France - RodneyOlsen.net

Dear Cadel

July 2, 2010

Rodney Olsen and Cadel Evans Just a few lines to ask you to do me a big favour. Over the next few weeks please try your very hardest to stand on the top step of the podium in Paris.

I know I don’t really have to ask you. You always put 100% into whatever race you’re riding. It’s just that you’ve come so close before but never quite made it. Well not yet but that could all change in the coming days. Some of my friends say that you’ll never wear yellow in Paris but I really believe you can.

Remember when I interviewed you on radio last year? It was only a day or so after you switched to BMC. I asked you who would be runner up when you win the 2010 Tour de France. Of course I was just having a bit of fun but in a real sense I truly meant it. I really would love to see you become the first Aussie to ever win that amazing race.

As I stay up late over the next three weeks I’ll be willing you to win with every fibre of my being. You’ve got some very tough competition but you’re in amazing form, you’ve got a better team than ever before and you’re the current World Road Cycling Champion. This is your year.

If it doesn’t happen ….. well, no ….. let’s not even start thinking that way. I’ll just say that win, lose or draw, I’ll be right behind you and I’m sure that I won’t be the only one.

Yours sincerely,

Rodney

(The 97th Tour De France runs from Saturday the 3rd to Sunday the 25th of July. You can hear my interview with Cadel Evans from November last year by clicking the play button on the audio player below.)

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Dear Cadel? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

James is back

August 4, 2008

by Rodney Olsen

2 Comments

Our 9 year old son James, returned home from an overseas trip on the weekend.

He had traveled with Pauline’s mum to England and France. I’m not at all jealous that he got to see the final stage of this year’s Tour de France live in Paris. (Well – OK – maybe a little.)

We’ve been missing him terribly so it was wonderful to finally have him back, even if it meant being at the airport in the very early hours of yesterday morning. We finally got to bed at around 4:00 a.m.

I reckon that overseas planes purposely arrive at odd hours so that even the people who haven’t been traveling can go through the whole experience of jet lag with those who’ve been away.

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading James is back? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Tour de France 2008

July 5, 2008

by Rodney Olsen

15 Comments

The wait is over. The Tour de France 2008 begins today.

For the next few weeks I’ll be glued to the SBS Television coverage of the event and the official Tour de France website.

The Tour de France has been described as the toughest sporting challenge in the world. The elite athletes who take part face 21 grueling stages with many involving cycling up incredibly steep mountain roads. Some have compared it to marathon running saying that it’s like running a full marathon every day for three weeks.

This year’s favourite to wear the yellow winner’s jersey into Paris is Australian, Cadel Evans. If Evans wins it’ll be the first time an Aussie has won the event. Evans stood on the podium at the end of the event last year in second place, the highest ever finish for an Australian.

So what does the world’s greatest sporting event hold for us this year?

Running from Saturday July 5th to Sunday July 27th 2008, the 95th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,500 kilometres.

These 21 stages have the following profiles:

* 10 flat stages,
* 5 mountain stages,
* 4 medium mountain stages,
* 2 individual time-trial stages.

Distinctive aspects of the race

* 4 mountain finishes,
* 2 rest days,
* 82 kilometres of individual time-trials,
* 17 Category 1, Category 2 and highest level passes will be climbed.

You’ll have to excuse me if I’m a little sleepy over the next few weeks. The stages are run each day in France which is late at night here in Perth.

C’mon Cadel.

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Tour de France 2008? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

See you soon, James

June 27, 2008

by Rodney Olsen

4 Comments

I’m battling to stay awake.

I’d go to bed but I need to head back into work this evening to give a youth group a tour of the radio station.

I got about two and a half to three hours sleep last night because we had to get up at 2:00 a.m. to take James to the International Airport. You have no idea how tough it was to sound happy and vibrant on the radio this morning.

James is traveling with Pauline’s mum to England and France. Not bad for a nine year old. He’ll be in Paris for the final day of the Tour de France. (Not that I’m jealous.)

Over the next few weeks he’ll see things that I’ve never even dreamed of seeing and go places that will broaden his perspective on the world.

We’re going to miss him like crazy but we’re so glad that he’s getting such an amazing opportunity.

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading See you soon, James? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Tag - France