Experienced rider, former stage winner on the Tropicale Amissa Bongo, in Gabon, the Frenchman Adrien Petit (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) has just completed his 5th Tour de France, courageously, his body still bruised by the aftermath of a heavy fall. A successful end to the adventure with the beautiful 6th place of the house sprinter, the Eritrean Biniam Girmay, on the Champs Elysées, in Paris. The latest episode of his travel diaries has a scent of relief… and hops (in moderation).
Published on: 07/24/2023 – 15:34
2 mn
The last week of racing was endless, arriving in Paris is my personal victory! I drooled until the end: in the Vosges, Saturday, it was still necessary to draw very far to have the right to see the Arc de Triomphe. I wasn’t even calm on Sunday morning when I saw the weather forecast, with rain predicted. I saw myself doing the cobblestones of the Champs-Élysées on a wet pavement, leaving for a new ordeal. Luckily it was dry, I was relieved and I was finally able to savor it.
I don’t know how I held out until then. I hung on to lots of little things: my “grigris” on my wrist, the little hearts on the stem of my bike and the encouragement from the public, of course. Every day, I had more and more people supporting me. It really helps.
Back to “normal” life
Completing the Grande Boucle is obviously something to celebrate, but then you have to go home. I’m happy, and at the same time, it’s a bit strange feeling: we’ve just spent a month as a team, together, now we have to get used to it on a daily basis. I kind of feel like a patch in my house. I’m going to need 2.3 days of rehab. During the Tour, we live like kings, with a whole staff at our service, there, we will have to start doing the dishes again, breakfast, set the table, real life, finally!
I will also be able to sit quietly on my terrace, watch the game, far from the noise that has accompanied us for more than three weeks. I will also reflect, calmly: will I come back to the Tour de France? We’ll have to discuss that later. I lost 10 years of my life in the last week, I’m scarred, but proud and relieved.
Read alsoAdrien Petit’s logbook, episode 4: Tour de France, Tour of suffering
