zigzag
Veteran
My Paris-Brest-Paris 2011 experience
(by Rimas G, aka zigzag)
Why would I ride Paris-Brest-Paris
I have done two long rides before, which I enjoyed immensely and year 2011 was a year of Paris-Brest-Paris among long distance cyclists. This famous ride is organised every four years and has a history of 120 years (link here). So naturally I thought – I should give it a go!
Preparation/Training:
I was reasonably fit from last year when I did a thousand mile ride in Italy. However due to cold winter I haven’t done any longer rides (apart from commuting) for two months and put on about 5kg of weight after Christmas. That didn’t worry me too much, but I knew I wasn’t as fit as last year. Come spring, I have done compulsory qualifying rides (200km, 300km, 400km and 600km) without any difficulties, plus another two 200k and 300k audaxes. I have also ridden 3 or 4 Friday night rides to the coast, which are always enjoyable and fun. Few social rides of 100-200k long with guys (and girls) from Cycle Chat forum. After qualifying rides I decided I need to work on my speed, so bought a racing frame and hoped to do some chaingang rides with Dulwich Paragon. A pity, I’ve managed to do only two (and they were too fast for me as well).
I’ve met a lot of interesting people on audaxes, including those who have done PBP before and I could compare my pace with theirs, and that’s how I decided to choose Vedettes group with a stricter cut off time (80 hours), as I thought I could finish the ride in about 70 hours. There was also an option to choose 84 or 90 hour groups, which would allow a bigger time buffer in case something went wrong.
I’ve also reduced my caffeine intake two weeks before the ride and was only drinking green tea, hoping that caffeine during PBP will give me extra boost (and it did!).
Trip to/from Paris
Initially I thought my wife will join me with the support vehicle as she wanted to see me through the ride, but she couldn’t secure her annual leave for that week, so I had to go on my own. After a bit of research I decided that drive-ferry-drive was the most convenient and hassle free way to get there and back. The price was reasonable as well - £50 for the ferry tickets and £80 for petrol. I’ve also booked two nights before and two after the ride in a hotel 14km away from the start in Maurepas suburb (the closer ones were sold out) – not a problem, only 45min by bike.
Bike/Equipment:
(photo taken just after the ride)
Fuji Pro C7 carbon frameset
Compact handlebars with extra padding
Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels
Bontrager Race-X-Lite tyres 25mm
7-speed Sora shifters
42t chainring in the front and 11-34t cassette in the back
Shimano XT rear mech
Speedplay Frog pedals
Brooks B17 saddle
SKS Raceblade mudguards
Water bottles 1l and 0.75l
Lights:
B&M Ixon with lithium batteries (main light)
Cateye EL-450 (small backup light)
Cateye TL-130 (rear light)
Smart Superflash 0.5w (backup rear light)
Dechathlon rear light with reflector
Garmin eTrex Vista HCX GPS unit
Lidl wired computer
Bags and storage (for unsupported ride):
2.5l B’Twin handlebar bag (for food)
1l Topeak wedge seat bag (for tools and spares)
2l Karrimor waist bag (more food)
Spare clothes rolled and attached to Brooks saddle loops by two toe straps.
(Total weight of luggage around 4kg, plus water bottles < 1.8kg)
The start
I had a big lunch at noon (Dorset cereals with dried fruits and three bananas), then cycled to the start with Simon B and his friend Peter who were staying at the same hotel. Peter’s start was at six o’clock, so he went to another entrance point and I cycled to the start where there was already long queue two hours before the start.
It was very hot, fine in the shade of trees, but when we were asked to move on to an open stadium, my thermometer was showing 42 degrees C! My water bottles were full, but I knew they wouldn’t last long in such heat. Our brevet cards were stamped and we all moved forward to the start line.
It was about half an hour to wait for the off, which meant I could have two pancakes, energy bar, banana and a can of Red Bull to fuel me for the first 100km. I’ve met Colin B, Ray R, Ian H and Andy H – I have ridden with these guys on some previous audaxes before. Next to me there was Bob J from VC167 – we chatted for some time and spent quite a lot of time riding together in next two days.
The ride
Finally we were allowed to ride and everyone rushed off fuelled by adrenaline. I started near the back of our 500-strong wave, so I was making some progress towards the front wanting to stay in the groups when they start forming. The pace was fierce – it would have been OK in cool weather, but in such heat it was pretty hard cycling. There was an Italian guy among us with one leg, left one was amputated right up to the hip (later I have found out he has finished in incredible 72 hours – chapeau!).
Once in countryside, few big groups were formed, but having relentless front/side wind against us, everyone was looking for a shelter and constantly fighting for better position. This meant a peloton was taking the whole width of the road and race marshals on motorbikes were constantly pushing the riders back into one lane. Car drivers coming from a front usually drove to the gravel shoulder allowing a peloton to pass.
My water (with electrolytes) bottles were empty after only 80km, and I started getting cramps in my legs before I even finished them. I had to slow down and later stop to get some water from ever helpful locals. I’ve calmed down, knowing that there’s still over a thousand km’s to go, and by burning myself out now I would make the rest of the ride a bitter experience.
Later I had some fun time riding with Heinemann PBP team. All (about 20 of them) in the same outfit, also on the same bikes (I think Scott CR1) with aero wheels. They were useless uphill, but fast on the flat and downhill. So at the top of the hill I was 50-100m ahead of them, then 1-2 minutes later I’d hear whooshing sound behind me, first three pairs overtake me, then I’m be able to stay behind them to the annoyance of the rest of the group. This was going on for about 50km. We’ve reached the first refreshment point in Mortagne (140km) just before it got dark, and I haven’t seen them since.
Most riders went to their support vehicles, so the refreshment stall was not busy. I needed some water and Coke. After I ordered them, one of the spectators jumped to the volunteer selling refreshments and paid for everything I ordered. He also pulled out my reflective vest off my bar bag, unfolded it and helped me to put it on while I was filling water bottles and drinking!! I was pleasantly shocked! After my thanks and his bonne route and bon courage I sped away into the night.
First night was great riding, no fatigue yet, mild weather, and pretty steady pace either on my own or in groups, including Ray R, and John B with his Swedish pals. Night turned into a day at about 7am and I was surprised to see that I’ve already covered 400km in less than 15 hours - wow!
My joy didn’t last very long as I slowly started to feel that my frenzied rush is taking its toll on my legs. I have slowed down considerably and group after group after group was overtaking me, and there was not enough power in my legs to join any of them. I stopped at Loudeac (449km) for a first proper meal and stuffed my face with a whole tray of food. I wasn’t hungry before - I ate pastry, pancakes, bananas, energy bars, energy gels, honey, coffee, Coke etc. (for those concerned about my teeth, I had a toothbrush and used it as and when needed!).
The day turned out to be nice for cycling – cloudy and not as hot as yesterday. My legs were not cooperating, so I was riding solo, as everyone who overtook me were way too fast to join. When this happens every few minutes for hours and hours, you start wondering – how do they ALL manage to sustain such a high pace and why I am the ONLY one who struggles? Itcan be is demoralising when this happens (but very uplifting when I can overtake others at much greater speed). I’ve burned most of the carb reserves and I was running on fat now - I knew had enough of that stuff, accumulated during my last “all-inclusive” holidays. Hills were getting steeper and longer in Brittany and the route was constantly going up and down. Not an easy going.
I’ve reached another control in Carhaix (525km) at 1:34pm where I had another tray of food. Scoffed everything in 20 minutes and was now on my way to Brest – the midpoint, where the ride should become easier (in theory). I was still riding solo; other riders were passing me as if I were a stationary road sign. What mattered is that I kept moving forward, was mentally raring to go and that I was almost half way through. Gradual climb over Roc'h Trevezel (350m – highest point of the route), free can of Coke from a volunteer on the top (merci!) and a nice descent to Brest watching fast riders climbing back towards Paris.
Brest – woohaa!! Brest control wasn’t very nice, food was of poor quality (I ordered a tray, but couldn’t finish half of it and that’s me being hungry). On a positive side I have met Simon B again as well as Toby H, Simon G and George H there. Rapha team came later as well.
Being aware of my speed issues I left the table a bit earlier, and went back to my bike. There was a sports doctor at the corner of a hall, so I decided that it is a good opportunity to go and complain about sore muscles above my knees. I had some ointment applied and a very welcome massage done to my legs – it felt good (actually great)!
I started to make a slow progress towards Roc’h Trevezel where aforementioned group caught me and I managed to stay with group first time after a long time (oh joy!). I even cycled in front for some time, together with Alan P (from SWRC). The group later split up, but I felt that at last my leg muscles are getting stronger (it was about time)! The weather was quite dramatic – it was dark, very thick fog/mist while ascending the mountain with lightning and thunder every 5 seconds somewhere to the right from us. When descending, the fog was gone and I had a company of an Irish audaxer. Thoughts kept coming to my mind that even it’s a lot of fun do go downhill at 60kph in the dark, but if a piece of wildlife decided to jump out in front of me, my story would end up there and then.
After some time our group has got together again, and I was riding with Bob J most of the time back to Carhaix. Proper rain has started, but luckily we were about half an hour away from control. Wet, but not soaked we reached control where it was sensible to stay for some sleep. I had a comic moment while cycling towards control - there was some man standing in the rain with umbrella and probably waiting for his supported rider. As I was riding past him, he exclaimed in an American accent “I LOVE this f***ing sport!”. This has cheered me up and also reminded me how hard and unrewarding it can be supporting the riders around the clock.
Carhaix (703km) ended up like Loudeac control four years ago (from what I’ve heard), when riders going towards Brest and riders coming back decided to spend few dark hours there. There was no sleeping space, but it was not overly crowded in an eating area, so after a big dinner(?) at 1am I decided to close my eyes for an hour and a half. Some riders were sleeping on the floor, some on chairs. I had three chairs in a row available (less than optimal, but hey, I was tired, so it didn’t matter!), and managed to lay myself so that they gave decent support. I’ve set my alarm to ring after 1h45, and fell asleep instantly. Weird - and it doesn’t happen often - but I woke up two minutes before my alarm was supposed to ring. After a bit of thinking (i.e. sitting and gazing into the distance), I came to conclusion that if I woke up myself, maybe my brain had enough rest. After a coffee and croissant I was ready to go. I have spent 2h40 in this control – longest of them all, but it was a time well spent (unlike in Brest). Another pleasant surprise – rain has stopped while I slept. Some of my teammates were still asleep, or I couldn’t see them, so I went on my own. On the way out I’ve asked mechanic to lube my chain, as the rain washed the oil off of it.
The roads were very wet with a lot of debris washed out from the fields – I was very glad to have mudguards attached! There was a constant stream of riders going towards Brest, and some of their lights were blindingly bright – not much fun to be facing them. Anyway, what mattered most is that I could feel the power in my thighs again and ride at good speed. In fact I was so rested, strong and happy, that I wanted to sing out loud as well! I felt like Phoenix re-born from ashes and no one would stop me now! Soon I joined Martin L (from Willesden CC) and some other guys and we were making an excellent progress through the rolling countryside at night. Challenging climbs and breathtaking descents in the dark on the way to Loudeac will leave a lasting memory. Had a quick (17min) breakfast at Loudeac - then hit the road again. It was getting light, and I had so much energy that I was spending a lot of time sprinting in the drops out of saddle. Kilometres were ticking, sun was rising, and again the weather wasn’t getting hot – it stayed just perfect.
I joined a group of five French riders, on of them dropped out, so the five of us were cycling at nice pace until they started doing chaingang. I thought I might join them as well as I’ve done chaingang couple of times with Dulwich Paragon, but they did it differently and I was waved off with few rude comments (which I didn’t understand, but understood the tone). Alright, sorry!!
Then there was a secret control near Illifaut, where I had two croissants and a cup of coffee. I just got a stamp on my card at Tinteniac control (867km) and carried on, as I wasn’t feeling hungry (stopped for cake and coffee offered by local people on the way). Joined two Italian riders, spoke about Mille Miglia ride that one of them has done as well. Bob J has joined me to the run up to Fougeres (921km) where we both (and Italians) had a sit-down meal. Bob J went to a drop bag facility (Baxters coach) to change his kit after the meal and I carried on on my own as Italians managed to get out quicker. After some time a Russian chap (in CCCP outfit) started sucking my wheel. Not a problem, but with no intention to go in the front after 20 minutes he had to be dropped. Then I joined Rapha’s Phil D and James F (Ultan C was about 100km ahead), chatting about their journey from qualifiers up until now. Very pleasant company!
Time went by quickly and we reached Villaines control (1009km) early evening, around 6pm. I didn’t eat there, as I was still carrying quite a lot of food from the start and should be eating that first. I had to use the toilets there and that was lowest point of the ride for me (I won’t go into the details here..). On the other hand, while getting out of control building I saw a “Massage” sign and I didn’t need to think twice
. While having massage done by two experienced masseurs (one leg each!), lady volunteer grabbed and filled my water bottles. I was treated like a royalty! On the way out I stopped at mechanic’s stand to have my chain lubed once again and tyre pressure topped up to 8 bars. Everything was done quickly, efficiently and free. Only 222km to go then!
I was part of a big group on the way from Villaines, mainly French with one Bulgarian, Jens K (from Germany) and maybe someone else. They were going a tad slow for my liking, but on my own I wouldn’t go much faster either. Jens told that he is going for sub 60 hours finish time and it dawned on me that I didn’t have any particular target in mind. I started calculating and trying to work out what average speeds I should maintain for various finish times but my brain wasn’t the strongest part of my body at that time. Jens K eventually sprinted forward and left our group; I tried to chase him, but he was getting smaller and smaller in the distance. I joined the same group and had an easy ride to Mortagne. In this group as well as throughout the ride I received many enquiries about my custom gearing, this group at some point was discussing every shift I make, haha Feeling smug I couldn’t resist the stupid temptation to show “how well my gears work”, dropping them on uphills or downhills and then rejoining.. This section had ultra smooth roads and was very enjoyable to ride in quiet sunset.
There was a festival-like atmosphere in Mortagne. Country music, flowers, decorations, people out on the streets cheering the riders and having good time – it was brilliant! I parked my bike and saw Jens K coming out of the control building. “Let’s go!” he said, I said “OK!” – quickly went to get my card stamped, had an energy gel, had a quick chat with a volunteer, who looking at my luggage was surprised to hear that I didn’t have any support or bag drops. Jens K and I were a good team. We both had good lights and by working together were making an excellent progress through the night. He finished Mille Miglia last year (in 100hrs) and allegedly remembers my wife, who was there with me! I started counting and predicting my finishing time, and figured out that if we keep an average of 25kph for 140km and bounce Dreux control (1165km) I could finish under 60 hours (Jens K would finish under 60h anyway as he started two hours later than me). This sounded like an incentive! We both went like it’s a home stretch, taking turns and encouraging each other on hills. We soon caught two Italians (one of them in typical white outfit), with no luggage and started working as a team of four. Empty roads, excellent cycling by all and Dreux town appeared sooner rather than later.
Having bounced previous control I was quite hungry by now, so had two pan au chocolate, three bananas, cup of coffee and a can of Coke. I was ready to roll in ten minutes, but then we decided to wait for Italians who had a sit-down meal. We all left 25mins later and it became apparent that 60 hours would be out of reach for me (not that it mattered much). Few other riders tagged along and we all carried on through the night as a friendly bunch at moderate pace, overtaking few scattered groups which were plodding along. Ride across the fields, last few hills, and finally we hit street-lit roads of suburban Paris. Is the ride nearly over?.. I was surprised that I wasn’t feeling sleepy, having slept only 1.5h in last two nights - maybe it was the adrenaline buzz, maybe a substantial amount of caffeine that I was taking in during the ride, or maybe both. I felt great, strong and hyped up. Is the ride really over? It was. We rolled into Guyancourt gymnasium at 04:21am (there were people outside clapping and greeting us!), where we had our last stamp on the cards, shook each others hands, wished luck and parted. My official time was 60h11 – very pleased!
Afterparty
I had a quick chat with Nick J (from Cambridge, he finished half an hour before me), then took a shower, had some food and snoozed in the main hall until it got light. There were more riders around when I woke up – Simon B, Simon G, Howard W, George H, Ray R – to name a few I knew. They all finished in similar time, some before, some after me. After a chat with them I rode back to my hotel where I slept through the day and night. Then the other day I went back to the closing ceremony, where I met a lot of fellow riders – Frank P, Alex G, Arabella M, Richard E, Tom D, Matt C, Steve A and many many more.
Above - Tom D, Frank P, and myself
There was a big buffet where we could help ourselves with nice French food and wine. After that we went to the bar, some good stories there, also a Breton Dominique joined us and insisted on paying (and paid) our beer bill (trugarez!).
One last thing to do
Back at the hotel I was getting ready for tomorrow’s trip to London. Just one more thing was left outstanding for a complete Paris-Brest-Paris experience – to taste the (in)famous “Paris-Brest” cake. I went to one Boulanger-Patissier next morning, but they didn’t have it, then I went to another one and they did have it. Hmm, it tasted good (first two bites), but it’s actually a big chunk of butter whipped with sugar and flavourings and put between two thin pieces of pastry. It’s so rich it’s unbelievable. I managed to finish it, but only just!
The journey to London was uneventful - I was back home late Friday evening where I was greeted by my lovely wife. All the experience is still sinking in, but I already caught myself thinking “what big ride should I do next year?” The good thing is that there are plenty to choose from. Or maybe I should do something else instead, e.g. train for the Ironman challenge? I’m sure I’ll come up with something.
One week after the ride, when I am writing this report, my legs feel super strong and I also lost 3kg of weight during/after PBP. Now I am in the best form this year – shame that cycling season is coming to an end.
General Stats:
Number of riders started: 4998
Completed: 3980
Different nationalities represented: 65 (two Lithuanians including myself)
Total distance: 1231km / 767mi
Total elevation: 12225m / 40100ft
Max grade: 20.7%
My stats:
Total time: 60h11
Riding time: 51h00
Stopped time: 9h11 (of which sleep time ~1h40)
Max speed: 66.8 kph / 41.6mph
Moving average speed: 26.5 kph / 16.5mph
Calories burned: ~24700 kcal
Fat burned: ~2.9 kg / 6.4lb
My detailed riding progress can be viewed here:
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/372808
(by Rimas G, aka zigzag)
Why would I ride Paris-Brest-Paris
I have done two long rides before, which I enjoyed immensely and year 2011 was a year of Paris-Brest-Paris among long distance cyclists. This famous ride is organised every four years and has a history of 120 years (link here). So naturally I thought – I should give it a go!
Preparation/Training:
I was reasonably fit from last year when I did a thousand mile ride in Italy. However due to cold winter I haven’t done any longer rides (apart from commuting) for two months and put on about 5kg of weight after Christmas. That didn’t worry me too much, but I knew I wasn’t as fit as last year. Come spring, I have done compulsory qualifying rides (200km, 300km, 400km and 600km) without any difficulties, plus another two 200k and 300k audaxes. I have also ridden 3 or 4 Friday night rides to the coast, which are always enjoyable and fun. Few social rides of 100-200k long with guys (and girls) from Cycle Chat forum. After qualifying rides I decided I need to work on my speed, so bought a racing frame and hoped to do some chaingang rides with Dulwich Paragon. A pity, I’ve managed to do only two (and they were too fast for me as well).
I’ve met a lot of interesting people on audaxes, including those who have done PBP before and I could compare my pace with theirs, and that’s how I decided to choose Vedettes group with a stricter cut off time (80 hours), as I thought I could finish the ride in about 70 hours. There was also an option to choose 84 or 90 hour groups, which would allow a bigger time buffer in case something went wrong.
I’ve also reduced my caffeine intake two weeks before the ride and was only drinking green tea, hoping that caffeine during PBP will give me extra boost (and it did!).
Trip to/from Paris
Initially I thought my wife will join me with the support vehicle as she wanted to see me through the ride, but she couldn’t secure her annual leave for that week, so I had to go on my own. After a bit of research I decided that drive-ferry-drive was the most convenient and hassle free way to get there and back. The price was reasonable as well - £50 for the ferry tickets and £80 for petrol. I’ve also booked two nights before and two after the ride in a hotel 14km away from the start in Maurepas suburb (the closer ones were sold out) – not a problem, only 45min by bike.
Bike/Equipment:
(photo taken just after the ride)
Fuji Pro C7 carbon frameset
Compact handlebars with extra padding
Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels
Bontrager Race-X-Lite tyres 25mm
7-speed Sora shifters
42t chainring in the front and 11-34t cassette in the back
Shimano XT rear mech
Speedplay Frog pedals
Brooks B17 saddle
SKS Raceblade mudguards
Water bottles 1l and 0.75l
Lights:
B&M Ixon with lithium batteries (main light)
Cateye EL-450 (small backup light)
Cateye TL-130 (rear light)
Smart Superflash 0.5w (backup rear light)
Dechathlon rear light with reflector
Garmin eTrex Vista HCX GPS unit
Lidl wired computer
Bags and storage (for unsupported ride):
2.5l B’Twin handlebar bag (for food)
1l Topeak wedge seat bag (for tools and spares)
2l Karrimor waist bag (more food)
Spare clothes rolled and attached to Brooks saddle loops by two toe straps.
(Total weight of luggage around 4kg, plus water bottles < 1.8kg)
The start
I had a big lunch at noon (Dorset cereals with dried fruits and three bananas), then cycled to the start with Simon B and his friend Peter who were staying at the same hotel. Peter’s start was at six o’clock, so he went to another entrance point and I cycled to the start where there was already long queue two hours before the start.
It was very hot, fine in the shade of trees, but when we were asked to move on to an open stadium, my thermometer was showing 42 degrees C! My water bottles were full, but I knew they wouldn’t last long in such heat. Our brevet cards were stamped and we all moved forward to the start line.
It was about half an hour to wait for the off, which meant I could have two pancakes, energy bar, banana and a can of Red Bull to fuel me for the first 100km. I’ve met Colin B, Ray R, Ian H and Andy H – I have ridden with these guys on some previous audaxes before. Next to me there was Bob J from VC167 – we chatted for some time and spent quite a lot of time riding together in next two days.
The ride
Finally we were allowed to ride and everyone rushed off fuelled by adrenaline. I started near the back of our 500-strong wave, so I was making some progress towards the front wanting to stay in the groups when they start forming. The pace was fierce – it would have been OK in cool weather, but in such heat it was pretty hard cycling. There was an Italian guy among us with one leg, left one was amputated right up to the hip (later I have found out he has finished in incredible 72 hours – chapeau!).
Once in countryside, few big groups were formed, but having relentless front/side wind against us, everyone was looking for a shelter and constantly fighting for better position. This meant a peloton was taking the whole width of the road and race marshals on motorbikes were constantly pushing the riders back into one lane. Car drivers coming from a front usually drove to the gravel shoulder allowing a peloton to pass.
My water (with electrolytes) bottles were empty after only 80km, and I started getting cramps in my legs before I even finished them. I had to slow down and later stop to get some water from ever helpful locals. I’ve calmed down, knowing that there’s still over a thousand km’s to go, and by burning myself out now I would make the rest of the ride a bitter experience.
Later I had some fun time riding with Heinemann PBP team. All (about 20 of them) in the same outfit, also on the same bikes (I think Scott CR1) with aero wheels. They were useless uphill, but fast on the flat and downhill. So at the top of the hill I was 50-100m ahead of them, then 1-2 minutes later I’d hear whooshing sound behind me, first three pairs overtake me, then I’m be able to stay behind them to the annoyance of the rest of the group. This was going on for about 50km. We’ve reached the first refreshment point in Mortagne (140km) just before it got dark, and I haven’t seen them since.
Most riders went to their support vehicles, so the refreshment stall was not busy. I needed some water and Coke. After I ordered them, one of the spectators jumped to the volunteer selling refreshments and paid for everything I ordered. He also pulled out my reflective vest off my bar bag, unfolded it and helped me to put it on while I was filling water bottles and drinking!! I was pleasantly shocked! After my thanks and his bonne route and bon courage I sped away into the night.
First night was great riding, no fatigue yet, mild weather, and pretty steady pace either on my own or in groups, including Ray R, and John B with his Swedish pals. Night turned into a day at about 7am and I was surprised to see that I’ve already covered 400km in less than 15 hours - wow!
My joy didn’t last very long as I slowly started to feel that my frenzied rush is taking its toll on my legs. I have slowed down considerably and group after group after group was overtaking me, and there was not enough power in my legs to join any of them. I stopped at Loudeac (449km) for a first proper meal and stuffed my face with a whole tray of food. I wasn’t hungry before - I ate pastry, pancakes, bananas, energy bars, energy gels, honey, coffee, Coke etc. (for those concerned about my teeth, I had a toothbrush and used it as and when needed!).
The day turned out to be nice for cycling – cloudy and not as hot as yesterday. My legs were not cooperating, so I was riding solo, as everyone who overtook me were way too fast to join. When this happens every few minutes for hours and hours, you start wondering – how do they ALL manage to sustain such a high pace and why I am the ONLY one who struggles? It
I’ve reached another control in Carhaix (525km) at 1:34pm where I had another tray of food. Scoffed everything in 20 minutes and was now on my way to Brest – the midpoint, where the ride should become easier (in theory). I was still riding solo; other riders were passing me as if I were a stationary road sign. What mattered is that I kept moving forward, was mentally raring to go and that I was almost half way through. Gradual climb over Roc'h Trevezel (350m – highest point of the route), free can of Coke from a volunteer on the top (merci!) and a nice descent to Brest watching fast riders climbing back towards Paris.
Brest – woohaa!! Brest control wasn’t very nice, food was of poor quality (I ordered a tray, but couldn’t finish half of it and that’s me being hungry). On a positive side I have met Simon B again as well as Toby H, Simon G and George H there. Rapha team came later as well.
Being aware of my speed issues I left the table a bit earlier, and went back to my bike. There was a sports doctor at the corner of a hall, so I decided that it is a good opportunity to go and complain about sore muscles above my knees. I had some ointment applied and a very welcome massage done to my legs – it felt good (actually great)!
I started to make a slow progress towards Roc’h Trevezel where aforementioned group caught me and I managed to stay with group first time after a long time (oh joy!). I even cycled in front for some time, together with Alan P (from SWRC). The group later split up, but I felt that at last my leg muscles are getting stronger (it was about time)! The weather was quite dramatic – it was dark, very thick fog/mist while ascending the mountain with lightning and thunder every 5 seconds somewhere to the right from us. When descending, the fog was gone and I had a company of an Irish audaxer. Thoughts kept coming to my mind that even it’s a lot of fun do go downhill at 60kph in the dark, but if a piece of wildlife decided to jump out in front of me, my story would end up there and then.
After some time our group has got together again, and I was riding with Bob J most of the time back to Carhaix. Proper rain has started, but luckily we were about half an hour away from control. Wet, but not soaked we reached control where it was sensible to stay for some sleep. I had a comic moment while cycling towards control - there was some man standing in the rain with umbrella and probably waiting for his supported rider. As I was riding past him, he exclaimed in an American accent “I LOVE this f***ing sport!”. This has cheered me up and also reminded me how hard and unrewarding it can be supporting the riders around the clock.
Carhaix (703km) ended up like Loudeac control four years ago (from what I’ve heard), when riders going towards Brest and riders coming back decided to spend few dark hours there. There was no sleeping space, but it was not overly crowded in an eating area, so after a big dinner(?) at 1am I decided to close my eyes for an hour and a half. Some riders were sleeping on the floor, some on chairs. I had three chairs in a row available (less than optimal, but hey, I was tired, so it didn’t matter!), and managed to lay myself so that they gave decent support. I’ve set my alarm to ring after 1h45, and fell asleep instantly. Weird - and it doesn’t happen often - but I woke up two minutes before my alarm was supposed to ring. After a bit of thinking (i.e. sitting and gazing into the distance), I came to conclusion that if I woke up myself, maybe my brain had enough rest. After a coffee and croissant I was ready to go. I have spent 2h40 in this control – longest of them all, but it was a time well spent (unlike in Brest). Another pleasant surprise – rain has stopped while I slept. Some of my teammates were still asleep, or I couldn’t see them, so I went on my own. On the way out I’ve asked mechanic to lube my chain, as the rain washed the oil off of it.
The roads were very wet with a lot of debris washed out from the fields – I was very glad to have mudguards attached! There was a constant stream of riders going towards Brest, and some of their lights were blindingly bright – not much fun to be facing them. Anyway, what mattered most is that I could feel the power in my thighs again and ride at good speed. In fact I was so rested, strong and happy, that I wanted to sing out loud as well! I felt like Phoenix re-born from ashes and no one would stop me now! Soon I joined Martin L (from Willesden CC) and some other guys and we were making an excellent progress through the rolling countryside at night. Challenging climbs and breathtaking descents in the dark on the way to Loudeac will leave a lasting memory. Had a quick (17min) breakfast at Loudeac - then hit the road again. It was getting light, and I had so much energy that I was spending a lot of time sprinting in the drops out of saddle. Kilometres were ticking, sun was rising, and again the weather wasn’t getting hot – it stayed just perfect.
I joined a group of five French riders, on of them dropped out, so the five of us were cycling at nice pace until they started doing chaingang. I thought I might join them as well as I’ve done chaingang couple of times with Dulwich Paragon, but they did it differently and I was waved off with few rude comments (which I didn’t understand, but understood the tone). Alright, sorry!!
Then there was a secret control near Illifaut, where I had two croissants and a cup of coffee. I just got a stamp on my card at Tinteniac control (867km) and carried on, as I wasn’t feeling hungry (stopped for cake and coffee offered by local people on the way). Joined two Italian riders, spoke about Mille Miglia ride that one of them has done as well. Bob J has joined me to the run up to Fougeres (921km) where we both (and Italians) had a sit-down meal. Bob J went to a drop bag facility (Baxters coach) to change his kit after the meal and I carried on on my own as Italians managed to get out quicker. After some time a Russian chap (in CCCP outfit) started sucking my wheel. Not a problem, but with no intention to go in the front after 20 minutes he had to be dropped. Then I joined Rapha’s Phil D and James F (Ultan C was about 100km ahead), chatting about their journey from qualifiers up until now. Very pleasant company!
Time went by quickly and we reached Villaines control (1009km) early evening, around 6pm. I didn’t eat there, as I was still carrying quite a lot of food from the start and should be eating that first. I had to use the toilets there and that was lowest point of the ride for me (I won’t go into the details here..). On the other hand, while getting out of control building I saw a “Massage” sign and I didn’t need to think twice
. While having massage done by two experienced masseurs (one leg each!), lady volunteer grabbed and filled my water bottles. I was treated like a royalty! On the way out I stopped at mechanic’s stand to have my chain lubed once again and tyre pressure topped up to 8 bars. Everything was done quickly, efficiently and free. Only 222km to go then!I was part of a big group on the way from Villaines, mainly French with one Bulgarian, Jens K (from Germany) and maybe someone else. They were going a tad slow for my liking, but on my own I wouldn’t go much faster either. Jens told that he is going for sub 60 hours finish time and it dawned on me that I didn’t have any particular target in mind. I started calculating and trying to work out what average speeds I should maintain for various finish times but my brain wasn’t the strongest part of my body at that time. Jens K eventually sprinted forward and left our group; I tried to chase him, but he was getting smaller and smaller in the distance. I joined the same group and had an easy ride to Mortagne. In this group as well as throughout the ride I received many enquiries about my custom gearing, this group at some point was discussing every shift I make, haha
Feeling smug I couldn’t resist the stupid temptation to show “how well my gears work”, dropping them on uphills or downhills and then rejoining.. This section had ultra smooth roads and was very enjoyable to ride in quiet sunset.There was a festival-like atmosphere in Mortagne. Country music, flowers, decorations, people out on the streets cheering the riders and having good time – it was brilliant! I parked my bike and saw Jens K coming out of the control building. “Let’s go!” he said, I said “OK!” – quickly went to get my card stamped, had an energy gel, had a quick chat with a volunteer, who looking at my luggage was surprised to hear that I didn’t have any support or bag drops. Jens K and I were a good team. We both had good lights and by working together were making an excellent progress through the night. He finished Mille Miglia last year (in 100hrs) and allegedly remembers my wife, who was there with me! I started counting and predicting my finishing time, and figured out that if we keep an average of 25kph for 140km and bounce Dreux control (1165km) I could finish under 60 hours (Jens K would finish under 60h anyway as he started two hours later than me). This sounded like an incentive! We both went like it’s a home stretch, taking turns and encouraging each other on hills. We soon caught two Italians (one of them in typical white outfit), with no luggage and started working as a team of four. Empty roads, excellent cycling by all and Dreux town appeared sooner rather than later.
Having bounced previous control I was quite hungry by now, so had two pan au chocolate, three bananas, cup of coffee and a can of Coke. I was ready to roll in ten minutes, but then we decided to wait for Italians who had a sit-down meal. We all left 25mins later and it became apparent that 60 hours would be out of reach for me (not that it mattered much). Few other riders tagged along and we all carried on through the night as a friendly bunch at moderate pace, overtaking few scattered groups which were plodding along. Ride across the fields, last few hills, and finally we hit street-lit roads of suburban Paris. Is the ride nearly over?.. I was surprised that I wasn’t feeling sleepy, having slept only 1.5h in last two nights - maybe it was the adrenaline buzz, maybe a substantial amount of caffeine that I was taking in during the ride, or maybe both. I felt great, strong and hyped up. Is the ride really over? It was. We rolled into Guyancourt gymnasium at 04:21am (there were people outside clapping and greeting us!), where we had our last stamp on the cards, shook each others hands, wished luck and parted. My official time was 60h11 – very pleased!
Afterparty
I had a quick chat with Nick J (from Cambridge, he finished half an hour before me), then took a shower, had some food and snoozed in the main hall until it got light. There were more riders around when I woke up – Simon B, Simon G, Howard W, George H, Ray R – to name a few I knew. They all finished in similar time, some before, some after me. After a chat with them I rode back to my hotel where I slept through the day and night. Then the other day I went back to the closing ceremony, where I met a lot of fellow riders – Frank P, Alex G, Arabella M, Richard E, Tom D, Matt C, Steve A and many many more.
Above - Tom D, Frank P, and myself
There was a big buffet where we could help ourselves with nice French food and wine. After that we went to the bar, some good stories there, also a Breton Dominique joined us and insisted on paying (and paid) our beer bill (trugarez!).
One last thing to do
Back at the hotel I was getting ready for tomorrow’s trip to London. Just one more thing was left outstanding for a complete Paris-Brest-Paris experience – to taste the (in)famous “Paris-Brest” cake. I went to one Boulanger-Patissier next morning, but they didn’t have it, then I went to another one and they did have it. Hmm, it tasted good (first two bites), but it’s actually a big chunk of butter whipped with sugar and flavourings and put between two thin pieces of pastry. It’s so rich it’s unbelievable. I managed to finish it, but only just!
The journey to London was uneventful - I was back home late Friday evening where I was greeted by my lovely wife. All the experience is still sinking in, but I already caught myself thinking “what big ride should I do next year?” The good thing is that there are plenty to choose from. Or maybe I should do something else instead, e.g. train for the Ironman challenge? I’m sure I’ll come up with something.
One week after the ride, when I am writing this report, my legs feel super strong and I also lost 3kg of weight during/after PBP. Now I am in the best form this year – shame that cycling season is coming to an end.
General Stats:
Number of riders started: 4998
Completed: 3980
Different nationalities represented: 65 (two Lithuanians including myself)
Total distance: 1231km / 767mi
Total elevation: 12225m / 40100ft
Max grade: 20.7%
My stats:
Total time: 60h11
Riding time: 51h00
Stopped time: 9h11 (of which sleep time ~1h40)
Max speed: 66.8 kph / 41.6mph
Moving average speed: 26.5 kph / 16.5mph
Calories burned: ~24700 kcal
Fat burned: ~2.9 kg / 6.4lb
My detailed riding progress can be viewed here:
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/372808
