Come watch the final stage of Tour de France 2012. This should be a great road stage of 120 km. And it will no doubt be a spectacular sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées. Always the same, always magnificent since 1975. What we don’t know is who will win. Who will it be…Mark Cavendish (last year’s winner), Peter Sagan (the up and comer), Andre Greipel or Matt Goss?

So let’s kick off the day at 8 am with a 40-mile ride starting (and ending) at my house. We’ll then watch the race and eat some French picnic grub. The ride will take about 2.5 hours. That will put us at Tour watch central at ~11am. You’re welcome to invite your partner to join us for lunch.

Ground Rules:
Absolutely no one will watch, check b-berry, iPhone, or other device to get the race results. If by chance you find out by accident, YOU MUST NOT TELL ANYONE or we will re-instate the guillotine.

Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1420817 (I would like to thank Anthony Scozzari for help with this ride.)

Optional:
If you would like to bring something to share, here are a few suggestions.
• Drinks
• Salad
• Dessert

See you all next week.

Jeff

Correction: We will start at 8:30am not 8am. Sorry 

Looks like a great route.  I look forward to it.

I think it will be Griepel but I'll be rooting for Goss.

Wade,
Winner will be Cavendish...not Goss.  Cavendish wants to win his 4th on the final stage so he is motivated. What would you like to wager?  Greipel would also be a favorite of mine, but not Farrar or Goss.
Ursula

I also think Cav will win, whether or not Sky helps him.

Wade,

You should wager having you bike cleaned by hand for a month. Frame, chain, gears... Etc.

Jeff

Wade,
Jeff has a good idea there.  Are you game?  I am.
Ursula

OK, Cavindish won but Goss was third and looked very threatening - until he decided Green Edge's tactics would be best served by his free-wheeling.

More importantly, I was stunned by Ursula's desert intake today.  I was hoping for a bit of that fruit tart but after her huge wedge, I was scrambling for scraps. Thank heaven for the Oreo and ice cream treat (it hit the spot).
-
Full props to Jeff for hosting a wonderful lunch.   Thank you. 


PS Jeff, I particularly enjoyed drinking your beer and eating the beet salad - an excellent recovery combination.
   

Photos from Sewook recorded the event at: http://northcountycycleclub.com/photoGallery/2012%20Champs%20Elysees

Hello All,

Carol, George and Bailey and I would like to thank you for coming. The food everyone brought was great.

George and Bailey especially enjoyed the attention and want you all over again soon. Bring biscuits and be ready to pet soft puppies all day long.

For those that want the recipe from Carol's friend Amanda's salad,  http://amandasquickbite.blogspot.com/2009/06/reader-recipe-high-fiber-easy-lentil.html. Carol adjusted it slightly. She prefers using a white balsamic vinegar to keep the beets from bleeding, substituted sugar snap peas for the snow peas, and added 2 cloves of garlic and 1 T Dijon mustard.

Thank you and hope to see you all next year,

Jeff

Great party Jeff and thanks for the recipe!!!

Wade, I too noticed...okay and announced, Ursala's desert intake, WOW!!

On a related note, I didn't realize how much your stomach and head will hurt riding home after consuming said fruit tart and then 2 servings of the oreo and ice cream treat.   In my defense, it was starting melt and that would have been a waste, so I figured I was helping out.  It really went well when you added a bit of Nutella on the side too!!  Oink, oink