On the weekend
that the Tour de France was approaching the final stage in Paris, Pilcrow gave
us a puzzle where every grid entry was affected by cycling. In fact the
landmark that came into view was another tour. In French the word Tour has two
meanings le tour is the tour, but la tour is the tower. Here we
had the Eiffel Tower! Highlighted in the grid was LA TOUR EIFFEL, in an
appropriate shape.
ACROSS
2 The French, delving into up-to-the-minute, revolutionary cycle, wanting
concealed hydrogen gas apparatus (9)
INHALATOR La + H in IN + ROTA reversed
9 Being rude, mischievously pointed (4)
URDÉ anagram RUDE
12 Taunts from bandit, at last restrained by strap (5)
JESTS (bandi)T in JESS
13 Lily's song, Love, at number five, in demand at the start (11)
CONVALLARIA O (love) + N (number) V (5) in CALL + ARIA
14 Greedy king beheaded (4)
AVID (D)AVID
15 Debate measure to suppress fiddle (5)
ARGUE GU (fiddle) in ARE
17 Spot old Scottish tenor touring loch (5)
FLECK L (loch) in FECK (tenor, obs. Scots)
19 Cockchafer's perch withdrawn (3)
DOR ROD reversed
20 Rackets down under -- corruption's entangling rook (5)
RORTS R in ROT’S
21 A theatre from the East (3)
PER REP reversed
22 Vegetable dish and piece of crust given to Dame Edna, perhaps (5)
SALAD SAL + AD (Dame of the Order of Australia) ref. Dame Edna Everage
24 Distribute several -- about fifty (5)
ALLOT L in A LOT
27 Like oriental food recipe, cold (4)
RICY R + ICY
29 Where Pilcrow has located eleven traitors (11, two words)
FIFTH COLUMN ref. position of 11 down
30 Naiad transformed into goddess (5)
DIANA Anagram
31 Navigate round rock (4)
LIAS SAIL reversed
32 Pass foreign article to fit partner (9)
COLLEAGUE COL + LE + AGUE
DOWN
1 Call from Spain about mounting radiation and egg cell protection (5)
OVULE UV (reversed) in OLE
2 Wandering Hun trudges about North, finding skuas (11)
DUNG-HUNTERS Anagram HUN TRUDGES + N
3 Abridged paper for parliament (4)
DAIL DAIL(Y)
4 Imbibing tea, for the Listener, towards midnight -- and coffee! (5)
LATTE T (sounds like TEA) in LATE
5 Modern farm vehicle and older one, reversing up hill (7)
TRACTOR CART reversed + TOR
6 Bird seen in Italy, twice (4)
IBIS I (Italy) + BIS
7 Rabble in Glencoe -- Campbells or MacDonalds, maybe -- cause blockage, ending
in brawl (11)
CLANJAMFRAY
8 Edge of sail sheltered children (5)
LEECH LEE + CH
10 Raved dreadfully about one extra month (6)
VEADAR Anagram RAVED
11 Led astray, in dress, by dirty old soldier (9, two words)
FIELD GRAY Anag. LED in FIG (dress) + RAY (to dirty (Shakespeare))
12 Vital aid the French declare out of condition (9)
LIFE-SAVER IF in LES + AVER
16 Misrepresent Manxman, possibly, as non-starter (7)
SLANDER (I)SLANDER
18 With sharp knife, initially, carve rough artwork (6)
SKETCH S + K (initials) + ETCH
22 Highlander's Celtic party (5)
PLAID 2 definitions
23 Pertaining to me and another, engaged in greeting voluptuous woman (5)
HOURI OUR in HI
25 Soldier climbs on toilet blockhouse? (5)
IGLOO GI (reversed) + LOO (a house made of blocks!)
26 Twenty-two down for one mighty in battle? (4)
MAUD 2 definitions 22d Plaid/ dim. MATILDA (mighty in battle)
28 Powder stored by eminent alchemist (4)
TALC Hidden