Guess what started this weekend?! The Tour de France!!! July is my favorite month ever. Not for the 4th, not because it’s summer and all bright and green out — it’s because there are nearly 200 tough-as-balls dudes rolling thousands of miles (primarily) through France on my tv for weeks on end. It’s seriously a yearly obsession, completely out of hand, and I couldn’t love it more if I tried.
So to celebrate the Prologue and Stage 1 this weekend — the 99th Tour de France! — I got my maillot jaune groove on and laid down two coats of Color Club Almost Famous (total jersey yellow, it’s perfect). With that dry, I used acrylics to paint in some TDF elements: a silhouette of a rider on the pinky, Didi Senft on the ring, the TDF logo on my middle finger (it shames me to admit this, but I didn’t even realize throughout the years that the “tour” part of the logo mimics the shape of a rider, good thing I decided to paint it I guess!) and just a simple happy bike on the index (which I kinda screwed up during cleanup around the cuticle, but whatever…).
“Uh, Nerd, who’s this Didi dude?” Here’s the thing: I pick a favorite rider to win every year, and every year they either get ejected, injured, or bonk out. So no more favorite riders (ok, I have one in my head, but much like a birthday wish I’m not putting it out there in case I jinx it again). Instead of painting one of the riders, I decided to paint one of my favorite characters from the TDF — Dieter “Didi” Senft. Fella is straight up AWESOME. In the early 90′s he started going to bike races dressed as a devil, pitchfork and everything, hopping and leaping and hollering to cheer on the riders. He’s also built bicycles, including the World’s Largest Mobile Guitar. If I ever actually get to go to the Tour de France I’m hunting him down and buying him a beer or twenty.
Vive le Tour!!!!
Totally yellow jersey! Maybe you could do a mani for king of the mountains and/or the 5 top teams. With Andy Schleck out of the tour I don’t know who I’m rooting for.
Right?! Vino’s still in and will want to leave the Tour on a high note so I’m hoping to see some solid riding out of him, but like… the last few years, WEIRD hijinx and missing pieces all around (and no Boonen this year, plus people saving their gas for the Olympics). Was definitely thinking about doing some jersey nails though, so we’re on the same page! And maybe an ode to Paul and Phil if I can work it out, because, you know, they’re just plain wonderful
Just read that Didi has just been released from hospital and was advised by his doctor to not attend this year’s Tour. You really have to be careful how you use those talons of yours. I would suggest an argyle theme, but please hold off until the end of the Tour. I don’t want to see any of the guys hitting the pavement.
Go Argyle Armada.
I take it all back!!!! Ack! I will keep P&P out of my mouth for the next few weeks too, just in case… Poor Didi though — just looked up the report and wish I could send him some bicycle-shaped chocolates or something.
A fellow Raveller (Ravelry.com) told me about your Tour nails and there is no way I can restrain myself from telling you: WOW! I am truly amazed and astounded and I shouldn’t think I could even get the base coat to hold on mine…
Hope your Secret Favourite has a good Tour (but hope that my Secret Favourite has an even better one)!
GO ARGYLE! As a Pirate, its my favorite kind of sock to wear too! After missing out on Le Tour all week, we finally have TV and Internet! I’ve been convinced to don some yellow victory toes, here goes nothing!
Ashame there is no DIDI this year, but no doubt there will be something out there on the horizon!