2007 Paris-Brest-Paris - How is 531db going ?

[MichaelB]

Well, the Paris-Brest-Paris is now underway, anyone know what the frame number of 531db is ?

If we do, we can track him on the official website ;

http://www.paris-brest-paris.org/EN/

Hope he does well !!!!

[LuckyPierre]

Peter's frame number is 4979.
The PBP website shows that he passed the Loudeac checkpoint at 20:14 last night ie. he's through stage 5.
According to me, Loudeac is a whisker under 450 km into the ride. To the best of my knowledge, he started at 9:30pm on Monday, which means he's done the 450 km in approx. 23 and threee quarter hours, so he's averaging about 19.2 km/hr.

[MichaelB]

I have no idea of what the route is really like, but he seems to be doing well so far.

Just over a 1/3rd of the way.

Mind you, we'll have to give him a serve for not logging on and keeping us updated .....

[LuckyPierre]

Mind you, we'll have to give him a serve for not logging on and keeping us updated .....

Don't worry, he probably will!
After this, I'll be expecting him to ride to and from our Club events.

[MichaelB]

So essentially do they ride as long as they can, rest, ride some more, rest etc etc ?

When they decide to stop and rest, is it in accomodation (tent) of their own, or is there 'proper' places to rest ?

The site has some good stuff, but not a huge amount of info.

Some of the route profiles leading into Brest have some noice hills !!!

[Aussteve2712]

[quote="MichaelB"]So essentially do they ride as long as they can, rest, ride some more, rest etc etc ?

When they decide to stop and rest, is it in accomodation (tent) of their own, or is there 'proper' places to rest ?

The site has some good stuff, but not a huge amount of info.

Hey Michael, not sure how much you know about Audax, the organisation that runs the P.B.P. but it is an international group of cyclists (randonneurs)who ride distances up to 1200kms. where the criteria is to average 15kph. So in essence you are only competing against yourself.
In the P.B.P. many attempt to do it without sleep & hence get in in a better time.
Sleeping arrangements are, largely, up to the individual & include road side naps etc. If you look at [/url]http://www.audax.org.au/ it will give you a better idea.

[MichaelB]

Translated from the website

"gave up the 22/08 "

Wonder what went wrong - hope all is well. Must be hard to do all the stuff he had to qualify, only to withdraw.

Hope only something minor and not a major issue ...

Peter ? Any idea ?

[Aussteve2712]

The following is an e-mail from Peter to the audax e-mail group...........

My second attempt to send this one to the list. The french keyboard got the better of me first time round...

I have never been more frightened on my bike than I was during the night on Monday once it started raining seriously. Think of your favourite pissing down phrase and double it!!

The rain teemed down. It was difficult to see, brake, steer, talk or do much else. Unlike my previous experiences there was not much interaction with other riders - we were all concentrating too hard. Many of those who managed to continue complain of previously unexperienced shoulder and arm pain, which we hypothesise is due to tension! A number of people have skin probs due to extended saturation - a bit like the old fashioned trench foot.

After I pulled out at Fourgeres, my borther picked me up and we took photos of as many Oz riders as we could on the bridge at Brest. We then worked our way back to Loudeac - on Tuesday evening - and then drove on bqck to Paris.
Andrew - a highly experienced driver - was not game to drive on the speed limit on the toll way because the conditions were so bad - he would rather drive road trains across the Nullabor.

From, Wednesday on the weather was not as extreme but dizzle and light rqin persisted across the whole time. At times wind and rqin was bad.
I am in awe of all those who struggled on to the finish. Some over the finish time but finished never the less.

Riding was tough. Many people were running very tight for time. Support from the local communities was not as obvious int he sections I rode because of the weather. Group riding was similarly difficult and a number f people's ideas of how they would ride toghether were soon dropped. Unlike my other two experiences this time people found they had to be much more hard nosed about looking out for themsleves Ithink. I have the impression that this made the whole ride a less friendly event than others have found it. It must be said that many of the Australian riders I spoke to at Brest and at other points we rode to on the list had a very good idea of where their buddies were and how they were going.

There were a lot of equipment failures - especially lights, speedos, gears and chains. They all got full of --- well rain and muck. I have never seen a dirtier more drubby set of bikes after a road bike anywhere.

Sorry for the wonky typing - French keyboards are different!

Peter

[Kev365428]

Must have been absolute hell, but still a unique experience.

Good on ya Peter. Well done. I am in admiration of you, not only for the effort you've put in, but also for having the goulies to give it a go in the first place.

Kev.

[mikesbytes]

In those conditions, its amazing that anyone finished

[stryker84]

The following is an e-mail from Peter to the audax e-mail group...........

There were a lot of equipment failures - especially lights, speedos, gears and chains.

Peter

I just read Speedo failure, and got a rather bad mental image... thought I'd share.

[mikesbytes]

The following is an e-mail from Peter to the audax e-mail group...........

There were a lot of equipment failures - especially lights, speedos, gears and chains.

Peter

I just read Speedo failure, and got a rather bad mental image... thought I'd share.

Don't think they have budgies in France.

Speedo is the old term which has been replaced with "Computer" I still speedo too. Yeh I know you knew that.

[toolonglegs]

The following is an e-mail from Peter to the audax e-mail group...........

There were a lot of equipment failures - especially lights, speedos, gears and chains.

Peter

I just read Speedo failure, and got a rather bad mental image... thought I'd share.

Don't think they have budgies in France.

Speedo is the old term which has been replaced with "Computer" I still speedo too. Yeh I know you knew that.

Oh they have budgies alright...in fact that is all they have,I went to a outdoor beach/pool near my wifes home and was told I couldn't wear boardies...had to buy budgies which looked good with my slim (cough)body and tan lines.They even said the kids couldn't wear rashies even though it was 38 and very bright.Skin cancer obviously dosent happen in France!.
Anyway great effort,especially all that finished....can't even comprehend a 200k ride...add another 1000k

[MichaelB]

Discretion is certainly the better part of valour.

Pity to go so far, only to have the weather beat you.

I'm still impressed with the efforts made to even get there, let alone actually get as far as he did.

Can't wait to see some of the pics and hear some more details