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Photos
Caroline Yang
St. Paul

Photos: In chasing Tour de France, a photographer finds her voice

The peloton enters the Alps and begins to ascend the Col du Tourmalet.
2006 Stage 11 / Col du Tourmalet, France: The peloton enters the Alps and begins to ascend the Col du Tourmalet on July 13, 2006. The Tour becomes a different race once it enters the mountains. The race strategy shifts dramatically for the teams, and the logistics become much more difficult for the press corps. The Tour could be won or lost in a single decisive move. For photographers, the mountains offer breathtaking views, but severely restricted ways of accessing the race itself.
Caroline Yang

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I first saw the Tour de France on an old TV through a shop window in Paris. Standing in the rain, my husband and I watched the cyclists slice through the storm with such power and grace, it took my breath away. Two riders suddenly crashed, and as they fought to rejoin the race my heart pounded with every second. I was hooked.

That experience would eventually lead to an enormous dream: photographing the 2004 Tour de France. Known as one of the world's most prestigious sporting events, the Tour roars through French cities, countrysides and mountains for three weeks each July, drawing 12 million roadside spectators and 3.5 billion TV viewers worldwide.

It all seemed impossible. But the recent death of my father and a diagnosis of a cerebral aneurysm drove me to push aside my fears, and chase my passions. As a new photographer, finding media accreditation without a sports portfolio proved extremely difficult.

Ultimately, through a Taiwanese publication my husband and I arrived in Liege, Belgium, on July 1, 2004, ready to start.

Chasing the Tour left us breathless, yet ready to take on more. The following year, when we struggled to find credentials, I took one desperate leap of faith: I brought my work to Sports Illustrated in New York.

What began as a one-time dream, extended to three years. Sports Illustrated sponsored our credentials for two years, and featured one of my images in its 2006 Best Photos of the Year issue. Our time at the Tour left a permanent imprint on our lives, and we've learned to embrace uncertainty. Most of all, we learned to listen to the voice that stirs so deeply in our hearts.

Gallery
18 of 18
The peloton races down the Champs-Elysees in Paris to close another Tour.
2006 Stage 20 / Paris, France: The peloton races down the Champs-Elysees in Paris to close another Tour on July 23, 2006. Reaching the end in Paris always conjured up such a mixture of emotions. After three weeks of intensity, my husband and I were depleted. And yet, we did not want it to end. For me, it was the camaraderie among the press photographers I always missed most. We collectively ran a parallel race to the cyclists, an experience only other photographers could understand. This photo was taken in Paris, as we bid farewell to our final Tour de France.
Caroline Yang
1 of 18
German rider Jan Ullrich attempts to catch lead riders in 2004.
2004 Stage 13 / Plateau de Beille, France: German rider Jan Ullrich (Team T-Mobile) attempts to catch Lance Armstrong and Ivan Basso on Plateau de Beille on July 17, 2004. Covering the Tour de France was an extraordinary adventure my husband I will never forget. For 21 days, we had one mission: take great pictures. Upon arrival we were given course books containing maps and timetables, and then we were on our own. We worked more than 12 hours a day, often sacrificing sleep and meals for the sake of the chase. But we were ecstatic. We were no longer watching it on TV, we were now a part of the race.
Caroline Yang
2 of 18
Left: Alberto Contador and Angel Vicioso; Right: The peloton through trees
(Left) 2005 Stage 17 / Pau, France: Alberto Contador and Angel Vicioso (Team Liberty Seguros) at the start in Pau, France on July 20, 2005. (Right) 2005 Stage 17 / Luneville to Karlsruhe, France: The peloton travels through a boulevard of trees early in the race to Karlsruhe on July 8, 2005. Unlike any other sporting event, the Tour constantly evolves as it moves from town to town, presenting different opportunities and challenges. My husband and I were pushed to take risks and make quick decisions, sometimes leading to disappointing results. A preplanned shot could be derailed by a sudden change in light, or a last-minute obstruction. Working with the unexpected was a daily routine.
Caroline Yang