Le Grand Bornand. What’s funny is, I don’t remember ever being here, though everyone argues we have been. On this very spot, no less. I guess after your 4th year, it all starts to blend together.It’s day 19 of Le Tour and the first of the 4 features I cut back home has finally aired. Two of them probably won’t ever see daylight.
French snob—I mean President Sarkozy is here today. Of course, the French are going crazy. I’ve never seen someone get so much television face time. They pissed the hell out of the British off, too. Right when top Brit contender Bradley Wiggins was crossing the line, French international switched to an interview of Sarkozy. What’s worse, is that while Wiggins’ finish was on ISO camera, THE FRENCH DIDN’T RECORD IT. Guess who were the only ones to record it? Us. But it was so quick a shot, it was practically useless. Bigtime France TV f**kup. “Epic Fail”, as some of you kids might say.
While the British went on with their disgruntled day, we ended ours with a light party thrown by the ASO, right on the compound. Beer, wine, appetizers, 9-yards. The purpose being the last week of the Tour, plus nobody had too far a drive tonight because of tomorrow’s time trial. It was kind of a crowded mess by the time we got there, so we didn’t stay long.
After noticing where we were staying very close to Geneva, I suggested to the party-people part of the crew that we go there tonight. Especially since it’s Leslie’s birthday. Big 2-8. Party on. I even convinced Joel and Maria to come out. We found a nice spot right in the middle of downtown action, had some dinner, then walked around and joined the party. This city is great. It’s typical Switzerland, but filled with people from all over. You’ve got every nationality here. A couple of Frenchies pulled me aside and started asking me questions about the Tour. I had a little bit of communication trouble, as we’re 3 weeks in to this race and my broken French has not improved much.OK, although this has little to do with the Tour, I HAVE to get this out there. I don’t know if anyone’s seen this in the states, but back in my hotel room flipping channels this evening, I saw probably one of the funniest short videos of my life on Canal Plus Cinema. It wasn’t funny like haha I’m cracking up through the whole thing; it was funny like, wow, they went through all that trouble for the punchline.
Anyway, I missed the beginning of it, but from what I gather it starts off with people going about everyday life as they would, except, suddenly, they’re all missing their clothes. A guy driving – naked. A softball team playing – naked. Everyone seems confused. Cut to different cities around the world; same story. Cut to the White House. For some reason, Gerald Ford is President. He doesn’t have clothes on. A secretary runs into a briefing session in the buff. The token scientist is there, sans clothing, trying to explain the phenomenon, and has developed a sort of time machine to communicate with who they believe to be the culprit. The President and scientist place a phone call to the modern day, to a man (very much clothed) playing video games in his living room of a small apartment. Eyes glazed over from the trance of his game, he seems to not be phased by the immediacy in the voice of President Ford at the other end. Eventually, he hangs up, thinking nothing of it.
In walks his roommate, dressed up and ready to go out the door to a club. His outfit is somewhat unusual and throwback. The roommate goes to leave; and just when you think the man was not going to even mention the phone call (because his eyes are glued to his video game), snaps out of it at the last minute, and delivers this comedic gem:
“Oh I nearly forgot…dude, the 70’s called. They want their clothes back.”
I was on the floor.
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