Wednesday 17 July 2013

The Juvenile Cyclist: More Races!

Hello there, I’m back.

This time I did some more training races up the Cyclo Park. One medley, a hill sprint and one team sprint. I came 4th in two of them and…. FIRST, YES FIRST, in the other one.

The one that I came first in (well, that we came first in) was the team sprint. Wow the shock of that. Well it was overwhelming but the main thing was that I had lots and lots of fun. I mean who thought that I, yes I, would come first.

So on that note I say goodbye. (JC)




Thursday 4 July 2013

Tour De France: Cagnes-Sur-Mer to Marseille Stage 5

Wednesday, as I remember, would be my big ride. Today's stage 5 (Cagnes-Sur-Mer to Marseille), or at least the final third of the route, tracks my old training ride of 30 years ago. Early on I would take in the climb of Mount Faron, famous from the Paris Nice... and in my young and fertile imagination Sean Kelly would be on my wheel struggling to hang on.

Heading inland I'd take in a nice steady climb from Le Beausset up to the motor race track, Circuit du Castellet Paul Ricard and it's just past here where my ride followed today's route. If memory serves it seemed mostly down hill with testing swooping bends and many fast straight roads into Marseille town. My reward, coffee and pastries sat by the yacht filled harbour.

The ride home was always great. Riding up the long twisting and usually wind assisted climb out of marseille and on to Cassis via the beautiful coast road then back home to Sanary-Sur-Mer for an evening dip in the med followed by a cold beer at the local. Strange to think I now live back in blighty, what happened there...

I thought I'd show you a pic of me in these spectacular surroundings but this is the only record of me there. As you can see from the lack of tan lines I didn't look like a cyclist and that's how its turned out.

Surfs up... my bike's in that shed























Then today I watched the real deal, Mark Cavendish, storm home with his Quick Step team to win stage 5. Fantastic.

Monday 1 July 2013

Eltham John in disguise... and sitting in

With the current good weather I am getting used to my new Triban 7 bike and even at my advanced age am managing to sort out what gear to use when the road gradient changes.

At the time of buying the bike I was persuaded to purchase a hard helmet so that I can ride with 'J.C.' at the Cyclo Park. This has gained me an unexpected bonus, as with the helmet, new bike and dark glasses riders catching me up whilst riding around the local lanes no longer speed by but actually allow me to 'sit in' (or Draft - as I now call it).

I can only assume that my new disguise is hiding my true age and I am being accepted as a proper rider after years of being treated as an 'Old Fool' who should have been sat at home in my rocking chair!

A heavily disguised Eltham John











There is just one thing I must remember, I must not make the mistake of entering myself for Le Tour.