For the last few years I’ve written daily Tour de France diaries, first at CHPT3 and then last year for Factor. This year they’re moving here, to Substack, because I’ve decided I’d like them all to live in one place rather than disappearing into the internet once July is over.

I’ll be on the road with Ned recording For The Love of Cycling podcast, so there should be no shortage of stories from the race. More than that, though, writing a diary changes how I experience the Tour. It forces me to slow down and pay closer attention to the passing world. Which sounds counterintuitive, because for three weeks it feels like you’ve signed up to a travelling circus, but somehow the discipline of writing each day becomes an anchor. It makes me more curious. I find myself asking more questions, paying closer attention, and noticing things that would otherwise pass me by.

I’ll miss the opening stage this year because today is my sister’s wedding. But from Sunday onwards, I’ll be back inside the bubble.