Woodstock on wheels

Quoted message said:

http://tinyurl.com/5s4jo

Excellent, Just a snippet from

"Woodstock on wheels

By Hanoch Marmari

Last Update: 30/07/2004 02:21
Hanoch Marmari has a peak experience at the Tour de France.

Perfect storm

Allo? Salut. The Voice of Bucharest took over the mountain. Nu-ma
nu-ma iei is behind, at bend 8, Nu-ma nu-ma iei is ahead, on the way
to bend 7. The volume of the speakers merges with the cacophonic
concert that pierces the eardrums, but works as an accelerator for all
the other organs. The endorphins spurt, the feet pedal of their own
volition and the eyes are on the road above, on the bends that sketch
a white zigzag in the green of the mountain, a scribbled line covered
in colorful dots of people, like birthday candies. Chipul tau si
dragostea din tei - Lesson No. 1 in Romanian continues.

Up ahead, one of the dozens of vans of Nestle's bottled water,
Aquarelle, a sponsor of the Tour, proceeds slowly along. This is a van
that behaves unexpectedly, stopping without warning from time to time,
or getting stuck and waiting behind the souvenir vehicle, from which
the hoarse announcer manages to sell more "king of the mountain"
jerseys, even though it seems that everyone has already bought one.
It's not desirable to get stuck behind it. Passing it is complicated,
because the flood of riders also closes in from the left. So in the
meantime you inhale diesel fumes and the scent of burning rubber and
wait for an opportunity to spurt out and pass.

A few minutes earlier, at about the 18th bend, I was certain that the
masses of excited people behind the fences were cheering me
personally.
...."
Steve