CKAP Photo Album Gallery 20 Harold James Bridge - CKAP 1209 Channel to Med. Tour 2006 - Page One

CHANNEL TO MED. TOUR” 2006 April 29th. through May 13th. PROLOGUE:

There is a thread of decisions that led to my plan to join a tour group to ride across France in May 2006. The thread started during the CCCTS Trans Canada. “Shore to Shore 2004” camping trip; Victoria 31-05-2004 to St John’s 21-08-2004. I mentioned during that trip that as a dual citizen of UK and Canada I should now also do the classic British tour; “Land’s End to John O’Groats” from the far south west of England to the extreme north east of Scotland.

This approximately 1700 km tour has, it is claimed by GPS, 89,000 ft of vertical in it. I stirred up interest in some of the other Trans Canada riders and so it happened the 6 of us went to UK in June 2005 to tackle this difficult tour.       See Photo Galley 22

At first I was going to organize and plan it all myself. But someone suggested using “Bike Adventures” This British cycle tour company is owned and operated by an experienced tour leader with dedicated staff. They plan the route and book the accommodation. We just cough up the money. The big advantage of this system is that they have tabs on all the best accommodations and that proved to be the best part of their work.

When thinking of 2006 I decided to look at www.bikeadventures.co.uk to see what was on offer. I was attracted to the “Raid Pyrennean”. But that was a camping trip and after “Shore to Shore 2004” I had sworn off tents and air mattresses! Besides that I have probably left it too late to tackle the Pyrennees. But I also saw listed their “Channel to Med” tour and decided to sign on for that.

GETTING THERE:       We were to meet at Dover Channel Ferry ready to sail to Calais at 1200 hrs. 29th April 2006. My BCAA travel agent found that the nearest flight prior, was leaving Vancouver International Airport 23:30 hrs. 24th. April 2006, arriving London Gatwick International Airport at 17:05 hrs. the following day.

In theory I had plenty of time in which to ride to Dover. However, I am too out of touch with that corner of England to know the best routes and the traffic on the main roads is not bicycle friendly. I wanted to at least start my French tour!

A mixture of rides in trains and friends’ cars got me to Dover on the 28th. giving me time to walk about this historic town.

Day 1; April 29th. Ferry to Calais: 8 km.        Our first night was to be in Escalles, about 30 km down the coast from Calais but last minute changes had our first night in Calais itself. This led to the next day being our longest.

Day 2; April 30th. Calais to Abbeville: 138km.        My legs were feeling the Dover walkabout and there were some difficult climbs in the rolling country a short distance inland from the English Channel. This should have been written soon after the tour and memories are intermingled. But I do know we arrived in Abbeville in rain.

Day 3 May 1st. To Lyons-la-Foret: 120 kms        The diary says “Wet”. Other than that it was an ordinary sort of ride on an ordinary sort of day. Nothing stands out in my memory.

Day 4; May 2nd. To Anet: 93 kms.       There was a stiff climb out of Lyon-la-Foret. At the top a right turn on a tree enshrouded road and my only puncture of the tour (other than valve moldings splitting). I am used to hearing “ping” as stones are sent flying by my 25mm Michelin Axial Carbons. But this one was dead centre and had nowhere to go except into the front tire.

Again it was a wet day, but quite pleasant. One of the problems with booking for a dozen days or more means splitting up the group sometimes or eating somewhere away from the accommodation. Anet was one such place.

Day 5 May 3rd. To Bonneval: 114kms.       My notes say this “easy” day was tough. It was also decent sunny weather. A moment of nostalgia enroute as we passed through Nogent le Roi (the king is no gent?). This is usually the final control on the run into Paris at the end of PBP. The centre of France has vast areas of rape seed makjng for a brilliant yellow landscape.

Day 6 May 4th To Bracieux: 80 kms.       This was a good day. I photographed 3 Chateau. But I didn’t spend too much time exploring them. Thus, for the only time on this tour I was the first one into the hotel AND pool! And it was warm enough to use the pool.

Day 7 May 5th. To Charost: (or St Florent sur Cher?): 107 kms.       The official itinerary says Charost. But my diary says St Florent. I think this was an occasion when 2 of us were sent off to alternative accommodation. It was an interesting dinner where our hostess said we would be eating with her. Malcolm, the other tourist, was quite amused at the way Madam was warming up to me. Then he spoilt it all by telling her how old I was!

But before we got there I had got completely lost by mis-reading the route instructions. None the less I had, according to the diary, a nice ride on a bland day.

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