Saturday, July 6, 2024

Tour de France 2024 Stage 8: Semur en Auxois to Colombey Les Deux Eglises


Where are we? Heading from Burgundy to the Haute Marne.

Semur en Auxois: The local website tells me that Historic capital of Auxois in Burgundy, Semur-en-Auxois is a town of nearly 4,500 inhabitants which offers a real journey through time through its streets and emblematic monuments such as the collegiate church, the keep and its fortifications, its private mansions and its winegrowers' houses, all in a beautiful green setting. It also suggests a visit to "The Dungeon": Using the intersection point between the meander and the plateau, the dungeon of Semur-en-Auxois was built to protect access to the castle district . It forms a vast rectangle 75 meters long by 50 meters wide , made up of four towers located at each corner and linked together by curtain walls.

Until the beginning of the 17th century, gate towers with drawbridges located in an East-West axis made it possible to communicate with the castle district and Bourg Notre-Dame


Le Tour Specialties:  Burgundy snails, parsley ham, Burgundy truffles, beef bourguignon, gougères, oeufs en meurette (eggs in wine sauce). Burgundy wines. Epoisses.

Colombey Les Deux Eglises: It seems right to highlight the de Gaulle memorial: Situated at the foot of the Croix de Lorraine in Colombey-les-deux-Eglises, the Charles de Gaulle memorial completes a walk of remembrance consisting of the family residence, La Boisserie and the de Gaulle family tomb, a place for contemplation, steeped in austerity. The village of Colombey-les-deux-Eglises is famous for having been chosen by General de Gaulle as the site of his family home, La Boisserie, on 9th June 1934. The main place of contemplation and writing of the man who made the call of 18th June, La Boisserie immerses the visitor in its family atmosphere, stamped with simplicity. Open to the public, visitors can tour the dining room and lounge, admire the view from the office and immerse themselves in the private life of Charles de Gaulle and his family.

However, the one thing was lacking to help visitors understand the man; the Memorial fulfils this role.More than a traditional presentation of the first President of the Fifth Republic, the Memorial is a meeting with the history of the twentieth century and a meeting with the private side of a man. It presents the different facets of Charles de Gaulle: the writer, the father, the politician, the leader of France Libre, the private man, etc.


Le Tour Specialties: champagne, andouilles, Haute-Marne specialities, Langres cheese. Champagne fondue. Caisses de Wassy (meringues).

Christian Prudhomme says: Although no altitude records will be broken, the first two-thirds of this stage does feature five categorised climbs. The relentless ups and downs may put a strain on the legs at the point when the sprinters’ team-mates are starting to think about setting up a bunch finish. But the last three kilometres of the final straight, which rise slightly but steadily, could be the ideal place to bring the peloton back together.


The stage: News of the day from Cycling News: One of the most heart-warming sights of the Tour so far came during the time trial yesterday when Julian Bernard stopped briefly to greet his family and friends. Exasperatingly, the jobsworths at the UCI fined him for it, but thankfully Bernard himself wasn’t too bothered, describing it as a “dream moment.”
Sigh.
Also worth paying attention to: the DNS of second-place green jersey contender Mads Pedersen. That would change the nature of that "race within the race."
After some early efforts, with 135 kms to go, Abrahamsen, in dots, had about 5 minutes on the peloton. He would keep that gap for a long time, but eventually the chase would be on.
Absolutely horrible news from another race today. Simply heartbreaking.

Hard to refocus on the stage, but with 35 km to go, he still had almost 3 minutes.
Twenty five to go and his gap was about 1 minute.
Quite some field art.

Fifteen kms to go and the catch had been made.
Finally, the sprint finish. Which felt very long and highly stressful. Taking the stage, Girmay! Two for him.

The wine: Franck Givaudin Irancy 2021 from Copake Wine Works 
Christy says: For up near Chablis, Irancy is the region's place for pinot noir. It's a cool climate that's gotten just warm enough to regularly turn out elegant, fresh red-fruited, minerally examples. Excellent value.

The food: Langres cheese
My man in France says: Langres lives comfortably in the contact zone between overbearing and understated, and it will happily get up to greet anyone who pays call. When it does, expect a firm handshake in flavor form—the kind of sensible, unpretentious application of strength that reassures instead of intimidating. The tangy notes present themselves as a gesture of southeastern hospitality. And while no one can accuse this cheese of being creamy, we have it dead to rights on charges of a pleasing suppleness. You’ll wish you had more on hand than you do, or else fewer fellow connoisseurs with whom to share. 

The folks at Formaggio Kitchen tell me that Langres, the cheese engineered to have Champagne poured right on it! This makes it perhaps the most perfect celebratory cheese for two. Named for the Langres plateau in the Champagne region of France, this orange-rinded creamy cow’s milk cheese has a divot made into the top of the cheese where the Champagne can pool. We recommend cutting a small slit into the middle to allow the bubbles to transform its fudgy texture into a slightly creamier one. 

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