Le Club Run 23rd june - Doing it French Style

[Andrew G]

Wow what a day, that was excellent.

The four Agreeables set for invasion were Alan Malarkey, Jon Avery, Paul Tunnell, and myself. We all met up at Dover for our 9:30 ferry and set about a club run with a difference.

After embarkation (quite a strange experience riding on to the cargo deck of a ferry) we settled down for a coffee and some breakfast, Jon opting for the full English .

One and a half hours later we rolled off on to French soil. The original route I had planned got shortened and modified by Paul, when he says he thinks you're being a bit optimistic you know you've over done it.

We set off for Guines along the canal path/road and then turned on to a long rolling - read lots of nasty drags and little hills - road which would drop us in to Guines for a lunch stop.

I've never riden in northern France before, boy is it windy. Nearly the whole day was spent riding in to a very, very strong head wind. Fortunately we had Paul "The Tunnelling Machine" with us as he was missing a 100 mile TT he'd initial intended to do, so we stuck him on the front to plough on and form as much of a wind break as possible . Unfortunately the new slim-line Paul doesn't block as much as you'd like these days so you still felt a strong wind even in 3rd or 4th wheel.

The weather was predicted to be rather nasty with persistent showers, so despite the wind were delighted to have warm fairly sunny weather all day.

After Guines we set off for Wissant where we would have a cafe stop on the coast before the final run along the coast road back to Calais. We got to Wissant via some very nice french countryside lanes and road, dipping in and out of little villages.

Engage Duffer's moment: If you've got your maps handy...I think we went from Guines through Caffiers, Ferques, Landrethun-le-Nord, Pihen-les-Guines, St.Inglevert, to Wissant. Disengage Duffer's.

In Wissant we had a nice beer/coffee/chocolate and watched the people on the beach for a bit. Lots of kite flyers and kite boarders making full use of the strong wind. Just before setting off again we arranged ourselves for a group photo which a young woman in rubber (relax chaps it was a wetsuit and she was a surfer) was kind enough to take.

Now we finally had the wind behind us for the longish climb along coast road up to Escalles (Cap Blanc-Nez), and then fast straight decscent through Sangette and in to Calais.

Alan was on an earlier ferry so we had a fairwell beer before waving him off and the remaining three of us set off to a Bluewatery type place in Coquelles where we had dinner - too early for a proper restaurant.

Back on to the ferry and the return to Blighty. Finally got home after dropping Jon off at about midnight. A long day, but an excellent one. A definate must do again trip and I'd strongly recommend it to others.

Thanks guys for an enjoyable day, and Paul for towing us all day in to the wind.

Stats from France:
Riding time: 4.17.11
Average speed: 15.4mph (harder than it looks with the wind)
Distance: 66.16 miles
Max speed: 48.0mph

Ready for the off...
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/01Dover.jpg[/img]
The canal path/road to Guines
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/02JonCalaistoGuinesCanal.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/03PaulCalaistoGuinesCanal.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/04AlanCalaistoGuinesCanal.jpg[/img]
French countryside sights
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/05NearGuines.jpg[/img]
Cafe in Guines
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/06GuinesCafestop.jpg[/img]
As close a sign as you are going to get to "Tunnelling Machine"
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/10TunnellingMachine.jpg[/img]
Wissant beach
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/14WissantBeach4.jpg[/img]
Beach front cafe
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/16WissantBeachcafeAlanandJon2.jpg[/img]
The obligatory group shot
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/17Wissantgroupshot2.jpg[/img]
Paul climbing up that long hill, even the hills don't slow him down anymore
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/19Paulclimbinghill.jpg[/img]
I can see the sea from here!
[img]http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/andrewgreen23/Calais%20CR%20230607/21viewfromhilldowntoCalais.jpg[/img]

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Ian A4size]

Looks like you had a good day out weatherwise, if you remember i did say its a tad windy along that way- hence the kites etc.

[quote]We set off for Guines

[Andrew G]

[quote]i did say its a [size=150]tad[/size] windy along that way

[Alan M]

Yes this was a good event and an opportunity for me to stretch my legs after a week resting.

This is one of Paul not sure of the route!

[img]http://i9.tinypic.com/4mjz69t.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i13.tinypic.com/62x82s3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i14.tinypic.com/4yesyog.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i11.tinypic.com/52wj1wx.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i18.tinypic.com/4lj9o49.jpg[/img]

[Snoop Doug]

Nice one fellas, sounds like a good day out, or a bon jour peut etre..? Interesting photos - no wonder Guru Paul looks a tad uncomfortable - that looks suspiciously like a street lamp sticking oot of his noggin.....?

Snoop

[Ian A4size]

Drat and double drat -beaten again by snoop.

I thought it was a sat nav aerial

[Ian A4size]

...or perhaps an arrow "fleche" stylee

[Andrew G]

I think quote of the day had to Alan's as we were starting out. When I commented that he was very strong before Spain, and will now be even stronger....

"I think I've actually lost a bit of form."

Yes, that's right. Riding day after day off road for 1,000kms in total will really destroy your stamina.

[Ian A4size]

I'm sure Alan will forgive me.......
when you get a little older it does take a bit more time to recover, I know from my own feeble efforts. I spent a week at 1100 metres (living- just) with daily bike rides up to 2800m, n'er a flat piece o' land. Not good for a tour of holland contender .
I got home to good old Surrey -82m- and after a few days went straight into the Brass Monkey ride, 'kin disaster!
Alan has about 10 years on me and probably half the bodyweight( read fat )
I have never been so far off the back in any ride i have done.
please pity us poor pensioners.on our Colnagos and De rosas

[Alan M]

Steady on Ian!

No, really I did feel weak following my long ride and the last day was v hard with no bench marks against which to compare my performance or perceived lack of it. But I was happy with Saturday's ride - I was able to stay with Paul's hill surges, but he was riding a bike that weighed a ton. His directions were in fact excellent and we found some very pleasant cross-country riding. we only missed out on a decent restaurant.

[jon avery]

I have to agree with Andrew and Alan and say what a great day I had in France. After we boarded the ferry i went straight to the restarant and had a fry up ( Sean you would Have been proud!!). It normally takes me a few miles to get my legs going so you can imagine how i felt when the Tunnel express went flying off into the distance After the first cafe stop and a couple of strong coffee's, i seemed to find my legs and i then found it a lot easier to keep up and started to enjoy it We then stopped at a beach which was very nice and this time i thought it was to good a time not to have a beer ( Sean would have been proud!!). Our ride back to Calais was mostly down hill now with a strong wind behind us ( which before had been in our faces, more Pauls as he was in the front 90 percent of the time ). On arrival in Calais we had another beer ( sean would have been proud!!) and said goodbye to Alan. Next we went looking for a Hyper market and this was the first time Pauls map reading skills let him down We did eventually find it which made Bluewater look like my corner shop! we had a bite to eat and another beer (Sean would have been proud!!) and then sped back to the ferry. Got home 23.55 had a shower and hit the sack. A great day which we must do again

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]that looks suspiciously like a street lamp sticking oot of his noggin.....?

[quote="mrpvt"][quote]that looks suspiciously like a street lamp sticking oot of his noggin.....?

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

The challenge was to lift my bike at the end of the ride, and they all failed!!!

With 6L of booze in the spare panier it was evenly balanced