Tag Archives: Eddie Merckx

Monaco & the Tour de France

  By MJCT | July 5, 2009 - 8:09 am | Luxury Cycling Tours
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There is no other way to describe Monaco….. it IS  “Over The Top”.

We went to sleep hearing the roar from exotic car engines and we woke hearing the roar of exotic car engines.  The Hotel de Paris is a place to see and be seen.   While sitting in the bar Bono of U2  walks in and is undisturbed.

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The 1st stage of the 2009 Tour de France was dreamy….Sureal Really.   The course was demanding and already we see “something”  in the General Classification.

I ran into numerous people while I rode around the course.  George Hincapie,  Connie Carpenter and even an old teamate of mine who was on Astana until last year;  Benoit Joquim.  The highlight for me was talking to Eddie Merckx on his way to meet Lance Armstrong.   He was happy,  I did not know that he sold his bike factory last year.

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We have lots of Monaco pictures to post….. ( we need a faster system ) .

Writing from the 9th floor of the Mercure hotel overlooking the Grand Motte Harbor.  There is a TDF finish here tomorrow.

Jemison Cycling

Faema

  By MJCT | June 14, 2009 - 7:08 pm | Luxury Cycling Tours
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Eddie Merckx rode for Faema.  But what is Faema?   ??

Faema

Faema

I rode from Girona to Cadaques today and came across a flea market near Roses.   I found this coffee grinder:

Faema Coffee Grinder

Faema Coffee Grinder

 

See... its a Faema Coffee Grinder
See… its a Faema Coffee Grinder

But this is what interested me most today:  found in Girona

65cc Moto Guzzi

65cc Moto Guzzi

Why?

Great for motor pacing....No?

Great for motor pacing....No?

The things we find on a cycling tour….

Marty Jemison Cycling

  By MJCT | May 19, 2009 - 11:40 am | Luxury Cycling Tours
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I like this picture taken by Elizabeth Kreutz.  It reminds me of the times in the Peloton when I could actually take in the beauty around the races I did throughout Europe.  The riders are in a single line,  which means its fast,  but I doubt anybody is running in the red zone.

As a rider it was times like this where I could take my eyes off of the rider in front of me…  for at least one second.    js_giroditalia

However,  there are many, many places throughout Europe  ( over 900 days of racing )  where I have missed the charm.  There are times where it could be 2-3 hours before you could lift your head to see the side of the road…… fast racing!

One example is Liege-Bastogne-Liege.    I raced the race 5 times and never saw the Eddie Merckx  monument until I returned as a cyclo-tourist.    I was shocked at its prominance and wondered how I could have missed it…but I know how.  It lies at the top of a hellish burg,  and we topped each one of those  with our eyes popping out….deep in the red zone.    I have many, many examples…

Its  been an all together different experience to return to  these areas with Marty Jemison Cycling Tours.    Riding a very comfortable rhythm through Europe affords us to take in all of the beauty.   There are so many treasures to discover…   Its truly the best way to travel throughout Europe.

I’m getting anxious for my return trip this year!

Cheers,

Marty Jemison Cycling