Monday July 14th
Fête Nationale / Bastille Day

Our hotel in Vars at about 6000 feet provided a launching point to the midway points on today's stage.   It was a great downhill ride to the race course from the Col du Vars but only a few people opted to ride back to the hotel after the ride.   It was Bastille Day, the national holiday in France.   We rode through Guillestre, and up to the Col d'Izoard to watch the stage.  Most of our ride was through the the Parc Regional du Queyras. After watching the stage, we descended back to Guillestre and watched the finish on TV in a bar.   This day was highlighted by Joseba Beloki's crash and Lance Armstrong's off-road maneuver.

Photos Ride Map Col d'Izoard Profile

		Stage 9 Photo ---- Lance Armstrong cuts through a field after avoiding a crash with Joseba Beloki. Beloki was forced to withdraw from the race.
		Our ride started with a downhill from the hotel in Vars. The TDF was on this road in 2000.
Click here for the Next Page of Photos Photo stills of stage 9 from Eurosport Photos from my 2000 trip up the Col d'Izoard