A baking hot afternoon at Lussac Les Eglises. 7 laps on an undulating course to give 54km.

Three riders attack from the gun, but it’s more ‘dog let off the lead’ syndrome than a real attempt, and they are caught on the first hill. I’m right up near the front as I don’t want to miss anything. As we hit the steepest of the climbs, towards the end of the lap, the rider on the front gets out of the saddle and goes hard, I’m right on his wheel, so instinctively I do the same. He goes very hard, and by the top of the climb he has about 10 metres on me. I glance around to see if anyone is bothered, and there’s no one there!

I press on, and catch the attacker, I ride straight to the front to show him that I’m willing to work and take a long hard pull. We work together, and in no time at all we are out of sight. Then it all starts to go horribly wrong. Over the next few laps my escape partner proves very difficult to work with. Everytime we come to a climb he finds it necessary to show me how strong he is and sprint up it, leaving me to make up the gap. When I catch him he slows, leaving me to go through and do the major share of the work. Everytime we go through the finish he sprints past me to go through first.

I try talking to him, and suggesting that we work together, but it makes no difference. I can’t sus whether he’s an idiot, or whether he’s so cock sure of winning that he doesn’t care. Whatever it is, it’s winding me up. It continues, a pattern emerges. Each climb, he’ll sprint by for about thirty pedal turns, then he’ll ease, wait for me, and expect me to work. The laps go by, amazingly at the start of the last lap we’re still away, with a good lead.

As we leave the town for the last time, I’m on the front riding hard. I make it as difficult as I can for my ‘friend’. On to the first climb, here he comes, sprinting by, only this time I’m out of the saddle shadowing him. As usual, he eases and sits. I hit him as hard as I possibly can, giving it all I’ve got. I crest the climb, sit down and mash on. I don’t look around, no point, no need, I can tell from the reaction of the two lads on the quad/lead vehicle that I’ve got a gap!!!

Now, I’m giving 100%, trying to get as much distance as I can before the last climb. I use all of the road hugging the verges to keep the distance as short as possible, and also to try and get out of sight. The lads on the quad are doing a great job keeping the road clear as we fly along. A sharp corner, I glance under my arm, he’s nowhere to be seen. Onto the last climb, for the last time, out of the saddle, my legs are stinging. A quick glance back, he’s not even on the climb! I push on, less than I km to the finish, I can afford to ease a little and enjoy the moment. I’ve done it. My first French road race win! 🙂

Here’s how they describe it on the Mega website…

“Neither Cross-Country, nor Down Hill but a real discipline. Racing MEGAVALANCHE require many skills which are coming from MTB fundamentals, it means: strong, dexterity, endurance, sliding sensations, knowledge of how to manage effort and to fix well you bike, riding spirit, trajectories, flying sections, braking …

Cross Country riders and Down Hill ones will be on the same line on equal terms. Some will use their athletic power and endurance, during an hour of effort and others their technical skills on every trajectories and also go fast into tricky sections, jumps and so. But at the end everyone will fell sliding motions, using wonderful trails.”

Here’s a run down…..
You start off in the snow on the glacier at Pic Blanc high above Alpe d Huez. The altitude is over 3000 metres, and even going downhill you’re breathing hard. Hanging off the back of the saddle using one foot as a ski, riders crashing everywhere. After the glacier you’re into boulder fields, with some big steps and drop offs (the most dangerous are signed). Some off them were way beyond me. After a couple of miles you are into fast single track on a narrow shelf, with the odd rocky section to keep you on your toes. Next there’s some tricky steep switchbacks. As you get nearer to Alpe d Huez the gradient eases a little, but not the speed. There’s one or two rises where you can make up time on riders on DH rigs.

Down through Alpe d Huez to the roar of the crowds! Straight out the other side onto a very fast section (uphill on your right), as you traverse around and down the mountain. If you went off the edge of the trail here you could fall hundreds of feet (I kid you not). Following a steep climb of around 200metres that saw most riders pushing you’re into superb single track with a mixture of fast flowing sections, steep switchback sections, rocks, roots. A couple of bus stops that almost stand the bike on it’s nose. It’s hard work, some riders just stop by the side of the track to take a breather!

Into the final few kms and it’s incredibly fast. The dappled sunlight under the trees combined with the dust mean that you can’t see a lot of the roots and rocks, so they can’t hurt you. ha ha! Eventually you drop out into the main street in Allemonte then sprint for the finish.

It took me 1:33:28. The winner did it in 48mins!!!!!!!

Loads of people crashed. Crashing in the snow wasn’t too bad as you slid, and as long as you didn’t slide into rocks, or get hit by someone, you were OK. I saw lots of people with slings and bandages on who crashed in the qualifier and couldn’t make the race day.

My stock Kona Coiler Deelux was great, fitted with Maxxis Minions
and DH tubes. Lots of people puntured on the rocks.

It was Mega!!!! 🙂

Thanks to…
Carla for coming with me. Yeah, I could have gone on my own, and she insisted that she was only coming with me so that she wouldn’t have problems trying to get a broken me + a van back from the Alps, but it meant I ate properley, could find things, and got where I was supposed to be on time.

Si ‘Superfly’ Paton for sorting me out with some ‘proper’ tyres and tubes. I just couldn’t believe how much difference they made.

All the people on singletrackworld that helped me decide to go do it!

My first actual proper road race in over three years tonight. 35 laps of a 1.4km circuit around a small French town. Sprint every 5 laps. Two dodgy corners, one with recent road repairs and gravelly bits, one with manholes and awkward camber.

About 50 riders, it’s a UFOLEP 3rds and juniors. Those of you who race will know that 3rds and juniors can be a bit dodgy, so resolved to stay near the front. BTW cost 3euro to enter on the line, and you get a coke, a chewy bar and a pen!!!

Called up onto third line at start. Got up within the first 10 riders and stayed there as best I could. Had a few digs early on, nothin doin. Two riders escape about 20 laps in, I have a couple of goes to get across but cant do it on my own.

There’s no lap counter, just the bloke on the PA shouting at us in rapid French. Carla is there shouting to me in English, but there’s so many other wives, girlfriends, brothers, dads, etc also shouting that I haven’t got a clue what lap we are on.

Eventually I sus that there’s 7 laps to go. The two escapees have built up a two minute lead, we wont see them again. 6 to go and four of us get a gap. We work hard, but the Nantiat rider is not happy with the Nieul rider, and amongst all the shouting and swithching I forgot what lap we are on!!! Doh, Curse my old stoopid brain!

I reckon we have one to go, surely they’ll ring the bell this time, the St Junien rider is on the front, I know he’s gonna make it hard up through the finish, and I glue up to his wheel and brace my self. We fire up through the finish, and as we cross the line everyone cheers, and he sits up. It’s the finish! I’m 4th!
No bell!

So, a success, and a cock-up at the same time. Whichever, it was great to be back racing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 🙂

“The London-Paris Cycle Tour 2007 finished in Versailles, Paris on the 30 June 2007. Completing just under 600 km in the three days, the ride was hailed a great success by ex professionals Sean Kelly and Johan Museeuw. Riders from all over the world attended; with countries such as the USA, Australia, South Africa well represented.”

It was fantastic, thanks to everyone who sponsored me. I enjoyed every single turn of the pedals, even the ones in the rain. There was never any doubt in my mind that I would make it, and although at times the pace was incredibly fast there were times when it wasn’t.

Here’s some of the things that stick in my mind…

Sean Kelly – to ride alongside the legend was priceless. Sean entertained the peleton with his antics throughout the three days. He had a knack of teleporting himself from one place in the bunch to another.

Johan Museeuw –Johan could only make the first day, it was great to meet him. How many riders can say that they were towed back up to the bunch by Johan Museeuw? Well, around four, ‘cos that’s how many times the great man went back for people.

Straight talkin’ Aussies, and South Africans – they tell it like it is, no offence meant. “Just ‘cos you’re ridin’ like a w4nker and I told you, no need to get upset mate!�.

French motorcycle outriders – brilliant! How do they ride standing up looking backward in traffic with such skill? They ride so close, but you feel safe, knowing that they are looking after you leaving you to concentrate on riding.

The rain on day two – Any fool can ride properly when they are fresh, on a nice day. But when it’s raining, and you’re tired, that’s when it counts, that’s when you find out who can ride. It was an experience to see how the pros and ex pros handle it. Me? I stayed as close to the front as I could and hung on. Made it onto the grass on one wet corner, but stayed up!

So many other memorable things from the three days, the effortlessness of bowling along on French roads in the heart of a fast moving bunch, the camaraderie of the riders, the friendliness and patience of the support staff and mechanics, the speed of the breakaway I got into on the last day, the people who waved and cheered as we passed through the towns.

I had trained for months for this event, I had the miles in my legs, and for me, riding L2P was the icing on the cake, something to be enjoyed. I loved it.

La Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale is the womens Tour de France, and stage 2 is finishing just down the road at the Lacs de Haute Charante. My chance to go and see the worlds best women road racers in action.

The normally deserted causeway across the lake has been transformed into a 500m finishing straight complete with banners, podium, sound system, souvenir stall, and hundreds of people. The commentator tells us that the girls are around 30km away. Nicole Cooke and Priska Doppmann are off the front working hard together with a gap of 35seconds. There’s heavy showers, and as Celine Deone’s double entertains the crowd with songs I wonder if Nicole is enjoying the almost Welsh weather.

Current cycling champions of the Charente are presented for the crowds appreciation. Raymond Poulidor is there, along with a host of other cycling stars. Hey, and dont forget the mayor and the other dignified guests. All there to add weight and authenticity to the event.

Lead cars and motorbikes start to arrive, the atmoshere becomes electric. The head of the race drops onto the causeway. You can hardly see the two escapees for all the vehicules. They race toward the line. Cooke allows the higher placed overall Doppmann to take the win. No fuss, no bother, it’s teamwork, job done!

It’s over a minute before Alona Andruk brings home the bunch. OK, now it’s chaos. Riders everywhere with at least five languages going on at the same time, amonst photographers, motorbikes, helpers, coaches, and idiots like me! Oh, and a group of young French lads chasing after the girls asking if they can have their bidons.

I spot Nicole Cooke coming back along the road. Every few feet she pauses for photographers. She looks clean, fresh, and very happy. You’d never guess that shed just completed over 100km in heavy showers along rural French roads. The worlds number 1 ranked woman cyclist, what a star.

A while back I entered the London to Paris 3 day cycling event. When you enter you have to specify which of three groups you want to ride in. Group one being the fastest, containing all the ex-pros, group three being the slowest. I put myself down for group two.

Now as the months have gone by the organisers of the event have held training rides, and have used these as a guide to form. Because I haven’t been able to attend any of these rides I was worried that I might get misplaced groupwise. So, I sent a copy of my “Gold” certificate from the La Limousine as proof of my form. A couple of days later I got an email back saying that I had been put in group 1. 🙂 Better than a birthday!!!
So I’ll be riding with two of the toughest men that ever rode a bike, namely Sean Kelly, and Johan Museeuw, not to mention a host of other pros and ex pros. At last, I made it into the professional peleton! I’m chuffed to bits 🙂