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DAUPHINÉ REPORT 2008

CHRISTINE KAHANE IN AVIGNON

Day 4 : Tuesday June 10



Today was the first hot day since the beginning of the Dauphiné and we had to wear caps because the sun was burning.

The little town of Bourg Saint-Andeol was hosting this morning the departure of the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné and there were barriers everywhere.

With the many road works and the various diversions on the surrounding roads, almost everyone who was not a local got lost, including the Astana team.

Although Saint-Paul is located only 10 kilometres away, Valentin had to make several unexpected detours and arrived last to find all the parking lots already occupied. So he had to park the bus half a kilometre away from the signature podium.



The riders from all the various teams were scattered and arrived one by one and not, as is customary, team by team to sign the race book. The Astana riders were the last to come, hardly five minutes before the start of the race.

Chechu was delighted to see us near the podium and left his bike in our care while doing his signature duty. After that, although in a hurry, he took time to add a few words to the postcards of Avignon I had prepared for Nicky and Rebecca. Sorry girls, it won't be a surprise but I have to show his fans yet again how nice a person this man is.



Before reaching the start line, where we followed Chechu in the public no-go area, he spent his last minutes talking to us, mentioning that he would participate in the Clasica a San Sebastián, the Burgos race, and the Vuelta, where the whole team will be at Alberto's side.

Chechu, who does not like the heat, being from a part of Spain where the climate is similar to the one of Brittany (or maybe Scotland?) was not specially pleased with the sudden heat. He told us about Benjamin's heavy fall yesterday and saw today's stage as a test for him to see if he could recover.



We were sad to leave the Dauphiné race where over the years we have got to know quite a lot of people. But most of all we were sad to leave Chechu because we don't know when we'll see him again, and the Triplets and their parents with whom we have lived the last three days in a kind of osmosis. They are a generous, outgoing and warm family as are often the people of Provence.



The Triplets were interviewed and photographed today, together with Yaroslav Popovych, by the daily newspaper which organises the race: "Le Dauphiné Libéré" for an article to be published in to-morrow's issue.

We later heard that George Hincapie won today's stage and are very happy about it. We like this tall, shy guy who was Lance's loyal team mate for such a long period. Marrying a French girl seems to have given a bit of a European flavour to his style.

At the time of penning this, the Astana riders must be in the hands of their soigneurs: Valentin and Richie.

Last night Richie told us that Levi liked "soft" massage and he had to be careful because he has a tendency to massage strongly, while Alberto and Chechu prefer "hard" massage and Lance always asked for "extremely hard" massage.



Day 3 : Monday June 9



Today I made a new friend among the Astana staff. His name is Nikolaï. But for me, he will be from now on "Kolia", the Russian nickname for Nikolaï.

Although raised in Sochi, a famous Russian seaside resort located on the Black Sea, he is a native of Irkutsk on Lake Baikal.

Being half-Russian myself, I know the people love singing and have music in their blood. So, I started singing for him a Siberian ballad recounting the story of a prisoner on Lake Baikal, and Kolia of course knew it and sang with me. So we both gave a serenade at the door of the Astana hotel in Saint-Paul. And now we are friends for life!



New friends, Christine and Kolia

First of all, I must report that Valentin spent a very good evening at the Triplets and enjoyed asparagus, lettuce, and strawberries from the garden. But when he returned to the Astana hotel, at 1.30am, the hotel was locked and Valentin could not get in. He had to wake up his room-mate by phone to open the front door for him. So this morning, Valentin had no time to shave, as he got up at the very last minute. And Valentin has very dark hair!

The stage departure was set in the historic area of Avignon, along the ramparts of the old city, beside the Rhone river and the famous Pont d'Avignon.

As soon as Roger and I entered the "Dauphiné Village" we bumped into Nesserine, one of the podium girls of last year's Tour de France, who had often presented Alberto Contador with the Credit Lyonnais stuffed lion, a bunch of flowers, a trophy, or a bottle of champagne.



Old friends, Christine and Nesserine

We have known Nesserine for the last four years and followed her successful career with interest. She had arrived the same morning from Paris with the TGV straight into the Dauphiné Village to take care of the VIP Club. Nesserine had only nice things to say about Alberto with whom she had conversed in Spanish.

At that point, Thierry Cazeneuve, organiser of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, passed us and I managed to get hold of him for a photo. He said we were right to defend Astana, which was one of the best teams in the world in his own opinion, and he does not care what ASO and other malicious-minded people think. The fact that Alberto pulled out of participating in the Dauphiné after his triumphal Giro did not vex him and he is pleased with the victory of Levi in the Prologue.

Near the High Road bus I spotted a nice tall and slim looking woman holding a baby boy, with another little boy next to her. It was Dede, former world-class cyclist and wife of Canadian rider Michael Barry. He is another ex-Armstrong team mate, who wrote that great book on the US Postal team entitled "Inside the Postal Bus". She let me take a family photo knowing it would be posted in Chechu's website.



Dede Barry and son, Ashlin

When the team buses arrived in the parking lot, we moved on and went to greet our Astana friends.







Soon the riders came out the bus and took their bike heading for the signature podium, where one by one they sign the stage book. Chechu, as ever relaxed and in a good mood, posed for a few photos. I told him Nicky had already posted many photos of him on the website. Chechu is always very thankful for whatever we do for him.

I managed to get hold of Benjamin and asked about Sara and the future baby. He said it's going to be a boy who will be called Benjamin, because it's customary in Spain to give the first son the father's name.



Then the riders all rode to the start line and at the front , we saw Levi and Thor Hushovd talking amicably for quite a while. I told Roger that, in my opinion, they had made a deal so that Levi would let Thor grab the yellow jersey. As Richie said tonight, it's less stress on the Astana team. They have plenty of time to regain the jersey in the time trial and the mountains.







This is Roger Kahane, photographer and Chechu fan. And Christine's husband.

Day 2 : Sunday June 8



After losing our way and turning several times around the Avignon ramparts because there were no signposts, we reached the Prologue departure point after all the team buses.

I was wearing my turquoise Astana Tshirt and a lady approached me and asked if I was writing for the chechurubiera.info website because she thought she had recognised me.

From Avignon, she said that although she knows very little English, she enjoys visiting the site dedicated to fans of Chechu, for whom she had huge admiration, as well as for Johan, Lance and Yaroslav.

I introduced her to the Triplets since she also knew their website, and she was very pleased to see them in the flesh for she had heard about them, and could hardly believe to see how much alike they look like.

While I was watching the Astana riders warm up on the trainers, I was contacted by a local radio reporter (Radio Bleue) who started interviewing me on my motivations for being a fan of Astana. While answering his questions I spotted Alain Gallopin passing by, and called him to carry on with the interview. The reporter was delighted and I think I made his day.



The Triplets also were interviewed and the programme is being broadcast tomorrow. The Critérium du Dauphiné is an important event in the area.

Then Chechu received the visit of a very good friend and ex team mate, Triki Beltran, now leader of the Critérium du Dauphiné Liquigas team. They were clearly delighted to see each other and talked for quite a while before Chechu went back on the trainer.

When it became Chechu's turn to take his place on the departure ramp, we managed to get a space with a good view and took a couple of good photos of his take off.

After a while, Roger and I paid a visit to George Hincapie who was training in front of the High Road bus. George waved to us and I asked about the baby to come. He said Melanie is due to give birth in two weeks and he does not want to miss the birth, so he hopes it will happen between the end of the Dauphiné and the start of the Tour de France.

Tonight the Triplets have invited Valentin for dinner. But since Valentin had to help out Levi with the podium ceremony, he will only be available for dinner at 10.15pm. nyway, the Spanish enjoy eating late and the Triplets have a special permission to miss school for two days, while the Critérium du Dauphiné riders are in the area.



First day : Saturday June 7

We had a date with the Triplets Jambois (Aurelia, Floriane, Laurine) at 4.30pm at the Astana team hotel.

Located in the centre of the picturesque village of Saint-Paul, this hotel was Lance Armstrong’s favourite hotel, and the team has been using it for the last nine years, whenever they are in the region.

It was chilly and windy. On arrival, we were greeted by Pedro, the team’s Basque doctor, and Chris, one of the Belgian mechanics, with smiles.

We had a chat with Pedro, who had just returned from the Giro. He reconfirmed all that had been reported in the press about Alberto. He was vacationing when he was called to the Giro. He had been handicapped by his injuries in the elbow and the wrist. Alberto was in far from race condition and carried two or three excess kilos in weight. Right now he is, without any doubt, the best rider in the world.

And we will have to wait a little to see if he is as good or better than Lance. Pedro said that Alberto is a very uncomplicated and nice person.

He added that he thought Alberto would take part in the Clasica a San Sebastian and the Burgos race and was not totally sure yet about the Olympics.

We were interrupted by the arrival, from their training session in the nice and green hilly country roads, of Tomas, Jani and Chris.







Levi was due to arrive any time, but the remaining four riders had had travel problems. Sergio, who came from Portugal, had missed his plane and was landing in Marseille, an hour-and-a-half drive away, where Polish soigneur Richie had gone with a team car to pick him up.

And the three Asturians had missed their connection in Paris Orly, which was to take them to Avignon, and had been re-directed to Marseille.

Meanwhile Basque soigneur Valentin, who is in charge of taking care of the Astana team bus (the bus is parked at his place near San Sabastian the whole year round) had left at the crack of dawn and gone to Avignon to pick up Dani, Benjamin and Chechu.

But upon getting to Avignon and hearing what had happened, had had to turn round and drive to Marseille.

So it was around 8pm when they arrived at Saint-Paul in the big Astana bus. They were all tired but in a good mood.





There was a popular event on the village green, where the hotel is located, with an orchestra, and villagers were putting on a play. People were disguised as the protagonists of the French 1789 Revolution, and there were folk dances. This celebration seemed to greet the Astana riders.

Previously we saw Sergio arrive, who straight away changed into his team jersey and started to practice on the trainer, and a bit earlier of Levi.

Levi told us that the Criterium du Dauphiné was his last European race. He said his last week on the Giro had been very tiring and he hoped to be a good leader for the team on the Dauphiné.

He said his cyclist wife, Odessa had just left their Girona apartment, where they generally spend the cycling season, for the US the day before. He added that they have a ranch in California with lots of animals needing care. We left Saint-Paul after 8pm and headed with the Triplets to their place, a ten-minute drive away, in the middle of the countryside, where their parents Eliane and Alain (who they call by their first name) had prepared a superb dinner.

We had hoped that Valentin would join us, but due to the late arrivals and upset schedule he was too busy, and promised he would have dinner at their place tonight.

Our hotel is located next door to the village church. So after mass, at 10am, Roger and I will head for Avignon, a one-hour drive south, where we have a date with Dimitri, Yaroslav Popovich’s soigneur.





Photographs by Christine and Roger Kahane