La Petite Tour de Suisse – Prologue Stage

I’m getting ready to clip-in, and my heart is beating like it was my first time on a road bike. Am I really doing this? Riding off to places unknown in Switzerland? My niece has given me good directions to get out of La Mont. All I have to do is get through a couple of roundabouts, maneuver around some construction, fight a little traffic, and relearn how to use campagnolo components. Nothing to it! I try to clip-in and realize I forgot to take off the clip covers. I look around to make sure no one was looking, pull them off, take a deep breath, and start pedaling. 

When I’m driving, I sort of enjoy roundabouts. They’re a great way to manage traffic without stop lights. I assume the same procedures for getting in and out of the roundabouts that apply to cars also apply to bikes. And more or less, they do. But, what I quickly learned is that many car drivers believe that cyclists are not going very fast, so they try to beat them into the roundabout. First in the roundabout gets the right away. First lesson learned: cars and trucks will speed-up to get into the roundabout ahead of a bike.

After the roundabouts and a small industrial/commercial section of road, I’m in open country on a beautiful, but narrow road with no shoulders. Swiss venues spread out in all directions. Little villages seem to appear everywhere. The anxiety of getting out of town fades as I relax and start enjoying my first ride in the beautiful Swiss countryside. I see a café as I near the village of Bossons. A little rest stop with a vino blanco might be in order. I decide it’s not a good idea and don’t stop. 

After a few more kilometers, I spot a village on a hilltop off to my right. Do I dare venture away from my prescribed directions? Why not.  So I head for Poliez-Piette. Drawing closer, I realize I have made the right choice.  Poliez-Piette is picture postcard perfect. One of the first houses I pass has a sign that says it was built in 1664. The village’s main church looks even older. There are flowers everywhere. Some are in large pots in front of houses, many houses have flower gardens, and most have window boxes full of flowers that seem to explode in color. I circle the village several times just to make sure I capture the full experience and then turn to head back toward La Mont and Lausanne.

On the way back, I spot a biker in front of me; a Swiss biker.  He’s maybe 0.5 km away. The other side of my brain kicks-in and I say to myself, “target.” My casual pace picks-up and I realize he’s catchable. I’m no diplomat and Swiss neutrality aside, he’s mine. The ugly American emerges and I pass him. A’ gauche I say in hopes he realizes I’m on his left and he doesn’t actually pull left. A quick bon jour and I’m past.

I approach La Mont and home with a new sense of accomplishment. Only two more roundabouts and the prologue stage of my Petite Tour de Suisse is complete. It’s been a great ride.