Saint-Symphorien was quietly waking up as food stalls appeared and early-arriving residents chose their spots along the road. It was baking hot on the roads around Bordeaux, and on almost any other day this small Gironde village would go unnoticed, lost among the vineyards and wineries. But this was not any other day: I was part of a group about to ride the final 80 km of Stage 7 of the Tour de France, hours before the professionals would race the same roads.
A day for the sprinters
The route was almost pan flat, a day made for the sprinters, weaving through vineyards towards Bordeaux. There was a single climb - the Category 4 Côte de Béguey - the easiest climb in the Tour's ranking system, a world away from Alpe d'Huez. Yet riding over the summit on closed roads, with fans already lining the route and cheering, still felt like fulfilling a dream.
I rolled out of the town with around 30 other riders, all dressed in the same kit, as part of Continental's Inside Program. We soft-pedalled through the small villages connected by countless fields, with a few hardened locals greeting us with a faint "Allez!" Some riders had their phones out, others simply soaked it in. It was strange to think that any other day this was just a road, but today it felt like cycling's hall of fame.
A personal race to the summit
As we approached the intermediate sprint, some riders kicked for the line. I had other ambitions - the King of the Mountain point. I had spent the previous evening on Google Street View studying the run-in to the foot of the tiny climb, and when I recognised the left-hand turn, I tucked in behind the lead car and launched on the steepest opening few hundred metres. After that, the climb levels off into a false flat.
I got the gap I wanted and emptied the tank to the summit, cheered on by spectators who seemed confused as to why one rider was treating it like the polka-dot jersey was on the line. I had to stop myself from celebrating, snapping back to reality as we regrouped over the top with riders reaching the lead car in ones and twos.
Racing into Bordeaux
With the climb behind us, only Bordeaux remained. There were still chances to stretch the legs, and I found myself sprinting after wheels as small groups split off the front. As the finish line got closer, the experience felt increasingly like the real Tour - crowds thickened, barriers appeared and sponsor banners lined the roadside.
In the final kilometre, I sat up and chose to film the run to the finish instead of contesting another sprint. That decision was largely made because I was not confident I would win. A few hours later, Tim Merlier blasted down that same finishing straight at a rather different pace. By then I was back behind the barriers, quite content to leave the racing to the actual professionals.
