Today France info ran a short interview with Nico Roche, son of Stephen and they introduced him as the team leader of AG2R La Mondial. He spoke briefly about the stupidity and irresponsibility of those clowns who engdangered cyclists, motorcyclists and spectators alike by their actions. TdeF have lodged a ‘porte a plaint’ (official complaint) with the Gendarmes, so it will have to be investigated.
He held on to 13th place in GC despite the nails/tacks thrown onto the road in yesterday’s stage to Foix, in the Pyrenees, near Toulouse. Nico is the only ‘etranger’ in the AG2R team which is all French, except for Nico. He’s been keeping himself out of trouble and is in good form going into the last week. Today the peleton takes on the stage Samatan to Pau, 158.5 kms, on a reasonably flat course. Tomorrow, Tuesday is a rest day before they take on the most difficult stage in this year’s tour on Wednesday, from Pau to Bagners de Luchon. There is 2 Cat 1 and 2 HC (hors catagory), outside catagory climbs in the Pyrenees: Col d’Aubisque (1709 mtrs, 16.4kms and 7.1%), Col du Tourmalet (a massive 2115 m, 19kms and 7.4%), Col d’Aspin, (1489 m, 12.4kms @ 4.8%) and Col de Peyresourde, 1569 m, 9.5 kms @ 6.7%). This stage will decide the winner on TdeF 2012.
Nico is 10 mins 49 secs behind Wiggins and he would dearly love to get into the top ten. Unfortunately I won’t be on the tourmalet this year to cheer him on with the Irish tricolour but Allez Nico!
About bill
Worked in the technical / engineering area as a Science Laboratory Technician and as an Aeronautics Engineer.
The artistic side involves writing under the nom de plume of Billy Olsenn, his recently written play 'A Case of Wine' was staged by the players group Straight Make-Up at the 2012 Birr one act drama festival. It's next staging was in the one act circuit is in Cavan, at Maudebawn on Sat 10 Nov 2012. Then it was performed in the Bray, Co.Wicklow at the very popular one act festival in January 2013.
Next play is FEAR. A dark tale about revenge on the cruel death of two pensioners by young thugs. Neighbours hatch a devious and dangerous plan to exact old-style revenge. Bill is a member of the Drama League of Ireland and his plays have been critically vetted and certified as original pieces of work by the DLI.
Another literary project is that of commemoration of an aircraft crash on Djouce mountain in Wicklow in 1946. Bill wrote articles for the 50th, 60th and most recently the 70th anniversary, (12 Aug
2016) all were published in the Wicklow Times and ensured the survivors of the crash, all French Girl Guides, were not forgotten. Articles reproduced on this website.
But mostly this site gives a more general European and specific French slant on popular and not so popular articles of French news, translated to English by the author. Each article is translated on a paragraph by paragraph basis so easy to read in either language and even possible to improve either language by comparison of the short English and French paragraphs. Amusez vous bien.
The author is currently writing an easy to read technical aviation book centered around the Fokker 50.
Another interest is that dealt with in another of Bill's websites www.realnamara.net, a Statue of the mother of God, Mary. It was erected in 1972 in Dublin, at the end of the Bull Wall near Clontarf, and my grandfather William Nelson, was the main instigator of that project. I give talks on the history of the statue and my grandfather's adventurous and dangerous life at sea.
Technical assistance with each website is by J O'N.
