Weekly News Number 29
- Jul 30
- 4 min read
The final week of the Tour de France is over.
Not long ago, I wrote about how difficult it must be for football fans when there isn't a World Cup on. But honestly, if they knew what it feels like when the Tour de France comes to an end... Just kidding, it's not quite that bad. And that's the great thing about sport – there's always another big event just around the corner.
Tadej Pogačar once again did things that only Pogačar seems capable of doing, claiming his fifth Tour de France title. Five! I believe Eddy Merckx is one of the very few riders who has achieved the same. That puts Pogačar in a very exclusive club.
Sometimes I wonder whether there are stages he deliberately chooses not to win, or whether he genuinely can't. I'm obviously not talking about the stage where he helped Del Toro secure his podium position. Moments like that make me like him even more.
I also prefer his attitude much more than Evenepoel's. At times, Evenepoel openly criticises his teammates, either during the race or after crossing the finish line. I know what it feels like when you're completely at your limit. When you're seeing stars, you're not thinking clearly anymore. The blood is everywhere except in your brain. Even so, I still believe you can treat your teammates with respect, even when things haven't gone the way you hoped.
The Tour de France is simply something special. The atmosphere along the roads, the huge crowds and the passion of the fans amaze me every single year. Of course, there are always a few negative stories about spectators getting too close to the riders or not realising how dangerous their actions can be. But seeing thousands of people cheering on the riders is something truly special.
Looking forward to Christmas
Back to my own week.
Until Friday, everything was pretty much business as usual. The biggest highlight was that my family has now almost finished booking everything for our Christmas together in New Zealand.
I'm really looking forward to it.
A summer Christmas, spending time with Emma's family, and having everyone together is going to be something very special.
A great weekend
Without a doubt, the weekend was the highlight of my week.
For the first time, I moved my rest day from Thursday to Friday so that I'd be a little fresher for Saturday morning's parkrun.
As always after a rest day, my legs took a while to wake up. The first kilometre felt surprisingly tough, but after that I found my rhythm and really enjoyed the run.
At the halfway point, you turn around and run back along the same course. Somehow it makes the suffering a little easier because you're constantly passing other runners.
I still don't understand why this particular parkrun has to be so hilly when there's a completely flat course only about 25 minutes further south. Those final 500 metres hurt every single week. On the other hand, it's probably the perfect training stimulus. You don't always get to choose the easiest course.
I won't say much more than that, though.
My dad wants to do this parkrun one day as well, and I don't want to spoil the surprise. I'll just say this: running through the forest with around 200 other people is a lot of fun.
On Saturday afternoon, I met up with Clint for a bike ride.
After so many solo sessions, it was a really nice change. You end up riding roads you'd probably never choose on your own.
I have to admit, though, I was a little jealous of his road bike.
Ever since that ride, I've caught myself looking at road bikes online and wondering whether I could somehow justify buying one. At the same time, I really enjoy riding my time trial bike, and my gravel bike is great as well.
I think I probably just need to ride with Clint another two or three times... then we'll see what happens.
Coffee as motivation
After such a busy Saturday, Sunday was exactly what I needed.
I ran to our favourite café on the other side of Noosa, taking a small detour through the National Park and passing several of my favourite spots along the way.
The best part of the run was knowing that Emma would be waiting for me at the café.
I don't know whether coffee simply tastes better after training or whether I'd just been away from Sunshine Social for too long. Either way, it was excellent. And the rhubarb cake was the perfect finishing touch.
In the afternoon, I headed back to the ocean for our usual Sunday swim.
It still amazes me how many people are out enjoying the beach. Some are swimming, others are surfing, while many are simply sitting on the sand making the most of the day.
Back in Switzerland, we'd probably describe it as the perfect summer's day.
It was a fantastic way to finish another great weekend of training, and I felt incredibly grateful for all the sunshine we had throughout the week.
To everyone here in the Southern Hemisphere, I hope you get through winter without getting too cold.
And to everyone back in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy the summer. Wear plenty of sunscreen, and maybe skip the fireworks on the 1st of August this year. Our forests have already seen enough fires across Europe.
See you next week
Cyrill
