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Tour de France 2020

I don’t think so - I would imagine they are aiming to present cycling to impressionable youngsters as an exciting sport, not to traumatise them for life.
The Tour is about so much more than cycling. There is a lot of competition to become a stage town. Tourism and local produce are promoted via the tour.
It only makes sense to pitch for a TV slot recommending wine to growth the race! We know you'll do a good job!
 
The Tour is about so much more than cycling. There is a lot of competition to become a stage town. Tourism and local produce are promoted via the tour.
It only makes sense to pitch for a TV slot recommending wine to growth the race! We know you'll do a good job!
If you watch Eurosport coverage the excellent Jonathan Harris-Bass, already does this. https://fanculamedia.wordpress.com/ He posts a recipe everyday & discusses wine choices, local information through the race.
 
It only makes sense to pitch for a TV slot recommending wine to growth the race! We know you'll do a good job!
I’m flattered, but I spent my working life on the other side of the cameras and wild horses etc. etc. Anyway, you need to be twenty-something, handsome/pretty and able to walk, talk and gesticulate frantically simultaneously. I fail on all three counts.
 
I enjoy David Millar’s commentary but I wish he stop saying ‘GC’ quite so often. Overall, ITV4’s coverage is excellent. Ideally I’d like to listen to the greatest man to ever ride a bike - Sean Kelly - but I’m not paying for Eurosport.
 
I just see daily highlights on NBC - Phil Ligget and Bob Roll - and I have to say, they're pretty good IMO.
 
I thought today’s stage took a lot of unnecessary risks with rider safety. Some very narrow streets & unpredictable street furniture placings.

Very pleased for the stage winner.
 
I enjoy David Millar’s commentary but I wish he stop saying ‘GC’ quite so often. Overall, ITV4’s coverage is excellent. Ideally I’d like to listen to the greatest man to ever ride a bike - Sean Kelly - but I’m not paying for Eurosport.

The Eurosport player is £6.99 per month, which you can indeed pay per month.
 
Today's stage was won by Sam Bennett, so I was tempted to choose a bottle of famous beer from his native land that I enjoy very much - of course, I mean Westvleteren 12. Yes, Sam was born in Belgium - but Menen is around 30km from the St Sixtus monastery that houses the Westvleteren brewery, and that is way too far for our exacting standards.

The stage started a few km away from the HQ of the Co-operative of the Vignerons of the Ile de Ré, and finished near the Co-op of the Ile d'Oleron. Their websites show a variety of uninspiring stuff, but as we are on a roll after Sunday's wonderful-looking bottle, we need to dig further. We can get closer to the course too - eagle-eyed race viewers may have spotted this roundabout to the north of Royan...

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The route skirted the very edge of the Cognac-producing area, and that is what's made by Jules Gautret. So for today's bottle I suggest their probably rather splendid 50-year-old Cognac because, of course, we are worth it. A snip at under 300€!

https://www.lescavesjulesgautret.co...ois/cognac-millesime-1970-jules-gautret-70-cl

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(I don't know who is actually paying for all these bottles - and I'm not asking.)

...and yes, I meant Professor Yaffle in the post for Sunday’s bottle. Sorry, Prof. In any event, I was doing the bird a disservice - it’s in fact a bearded vulture, and we beardy types must stick together. A medium-sized specimen is a metre long with a 2.5m wingspan - blimey!
 
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Oh Lord, Caleb Ewan has won again. We almost drew a blank with him last time. Today’s stage finished in Poitiers, which is just to the south of the wine region of Haut-Poitou. It was only awarded AOC status in 2011, although wine has been made there since the middle ages. Unfortunately it used to be laced with lead to disguise the high acidity, which led to something known as Poitou colic, which doesn’t sound too pleasant...

‘As soon as a man is attacked by it, his body becomes paralysed; he goes pale, suffers anxiety, heart pain, vomiting, continual hiccups, severe thirst, has difficulty in urinating, and has violent pains in the stomach, intestines, abdomen and kidneys.’

I’ve had a few bottles like that... presumably these little inconveniences were ironed out before the AOC was awarded.

The nearest vineyard to Poitiers that I can find is Domaine de la Roussille, about 10km north of the city centre, so I suggest one of their bottles for today. They have a splendidly retro website, and this is the best picture I can find of their wine.

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We’ll go for the Gamay Rosé, as that’s the only one I can properly identify.

(Historical info from https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haut-poitou_(AOC))
 
Haut Point is a good choice but it's slim pickings. It was VDQS when l lived nearby and didn't travel far for good reason. Still there may be the odd gem.
 


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