Tag Archives: Cycling

The Tour de France 2008 – stage 16 Cuneo

Cuneo was the host to stage 16 of the Tour which involved a 157 km ride to Jausiers in France and included a grueling 2802m climb to the top of the Col de la Bonnette.

Although the stage was won by Cyril Dessel, the day will be remembered for John-Lee Augustyn misjudging a bend at Bonette and sliding down the side of a mountain. A road side fan came to his rescue but I have no idea what happened to his bike, pretty scary stuff. Its a brutal sport cycling.

I have to admit to being a little disappointed at Mark Cavendish pulling out earlier in the week, but he did win four stages and I think Britain has a true cycling star in the making.

If you’ve never been to a stage of the Tour before its something well worth doing even if you’re not keen on cycling. Events kick off about two hours before the race with a massive carnival/procession which includes hundreds of cars in bright colors and strange styles, people dressed up in all sorts of costumes, in fact great entertainment for the children. I’ve included a selection of pictures just to give you an idea. The atmosphere in the town was electric.

Tour de France 2008

The Tour de France 2008 Cuneo

When the procession finished many of the riders signed autographs for the fans which I thought was a nice gesture with many posing for photographs. Respect to them all. Continue reading

The Langhe

We meet many interesting people from all over the world in our line of work and one of the most frequent questions asked is “Which is your favorite part of Piemonte”? This is almost impossible to answer as Piemonte really has so much to offer, be it vineyards, mountains, beautiful towns and villages etc. That said I have to admit to being truly in love with The Langhe region of Piemonte.

The Langhe or Langa as the Italians call it, is found in the wine growing area of Piemonte and is located south of its capital Alba. The area has a strong agricultural background  which is clearly evident as you drive about. You’ll see the local people working the land, be it hazelnuts, vineyards, fruit and vegetables, in fact they thrive on being as self sufficient as possible. You’ll also realize after a while that people here seem to live longer and this I put down to their hard working life style and healthy diet, including wine of course! Continue reading