Of course the day I just happen to arrive in Versailles is the day the Tour de France just happens to end and just happens to roll right through the little town I was staying in. We walked down to the side of the street and waited for two hours for the cyclists — and eventual winner the American Floyd Loomis (sp) — to whiz by. The first hour was all sponsor cars. Trucks, vans, SUVs, cars, all wrapped head to tow in advertising throwing out free samples to fans along the side of the rode. Our wait ended when a bunch of official vehicles and police slowly drove by and in the next 20 seconds all 100 cyclists rode by. It was over so quickly! I took a few pictures, and then it was gone. The only thing worthwhile I noticed was how relaxed all the bikers seemed. They were talking to each other, eating an energy bar, casually drinking water. Perhaps because it was the last day and they all let Floyd ride at the front, or perhaps it’s because when you bike for that long you get friendly with your competitors. In any case, I’m glad to have caught live action of a major sporting event, and that I could cheer on the American winner in style!
Ben Casnocha is the author of the bestselling business book
‘My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley”, which the New York Times called “precocious, informative, and entertaining.” He founded Comcate, Inc., an e-government software company, at age 14. Ben’s work has been featured in dozens of international media including CNN, USA Today, CNBC, and ABC’s 20/20. At a conference in Paris PoliticsOnline named him one of the “25 most influential people in the world of internet and politics”.
BusinessWeek recently named Ben “one of America’s top young entrepreneurs.” He writes prolifically on his blog which the San Jose Business Journal called one of the “Top 25 Blogs in Silicon Valley.” He’s also a commentator for public radio’s “Marketplace.”
In addition, Ben has given speeches at dozens of universities and organizations around the world. He has traveled to more than 25 countries and he also co-runs the Silicon Valley Junto, an intellectual discussion society for business and technology executives. In his free time Ben enjoys playing chess, ping-pong, reading, and writing.
