The end is near

Ok so I'm a week into my last month out here in Brittany, France. With the short time I have left here I thought I'd take some time to write a blog to talk of the places I've visited,what's happened since I arrived and how it's been made possible.

Accommodation-
Of course the most important thing when you come to a foreign country to race is having somewhere to live. My living arrangements were sorted by my team and they were very nice too. The second day after I arrived in February I was taken to my new home, bikes out, bags out, "here is where you'll be staying young English man" said My Team President as we walked up the unfinished, perishingly cold garden path. My first impressions were, "well its certainly going to quiet", for a lad who lives in Northern Terraced street this was quite the opposite, the nearest house several hundred meters away, big garden, trees all around and a river a short walk down the road.

My view on a wet February Morning

 I was introduced to my Land lady, Marie Noel, a very nice French lady who thankfully spoke English, after a short tour and chat about finances and other boring stuff like washing machines Sebastien left me to it. It was strange at first living in somebody else's home, okay I've lived away for two previous years in Belgium but that was in a shared house with other cycling lads, not an individual, it's a completely different feeling. However it's not like I was here alone the two lads from the team were only living a short distance away across town and we have the Mills family an hours ride away in the village of Baud. But I'll speak of them later, trust me they deserve a whole paragraph.

Come June, the garden was landscaped a very peaceful place to have a BBQ

Places to visit-

Of course most of the places I've visited since coming to Brittany have been via pedal power but the odd time they have been in the car. For those of you not aware, Brittany is on the North Western part of France and most of the regions borders are the ocean, with this abundance of coastline your never far from a great beach, walled coastal towns or a mouth watering seafood restaurant. But it doesn't haver to be a long ride or drive away, sometimes a short wander into the town for a coffee or a relax by the river is enough for me.

People-

Now all of the above and all my other blog content "i.e" racing out here would not be possible for me if it wasn't for the support of The Dave Rayner Fund. Up until November 2012 I had no idea where or what I was going to be doing this year. As soon as I got that confirmation email from Keith Lambert I had funding I could start to think realistically where I might go. For those of you not aware of the Dave Rayner its a Non Profit Organisation which raises money each year for a number of riders both male and female to go abroad and race in the country of their choice to better themselves and succeed. Reasons for the Funds set up are rather sad as Dave was an extremely talented young rider from Yorkshire who went to Italy to ply his trade but sadly not only his pro career but his life was cut short with a violent ending in Bradford, where Dave was from and so today the fund supports riders with his ambition. There are several ways in which the fund raises money. All three of which I have been part of for several years.

The Etape du Dales is a cyclo sportive held in my back yard "The Yorkshire Dales" a gruelling 112 mile route taking in every climb worth riding in the National Park.  Why not give it a go.....  http://www.daveraynerfund.co.uk/etapedudales

I had a go in 2009, got a silver certificate you know.....

The Fred Whitton Challenge is another leg breaking sportive held in the Lake District "my back yard also on a big day!!" Which gives a considerable amount to the fund .... http://www.fredwhittonchallenge.org.uk/

And finally at the end of the year in November the Fund hosts it's own dinner and auction in Bradfords Hilton Hotel. The dinner always comprises of 2-3 special guests "cyclists" an auction of world Tour signed jerseys and other goodies from the years season.

So now I had the finances, where to go and how. Well through sheer fluke a friend by the name of Daniel Patten "also a funded rider" mentioned the name "Mr Tony Mills" and just by luck he's a friend of my Mums Husband. Doug and Tony raced together hundreds of years ago and hadn't been in contact with each other since the turn of the last century, Tony Lives out in France with his family, and I mean his family.... His wife Barbara, 3 sons Tony "Junior", Nick and Tim along with Tims Wife and 2 children, its a real Southern Commune, so of course when I arrived a translator was drafted in to help out with the chit chat.

Tony, thats young Tony sorted me out a team with in matter of days over the Christmas/ New Year period and I was good to go. Nick met me, George and Josh at Portsmouth and brought us over.

I would really like to thank the whole family for welcoming me in and for doing everything they have. Not so bad after all aren't them Southerners......


Other English out here include.......

This guys aero...

This guys sore.....

This guys half dressed

and this guys HOT!! I mean over heating

Aside from our own Little Britain Out here, I've met many lovely people and despite the language barrier, which I'm pleased to say has improvement no end since I came I've managed to chat and get on with so many people.

Talking to Seb, Pre Race, he's laughing so either my French was appalling or I'm a funny guy.

and Finally I've come across a few animals while out here, some more than others were grateful of my company......

He lives over the road, always happy to share my baguette he is....

Say No More.... That's misty my house mate.

only met him once, he got the hump and I never saw him again

He definitely didn't want to meet me and I doubt a second meet is likely  

as I write this blog she is by my side.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog about life Living in Brittany of the bike........

I tried, I failed, I'll try again

The weekend before last (24th August) I had three races in 4 days, all part of the TAM series. I had great moral for this series to finish the season off well, however as we lined up for the criterium on Saturday evening the 4 jerseys of the series, "Yellow, polkodot, Green and white" were all been ushered to the front for photos. Hmmmm so thats great I've already missed the first few rounds!! What a great start......

 Anyway couldn't let that bother me and the race was soon under way, 31 laps of a 3.1km circuit. The course was great, a mixture of small lanes running through windy corn fields, corners, road furniture and a big wide open road to the finish which was right in the centre with a few bars and boulongeries to keep the crowd happy between laps. 

I was very keen to do well as I felt great and wanted to prove I'm equally as strong as others. Despite it been quite a blustery evening the race didn't split as I expected and gaps only began to really open at the half way mark. I got in 3 or 4 moves which all gained good gaps but once attacks came from the bunch we were brought back. Eventually a move did go and to this day I still don't see where it did but hey ho!! So we were going for 9th, a great result in 1st cat race if I could managed it. With about 5 laps to go I got in 2nd move, no way were we going to bridge to the leaders but a top ten was a possibly. However Bic 2000 weren't represented and with a strong bunch of guys they pulled us back. A few countered and stayed away for 9th, 10th and 11th... So could I get the bunch gallop for 12th??... 

George did a great job from 2km out and road on the front all the way to closing few hundred meters, little did he know I was locking up with cramp behind and my 12th place would be a miracle, I tried desperatly to sprint but rider after rider flew past and I had to settle for bloody 25th Not a happy bunny I'll tell you. However at least it wasn't a half hearted job, both hamstrings, both quads and both calves seized after the line.... 

After a spin out Sunday, Monday was the next target part of the same series but this time a 15 lap race along the beautiful Finistere coast, On my warm up laps I remember saying to the lads, "jeez I've raced in worse places". The race was full of everyone who mattered and I really wanted to get in the break and get a solid performance.

The race face was on

 A good breakaway group was established on the first lap, I was in it, we got a great gap in no time and the guys featured really pushed on, I was hanging in the first few kms of the effort but still rolling through to do my turn. After a lap or two my legs were beginning to come round and just in time.... There were a few passengers on the breakaway train and the lads who counted in the series i.e the yellow jersey, green jersey didn't want them having a free ride and soon the attacks came, I kept with them all and showed them I wasn't going to be lazy. Unfortunately in doing this our speed dropped and with Armee De Terre smashing away on the front of the bunch we were caught!!! very disappointing.

 Not as disappointing as what happened next though..... After just shy of another lap another group chipped off, I was right on the wheel of the last guy and for some reason I hesitated and didn't jump with him!!!!!!! After this small groups kept chipping off and I was in none, I rolled round in the bunch for the remaining laps and came in 45th, a disappointing day to be honest.

The race face was obviously off by this point

 And Finally to Tuesday and the race of Scaer, also part of the same series. The circuit couldn't have been more different to yesterday. A short little steepish kick up followed by a long drag and then terrible roads for the rest of the circuit, as my bottle cage fold out later on. The race got under way very quickly with an attack in the first 10 meters this group stayed away for a good few laps before been joined by another group of riders, these riders jumped from the bunch on the long drag which was a sufferfest.

LOOK!! A gap!!!

 Now unlike the day before where I was behind a rider who attacked and I hesitated and didn't follow, today I couldn't even get out the bloody saddle to follow him never mind sustainer an attack.

Sorry lads, you'll have to do it, I'm capput

And so by about lap 5 of 16 my groups race was over, yes people tried to jump clear and form chase groups but they weren't getting anywhere and when I had a go the same thing happened, there was one where it looked like we may get away but half a lap later we were all back together again like one big happy family rolling round. If I'm honest I just wanted to complete the race and get it finished with.

I had a go in the sprint, "can you tell" I mean you never know, the 30+ guys infront might have stopped

 Now I finished in 36th in one piece, a very fatigued one piece but one piece nevertheless, the same wasn't to be said for my trusty 3 year old bottle cage. The rough roads of the day had taken their toll on the old fella's lower welds and unfortunately he's had to concede he's no longer the sturdy bottle carrier he once was, he's done a great duty for the likes of Elite, energize, maxim, SIS, Gatorade and finally its High5 thats finished him those 750ml bidons were just too much for him.......

As you can see the poor chap suffered a terrible ordeal, now he lays to rest in bottle cage heaven...... my wheelie bin.