Saturday, December 15, 2007

We're back!


Well, two months since the last post. I still don't know how people find the time to update their blog everyday.
Anyway, November was spent back in the Uk. i had an eventful journey back on the Eurostar trying to avoid the French rail strikes.
We have spent the last few weeks getting the house ready for Christmas here.
The winter training has started - almost! It's club run day but this morning it is snowing heavily. The winter bike is ready - No mudguards! The lads in the club would laugh their socks off if I turned up with mudguards on. Cosmic Carbons are de rigeur over here on the winter bikes.
Maybe no bike today but possibly a snowboarding trip to Mont Serein this afternoon or tomorrow. Apparantely Alpe d'Huez has almost 2m of snow, the best start to December for years apparetly. Maybe have a drive up there.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

The Rugby

What a night! I watched the Rugby on a big screen in the village. I was the only Rosbeef amongst 150 locals ( I did have a friend from Belfast who offered moral support)
150 at the start of the match, about half a dozen 5 minutes from the end.
I stood for the national anthem and they gave me a round of applause which was nice.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

New tarmac on The Madelaine

Wahey! after years and years of waiting the 9km link road from just out side Malaucene, over The Madelaine to Bedoin now has a nice layer of blacktop.
Some of the lads yesterday had a slight problem getting past the machinery but it will be ready in a few days. Brilliant!

Now then is this in preperation for next years tour?

2008 summer update

Hello! As you can see this is the first post since June. There are a few reasons for this so here is an update.Well to say we have been busy is an understament! The race win seem like a million years ago and that was the end of my competitive season.


  • July 7th - La Marmotte, I didn't ride this year as we had a group of 12 up at The Alpe. Great success, everyone finished in times ranging from 8h20m to over 11 hours.

  • July 13th - Tom Simpson Memorial day on Mont Ventoux. A fantastic day. We helped decorate the memorial with flags for the ceremony. After a group ride up from Bedoin, Joanne (Tom's daughter) made a speech and thanked everyone for the help in raising the money for the new steps and making it a great happy day.

  • July 17th - A quiet week for Le Tour so me and a friend Peter drove to Briancon, cycled up the Lautaret to The Col du Galibier to watch the stage in perfect weather.

  • July 29th - took 6 members of Lancashire Road Club on a 200km jaunt through the Barronnies hills and got dropped on the last col (gutted!)

  • August! - Lots of friends and family here, hence too much red wine consumed.

  • September 8th and 9th - Gorge de la Nesque Time Trial and Les Routes du Ventoux Cyclosportive. Unfortunatley no trophies this year to put in the Veloventoux trophy cabinet.

  • September 15th -23rd - The Veloventoux Raid Alpine! 7 of us rode from Albertville to Nice via The Cormet de Roseland, Col de la Madelaine, Col de Telegraphe, Col du Galibier, Col d'Izoard (twice!) Col de Vars, Col de la Bonnette/ Restefond, Col de Cayolle, Col de Champs. Yes it's safe to say I'm knackered!

  • October 3rd - 4 members of my UK club Clayton Velo here for a wind down week.

So thats about it for now, hopefully I'll have some time to post now that the season is drawing to a close. By the way, the October weather here is awesome, 22 degrees today and not a cloud in the sky!!!!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

I won bloody race!!!!

After 38 years of never winning anything in my life I won a race.
Fast and furious, 25 laps of a 3.5km circuit. No hills to speak of hence very fast.
I got away in a bunch of 6, attacked on the 3rd last lap, took an AVC Aix rider with me and pipped him in the sprint. Delighted!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

It's cold again!!!

Well that was a busy week.
12 guys and gals from South Africa then 9 from Cwmcarn Paragon CC near Newport South Wales.
We did La Ventoux Cyclosportive last Saturday. Mixed weather with high winds and fog on the summit of Mont Ventoux.
Freezing today with a fresh dusting of snow on the mountain, bizzarre for May, especially when it was in the 30's last week.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Not a nice week!!!

The locals in Vaison la Romaine and Nyons are fond of telling us that they can never remember 3 consecutive days of rain in living memory.
Well this week we had 4/5 days of seriously wet weather and fresh snow on the mountain.
Nevertheless we persevered and a group of 5 rode up the hill on Saturday in atrocious conditions. 2 degrees on the summit but with a wind chill factor well below that.
So well done Jason, David, Alan, Robin and Simon. you can now say you climbed the Ventoux when it was really really hard and not just hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well done to the London Dynamo gang and good luck in La Ventoux cyclosportive only 3 weeks away.

This week also saw the first outing of the new Veloventoux racing kit.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Wow!
Toady 4 of us rode La Coironese Cyclosportive out in the Ardeche. Well it was only 114km long but the 2300m of ascent should have given us a clue. One of the hardest rides for a long time. In terms of suffering, up there with La Ventoux.
However! (and I'm not making excuses) I haven't been 100% for a few weeks and the anti biotics for my Acute Maxillary Sinusitus and the fact that breathing is quite hard at the moment played a little part in the fact I kept getting dropped on the cols.
Nevertheless, 73rd and a gold medal in a time of 3h 55m 04s wasn't too bad.
Ventoux tomorrow!!!!!!!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Hello everyone! this is our new blog for the 2007 season.
We are now settled in at the new house in Faucon.
We have already had our first cyling guests and over Easter the place was full of some of the North of England's best rock climbers.
A little bit to much drinking and fine food over the last few weeks. However the cycling season has now kicked off and we have a cyclosportive on Saturday in the Ardeche called La Coironese. 120km with 2000metres of climbing involved.
Last Monday I was persuaded by Dave to go up to The Vercors Regional Parc and climb Mont Aiguille.