Eighteen of us met up in Derby and York Bike Liners who had made all the travel and accommodation arrangements soon had all our kit loaded onto the coach and trailer
Our trip coincided with the start of the Tour de France and it was our aim to try and watch the Monday Stage which went through Villedieu les Poles, the town where we had our base. But first it was onto Portsnouth and the overnight ferry to Roscoff
before racing down to Hilaire to watch the peleton flash past as can be seen in this short video
The enthusiasm of the local people was a joy to behold and one thing that really struck me was how much more Cycling Friendly all the drivers were.
To celebrate the visit of Le Tour, Villedieu had put on a street party in the evening
We were there for a week and the group split up into different sections each day as riders were of different abilities and energy levels, but one common theme throughout all the rides was the necessity to try out the local Boulanger and Patisseries
In passing I noticed that the French Letter Boxes were of a similar design to our own with a similar reference system, though they chose a different colour
Stage 1 of Le Tour had started from Mont St Michel and was referred to as a ' flat stage '
Though that would not have been my definition and as I sped along in their tyre tracks it was nice to dream I was actually taking part
The weather was great and for those interested in seeing the scenery then there are a couple of videos
A Trip to Granville and the experience of cycling on cobbles
A Group trip to the Abbe d'Harbye
Being a load of Old Age Pensioners, then all the bikes were traditional with no carbon in sight
But Steel Rules through our Mercians !!
Now for next year..and let us hope that my language skills may improve
Bonsoir!!
