What about Joe ?

We’d been told there would be no helicopters. That the Mercan’Tour National Park didn’t care if it was the second biggest Grand Tour in the world, that this beautiful landscape only stays that way by not giving in to commercial pressures. We were told wrong.

The sudden thump of rotor blades announces the aerial armada from the southern side of the mountain and heads turn upwards to see the single dot in the sky circle the Cime de la Bonette. It's not alone for long. Another appears and then another. The race is close. There may be whirly birds but there is definitely NO caravan on this mountain and with only one bar of 3G, every 15 minutes or so getting information is like pulling teeth. Eventually Twitter tells us that Nieve is 9 minutes up the road with a chasing group between him and the peloton.

But what about Joe?

The motos arrive first at the deserted military camp below. Then the cars. Will we see that bright green jersey that we're waiting for? A sole rider, obviously Nieve, appears as if from nowhere, inching towards us. We’ve got almost a 10 minute view of the approach to our vantage point 1.5kms before the GPM. That’s good spectating for us and a painful slog for the riders who’ve already climbed 19.5kms from Jausiers. Standing on the 80cms strip of gravel between the remaining snow banks and the road, we still expect a gendarme to tell us to stand back. But this is the Col de la Bonette, and the road has been closed for 3 hours so the crowds are limited. We have our toes on the tarmac as the peloton approaches.

What about Joe?

It’s the very same tarmac that we rode yesterday with some friends and partners. A bit of local knowledge and forethought had us staying in the Gite de Bousieyas; located on the southern side of the climb, 12kms down from the Col on what will be the penultimate descent of the stage. The objective was to remind ourselves of why we are all in this industry, to use the great leveler of riding mountains together for a shared experience away from daily business life. (It also happened to be good preparation for La Mercan'Tour Café du Cycliste).

From London, Copenhagen, Vienna and the Ariege (Pyrenees) the Café du Cycliste Giro team arrived in Nice on Thursday afternoon and were sharing a beer that evening outside the gite whilst Claude, our host, had his binoculars out to observe the deer on the slopes across the valley, as if to make the point that this is no ordinary corporate jolly.

Claude and his wife, Laurence, choose to live and operate their business in a commune that is only served by a clear road for 6 months of the year, such is its height halfway up the climb. They serve us a dinner cooked from hand-picked produce, with local wine and washed down by their specialty aperitif - thé de hysope - from the slopes we are here to climb, which hopefully has performance benefits similar to Vincenzo Nibali’s acupuncture treatments…..

But what about Joe?

Everyone’s legs are tired after yesterday’s efforts. Starting with 8% gradients on a 12kms climb with less oxygen than normal was no easy introduction. The joke from last night’s dinner conversation about your Garmin telling you you’re at 105% of your max heart rate is becoming reality. Fast forward to the other side of Jausiers and the 'smaller' ascent of the Col de Vars. Wise men in the group realize the easy start means the latter half of the climb may have a kick to it. And indeed it did. Was this justification for the 4 course meal including a cheese board in Jausiers prior to the ascent of the northern side of Bonette? Possibly not. Some of us push on the final climb, some enjoy the view – you get what you want from cycling, there is no right or wrong way to ride.

And Joe? Joe?

More dots appear below us, interspersed with motos and cars. No bright green jersey yet though. A pair of riders, one from IAM Cycling and one from Etixx Quickstep seem to be riding without conviction - a chasse patate perhaps. And then the main breakaway appears with our man on the front. Don’t do too much work Joe! Local knowledge means he’s doing his turn before the wind hits on the final 2km approach to the Col (we hope).

We wait anxiously as the group climbs towards us. Max takes another swig of brandy from his hip flask to calm his nerves. He is the most personally invested in Joe’s performance today. The group approaches us at a good consistent pace, working well together at this stage to stay away. And Joe. He looks like he’s on a Sunday ride. So smooth, so relaxed, he pops a two-fingered peace sign to Max with a huge smile on his face as he rides past us. We are immediately convinced he will win the stage. We have to wait for the peloton and pretend we care about them before being able to ride back up past the GPM signs and descend down to the gite to get plugged into the WIFI and live stage coverage. The question still on everyone's mind;

‘What about Joe?’

On the descent we also wonder if Camille got the shots he hiked one hour and many meters up to the fort above the gite for. The life of a photographer is sometimes unenviable - choosing the ideal location, gambling with the weather, adapting to the light - it seemingly has as many variables and chance as it takes to do what Joe was attempting - to win a grand tour stage. Some of the team depart early to make flights home but three of us remain huddled around an iPad on the floor in the dormitory, with the door wedged open to ensure a strong WIFI connection as Joe attacks on the Col de la Lombarde.

Now what about Joe?

Two days after the finish of the race Joe is in the Café buying his mum birthday presents and sharing thoughts on which Niçois restaurant to take her to. His parents have been in Europe for a week not only cheering on their boy but riding the climbs of the race before him. That’s passion. Of course, he’s disappointed not to have won the stage - he wanted that win badly. But he tells us he had fun on his ‘home’ roads and that it was great that friends and family cheered him on the Bonette and Lombarde climbs. Much like we did with our friends and partners. Same mountains, same sport, same enjoyment, different viewpoints.

The beauty of cycling in two days; objective achieved.