Cyclists, cyclists everywhere

One of the sights in south france was the huge number of cyclists on the road. We aren't talking about your average cyclist like in Chennai either. These guys (and gals) are on racing cycles and cycling clothes, cycling between cities. I'd keep seeing a bunch of them every couple of kilometers happily riding along. Oh wait, did I mention that the area is quite hilly? And that the temperature was around 36 degrees celcius? Wowie. I was getting hot and sweaty just walking around to find a good spot to take a photo from. The Tour de France was going on, so that might be an explanation for the increase in enthusiasm, but still to go cycling in that heat requires a serious dose of enthusiasm. The highlight was when we were driving to the peak of Mont Ventoux, the tallest peak in the region and there was a steady stream of riders going to the peak and coming down. The route is not easy either, and this route is sometimes used as one of the stages of the Tour de France (not this year though). I can only presume it's for fun and exercise, but it was some sight.