SBCC Le Tour 2015: 3

Le Tour Approaches

A reconnaissance mission on the route that Le Tour will travel tomorrow; through the Breton countryside to Rohan and Pontivy. It all started badly with me having to fix a puncture before even leaving the gîte, but all part of the cycling experience.

It was hot today, not helped by having to wear my so-called 'arm coolers', to prevent my bescabbed and healing skin getting serious sunburn to add to the roadburn. Needless to say, when the temperature reached the high 20s (OK, remember that this blog is by a someone who lives in Britain, so we are talking sweltering temperatures) anything worn over the arm has NO COOLING EFFECT WHATSOVER, unless it comes with built in rfrigeration or a private demon with acces to ice.

Along the route, the locals have been gearing up for the 'greatest live sporting event in the world' (as measured by spectator numbers along the route), and evidently, every old beaten up bike in evey garage has been turfed out and painted yellow, green, white or polka dot - and this chap holding out a spare wheel for any unfortunates who have a flat . . . only en France

We got to Pontivy, but were so knackerd we didn't even go and see the chateaux, but rather had a biere at the first place we saw. This might be somethignto do with haing to do some shopping every day and then cycle back up a bloody great hill with it - c'est la vie . . .

Ca va

 

SBCC Le Tour 2015: 2

Lac de Gualerdan

We went to the lake to take in the view. Lac de Gulaerdan is a man-made lake with a large hydroelectric dam at the eastern end. When we got there this is what we saw . . .

In my best French I asked the barman at the water's erstwhile edge "ou est l'eau"; his reply "they pulled the plug . . . " In fact, of course, the lake had been drained to allow essential maintenance on the dam, in the processs spoiling the summer ouward bound activities of countless French school kids. The scene elicited many excrutiting comments along the lines of 'the lack of lac', 'lacklustre lac', 'the lac that lacked a lac' etc... you get the idea. Strangely, the long submerged trees still stood in the mud.

Nantes-Brest Canal

We stopped at St Aignan for le déjeuner of galletes and crêpes. Now, I don't know about you, but a gallete doesn't really do the business nutritionally when cycling, so afters of a banana, choclate, almonds and whipped cream crêpe, washed down with a couple of beers, was largely de rigeur. From there we climbed the hill to Mur de Bretage, then back along the canal to the Abbaye de Bon Repos where they have an annual medievel event, complete wIth fake peasant village and armoured knights. The mind's eye conjours up a scene from 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', with shit-encrusted serfs having their limbs lopped off, and 'witches' submerged in the canal by ducking stool . . . but I'm sure it's nothing like that though.

So after the inevitable cafe stop we continued to Gouarec to do some shopping, and back up the hill. I'm not sure that I got the nutritional balance quite right . . .

Guess what we're having for dinner . . . spaghetti bolognese!

Ca va

 

SBCC Le Tour 2015: 1

Perret

We disembarked from the ferry to be greeted by the usual overcast, leaden grey of the Brittany weather . . . so immediately felt at home. The forecast was for warm and intermittent sun, but for most of our ride it was rain, cloud and . . . well, rain.

Not to spurn tradition, we stopped for the inevitable café au lait at Café d'Europe in Morlaix, thence on to Huelgoat for le dejeuner at Le Brittany Pub. Now, said pub is owned by an ex-pat called Pete and the menu offers, amongst other culinary delights, a chip buttie - which Colin naturally availed himself of to complement the full English breakfast on the Ferry.

So, still easing ourselves into French culture, we set off for Carhaix without even stopping to sample the delights of the Huelgoat stones as in previous years - the Roche Tremblant went untrembled, and the Le Gouffre was un-gouffed. No matter, the road was long and arduous, so we stoked up on ham, egg, chips and cidre, and set off on the second leg ofour odyssey.

 

Now, regular readers will know that JJ is a light traveller, and now that he recently purchased a fancy new, carbon racing bike, he is necessarily a much lighter traveller than previously - because he has sod-all anywhere to put his stuff. So it remains precariously perched above the rear wheel in his aged, rear saddle-bag. Needless, Heath Robinson despaired after about 30 miles (as he always ways does - how many times have we been here?) when I had to lend him my bungy to keep it off his back wheel - c'est la vie.

After a detour to Decathlon (how unusual) we made it to Rostrenen and stopped at Lidl to make essential purchases. Thence up the hill to Prerret where Colin has manufactured a superb repaste of Spaghetti Bolognese, using the best Lidl ingredients, washed down with tetrepak wine - all is right with the world.

Now, if we can get some hot water it will be a bonus, though the necessity to run around in the shower to get wet generates some heat at least . . .

Ca va

 

 

SBCC Le Tour 2015

Le Depart

And so, yet another year passes and the annual road trip of the SBCC OGs comes upon us. Luckily I just made it after my unfortunate 'off' just over a week ago; still somewhat bandaged and scabby of visage, but taking sufficient medication for any eventuality - as the doctor in A&E (evidently a cyclist) sagely advised 'keep your hands on the hoods and put some electrical tape around the broken finger and it should be fine' . . .

The destination is Perrett, close by Mur de Bretagne where we plan to see a stage finish on the mur - last year I took S up it with full camping gear so it should present no problem for the pros!

So, we currently sit on the ferry (well, we do if I have managed to post this en route) drinking the customary cidre and engaging in the usual cycling banter - let's hope I don't step on JJs head for the inevitable cidre-induced cabin manouvers in the middle of the night - OGs on tour indeed.