I’ll admit I felt particularly weird asking for autographs this morning. The first few cyclists at sign on today were either riders I really don’t know at all and so I wasn’t yet warmed up enough to properly cheer for them or they were riders I see around town all the time where I live so that feels a little awkward to excitedly call out to them (would you cheer for your neighbors on their way to work?). Before long though, the riders who always seem happy to see me started showing up and it just became as natural as anything to switch into my usual spectating mode.
Gregory Rast.
Eduardo Sepulveda.
The always smiling Roy Curvers.
Wilco Kelderman.
Andre Greipel gives an interview while compatriots Marcel Sieberg and Tony Martin sign on.
Lotto Soudal receive their cows as the best team on stage 3.
Thibault Pinot.
Antoine Duchesne.
I get a kick out of seeing the Dutch and French national champion kits together. They look like a pair of astro pops, although I can’t figure out which one of them is upside down. Dylan Groenewegen of the Netherlands and Arthur Vichot of France.
The usual sign on traffic jam.
Georg Preidler practices his track stand.
Rohan Dennis was named to the Australian cycling team for the Rio Olympics.
Sebastian Langeveld: professional cyclist and international sock model.
Matt Hayman, winner of this year’s Paris-Roubaix and the oldest Tour de France debutant this year.
Warren Barguil.
Michael Matthews.
Christian Prudhomme presents Stephen Cummings with a photo.
Chris Juul Jensen.
Ramunas Navardauskas.
Alex Howes.
Eritrean national champion, Daniel Teklehaimanot.
It’s not easy being green: Mark Cavendish.
Pete Stetina.
King of the Mountains and king of the world: Jasper Stuyven.
Today’s autographs came from:
51 Wilco Kelderman
53 Dylan Groenewegen
57 Sep Vanmarcke
84 Alex Howes
91 Richie Porte
98 Greg Van Avermaet
101 Mark Cavendish
107 Serge Pauwels
109 Daniel Teklehaimanot
141 Joaquim Rodriguez
147 Jurgen Van den Broeck
151 Rui Costa
157 Louis Meintjes
168 Jurgen Roelandts
173 Antoine Duchesne
176 Adrien Petit
183 Iljo Keisse
205 Daryl Impey
212 Vegard Breen
