even bigger regional cross race at Les Pennes Mirabeau. At that race, last Sunday just outside of Marseille, he had a beautiful start. It was like watching ballet – a work of art. It was a choreographed burst of speed, a high cadenced dance on the pedals, a zen flow through the tight turns, and then out on to the single-track in the lead!

The Art of the Start

Practicing a little Zen into the turn

Benjamin Division Podium at Les Pennes

On Sunday, after the junior races, there was a pro race that we watched in the afternoon. The pros raced over much of the same course that the kids had raced over. There were several Tour de France riders at the event. It was a little off-season cross to keep their skills sharp. Rémi Pauriol (the mentor of the boys’ vélo club) won the race. Professional riders Rémy de Gregorio, Yoann Bagot, and Maxime Bouet also raced. The riders were really cool with the kids, before the race they took a lap of honor for a retiring pro, and the kids were able to ride along side by side with the pros. It was one of those relaxed, down-to-earth home town events. Very different from the times we see these guys in July at the Tour were there is a lot more hype and pressure.

Chilling with Pro cyclist Maxime Bouet before the start

Maxime on Course

Pro Cyclist Rémi Pauriol mentor of our club

Rémi on course going for the win

Pro Podium at Les Pennes

It was one of those events that gets you pumped to be a cyclist, in fact, with mild weather the whole Fall has been really great for cycling. And I have to say that year 4 of the Father Son Tour is off to a great start.

Live Strong, Train Safe, and Live Well!!!

Bill and Liam

* Note to the guys who have been following the blog. You may have wondered what happened to the end of our season last year (ie.. Levi’s Granfondo, Livestrong Challenge Austin). We had (or at least I had) a rough ending to our last season. I Won’t spend too much time on it – I had to have minor surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma (this is a form of skin Cancer that for the most part is very treatable) in Switzerland in August – I started riding too soon after the surgery and the incision got infected. We had to cancel our trip back to the states. It turns out that you use the muscles in your upper back for almost everything, and it is an area that can be very hard to heal. It is all good now, and good thing because if I lost too much of my conditioning I would have to buy a moped or an electric bike to keep up with the boys!