ULTIMATE TOUR DE FRANCE EXPERIENCE!

EPISODE #192 –
I was so incredibly lucky to have been invited by Zwift to go for a VIP experience at the Tour de France… it was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had, getting to see the race from this point of view was just something truly unforgettable.
I get the walk around the village and paddock with the pro’s, before heading out in one of the cars on the course, getting inside knowledge from an ex pro cyclist who was driving us for the day and then finally whisked off for a helicopter ride above the race. I can’t quite believe that I got to experience this, it really was a special day. Thank you Zwift! 🙂

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Thomas “The Cycling Tattooist.”

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———– C – R – E – D – I – T – S ———–
Film & Editing: Thomas Martinez.
Intro Music: Press 1, Lukas Got Lucky.
Intro Film & Editing: Joe Simkins, Karl Kolecava.

I am currently on what can only be described as a trip of a lifetime. I mean, look at where I am. I have been invited here to France by my friends at Zift to make a whole bunch of videos surrounding the tour to France. You may have seen my last video where I took on Latour, which was an absolutely incredible day. But this day, well, this was probably one of my best days of my life. It’s about time we do this. Mr. Cycling tattooist. Okay, so here we go. Today is the day that I’ve been looking forward to the most out of everything that’s been going on on this France trip that I’ve been doing. Today I am doing something that they call a VIP experience. And uh I mean that’s crazy in itself that I get to be a VIP for the day. Basically, what is happening is I’m going to be allowed access to things like the paddock and also the big one is that I’m going to actually be getting to go in one of the cars that goes on the route that the pros are riding for me. This is absolutely mindblowing. This is bucket list stuff. I’m probably never ever going to get this chance again. I’m just so so grateful. Massive, massive thank you to Zift. You’ve literally made dreams come true here. I’m not quite sure how this video is going to go. I’m just going to film aimlessly and try and show you guys what he’s like to experience one of these days. How lucky am I? [Music] [Music] Well, I’m in the village. I don’t know what that means, but I’m away from the crowds and I feel like a VIP, that’s for sure. Oh, man. [Music] [Music] And we’re in. Now I’m not sure where to go to be honest. Apparently it says on my invitation meeting with your ambassador, a former professional cyclist. So I mean that could obviously be anyone, but let’s hope it’s Mark Cavendish. It’s probably not. But imagine. Now uh apparently I’ve got to try and find a Zift tent. I mean it’s madness here. Very very cool though. I’m Oh, I’m like a a kid in a candy shop as they say. Where are you? Man, I have not got a clue where I’m going. This is for you so you can enjoy your space and something to drink and eat. But you can also visit the village. There you go. I feel very very official now. [Music] [Music] I’m just sitting here chilling in the tent because it’s absolutely roasting out there. I’m melting. Plus, it’s just nice to feel like I’m important. We’ve got about 15 minutes or so and then we’ll be uh meeting up with the guys looking after us for the day and then we’ll be going in the car. Today it’s going to be unreal. [Music] Yeah. So the plan is to go first to the super condition. Then we will go into my car start ahead of the race around half an hour before the start of the race. We stop for a lunch break. We watch the race bus in front of us and we take a shortcut and we will uh we’ll stop another point to watch another time the race. So we’re just on our way to check out some of the teams. This is uh Charles. He’s going to be looking after me today. Yeah. Showing me about and then then we’re going to be in the car. It’s going to be a fun day, right? Yeah, sure. 100%. It’s always fun at the tour. I was professional for 10 years. Yeah. In a team based in the US. Okay. Noisk. And I retired last year. Oh, okay. And now working for ISO as an ambassador. I showed the inside of the day at the tour. Do you still like cycle a lot now or? Yeah, I mean not as much as I used to, but I’m still Yeah. riding but more like just for fun with friends and a deser will be out of the main of the sponsor. It will be another sponsor next year and they’re going to have like a bigger bridge. So they want to win the tour the France in about three or four years. They have one guy who is really really talented, a young young rider. He’s 18 years old. Everyone says he’s the new French riders who can win the tour of France. Yeah, maybe a rival for Pagatcha. Yeah, hopefully man. We are we are looking forward to the next pug. I bet he was happy yesterday the French rider one. Yeah, of course. It was amazing to see the his performance especially that they they have a lot of uh criticism over the last few days after Renco stopped the race. And I mean, yeah, they were not at the level they they used to in the in the climbs. So yesterday, that guy show his talent and it was amazing to see him winning at the this iconic. Yeah, I was going to say what a place to to do it. Stage to win. Month two, it’s a special place to win. So the leader of the of the team is always the bike on the right side of the of the car, right? Cuz the team mechanic is always behind the car on the right side. If Vingard has a problem during the race, he he can get it super quick. Then second leader is Matthew Jorgensson for today because he’s probably the guy who will stay the longest. Uh I mean today is flat but in the climbing stage is the guy supposed to stay the longest with Vingard. So he’s the second team leader. And then the guys who are more like a domestic there for the day stage they have bikes in the middle because of course it takes way longer to take it. This is absolutely insane. The first two bikes are his bikes. They lost Almeida from Portugal. He crashed in the stage in Mine. So it means they can replace the bike of Almeida by another bike. So they put two bikes of pogach, right? If anyone’s going to have two bikes on there, it’s going to be I am biased, but I think these guys have got the best kit. [Music] Well, that was pretty cool. That was Alip. This is This is what we got on the agenda, is it? Yeah. This is what is the time of the team presentation. Okay. The point was this is absolute madness. I’m actually walking in where all the press is at the minute. Attractive for the attackers and Well, that was Markish. [Applause] [Music] So, we’ve left the presentation bit now and we’re walking to the car. Oh, I’m about to get run over. Trust me. Jesus. [Music] Tired. Last year I was uh so we just when you are inside the polo bigger bigger really they don’t have like so many Yeah. [Music] Look at that fresh food, man. Man, don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this, but I’m getting spoiled here. You want some uh champagne or something? I don’t drink. I would I would love some, but I don’t drink, so for sure. Bri, the food just keeps on coming. Going to have to roll me out of this car. Yeah, I was just saying to these guys, anywhere else I would have expected like a little packet sandwich, like a Tesco’s meal deal or something, but no, not the tour to France. That was like a fivestar restaurant meal. That was Right, we’re just waiting for the Pelaton to arrive. We can just about make it out in the distance. They’re going to be it any minute. We got a breakaway there. Four of them in there. Now we see how far behind the Pelon is. All right, here we go. The Pelaton’s coming. It looks absolutely savage. They are absolutely flying. They mental. All right, we’ve seen them come past and now the plan is to try and jump ahead and uh catch them coming past again. Let’s see if we can do it. When we take a shortcut like that, you always need to to think that roads. The first few days, we had one ambassador. He took a short, he arrived to a roundabout and took it on the left side. He was lucky there was nobody in the front. But man, it was really dangerous move 15. Just so you know, Thomas, this is the only moment of the year where French police is that nice. So, it is it is a moment to enjoy and you grasp every moment of like decent interaction with the police. It’s because of this yellow flag. Yeah. The yellow flag means you’re higher than the police. You can do whatever you want. [Music] Let’s go. If you are lucky and happy, you will be able also to join a helicopter and fly above the race. What? That’s the plan for real. You will have around 20 minutes fly and um and then you will be picked up on the next dropping zone 30 km from here and uh and have and enjoy the flight. Oh my god, that’s mad. Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, it’s crazy. And the meantime, you have something to drink, to eat if you want. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. They decided to surprise me with a a helicopter ride. What the hell is going on, man? I’ve never even been in a helicopter. Really? No, never. Yeah. First time on the tour. It’s pretty good. No, man. I am getting spoiled rotten today, mate. Well, looks like I’m about to get over my fear of heights. I’m I’m myself a little bit. [Applause] [Music] Right, we’ve just seen the race come past. Now it’s time to go up in the air. Oh, I got to run. Well, at least I got a little bit of a workout in for today. If my heart wasn’t racing enough, definitely is now. Absolutely myself. Heat. Heat. You should uh No, not not the red one. All All red is uh don’t touch uh the black one to the front. Woo! [Applause] [Music] Wow. I mean, what an experience that was. Absolutely blown away by that. How was it? That’s crazy, man. That’s absolutely crazy. Did you enjoy? Yeah. So, the weather’s taking a little bit of a turn for the worst and the rain is hammering it down at the minute, but all the supporters are still out on the side of the road, which is absolutely incredible. But it comes underpinning. What a day. Am I dreaming? Is this Is this actually what’s happened? So, it’s been a few days since then now, and to be honest, it still hasn’t quite sunk in. It was an absolutely ridiculous day. I honestly can’t believe that I get to do things like this now. It is just absolutely insane to me. I have to say a massive, massive thank you to the guys at Zift again because you guys honestly have made my dreams come true. I mean, as a cyclist, it’s a big enough dream to just go to the tour to France and to watch the race, but to experience what I did on that day, well, it’s just insane. And also, thanks to you, I’m now a little bit less scared of heights. Well, I don’t know if I’ll go that far. Anyways, I won’t waffle on much longer because I can tell from the analytics that most of you have probably clicked off by now. But for the uh real supporters out there, I just wanted to let you know there’s going to be plenty more to come. I can’t guarantee what order they’re going to be coming in because, well, now I’m doing videos like this where, you know, I’m getting companies like Zift supporting me. Well, I have obligations to get them out by certain dates and yada yada yada. But basically that means sometimes I have to get a video out before another one. So yeah, these videos are going to be coming in random order. I’ve also got the trip that I done to Switzerland with BMC coming out and I’m going to be working with a really cool brand. I won’t say who it is, but it’s a brand that I’ve really loved for a long long time. So yeah, I’m excited to do that video. And then also the other day I went to see the stage where the pros went up von 2. So, there’ll be a video from that as well. Anyways, I really have waffled on now. So, I hope you’ve enjoyed this video. Please go click that subscribe button if you haven’t already, and I’ll see you next time. [Music]