The Etape du Tour organizers have come up with a start system that, although making a great deal of sense, could be a major hassle for me.

They start you based on previous results in the Etape, or other recognized races, I think. There’s probably an age calculation in there too, but I’m not sure. Anyway, what this means for me this year is that, because I hadn’t had any actual results at the time of registration, I get the honor of starting my Etape career in the back of beyond – bib number 8124, to be precise. There are going to be 10,000 riders, so, if my training has taken me as far as I think, there’ll be a good amount of traffic to get through.

If any of my good readers see this number (hopefully passing you!), say hi. If you are passing me, I’m going to be very depressed.