Author Topic: Post PBP arrangements advice required  (Read 2036 times)

phil dubya

  • It's a fast bike, but the engine's knackered.
Post PBP arrangements advice required
« on: 10 June, 2019, 11:02:47 pm »
I've arranged my accommodation prior to the start and plan to leave my car in PBP parking whilst I ride.  This means that on returning to Rambouillet I will need to get some rest before driving to a hotel, even if it is 20 - 30km away.

Are there any general crash-out areas and how long can you crash there for?  Or another alternative is to get a few hours sleep in the car first.  Does anyone know how long the car park remains open? If I ride full value I'll be back in Rambouillet 12:30pm Thursday.

Any advice on post PBP arrangements are most welcome   :)


Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #1 on: 11 June, 2019, 10:16:57 am »
From the 2015 information sent to riders. Note the 2019 finish is in Rambouillet not at the Velodrome

3) Services at the velodrome after the ride
- From Tuesday noon to Thursday evening, a meal will be offered to the finishers in the central area of the National
Velodrome of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
- Showers will be available to the participants for free.
- About 200 sleeping places will be available to the participants for free, in a big tent on the velodrome
multipurpose area.
- A post-ride buffet will be offered to all present Thursday, Aug. 20 around 18:00.

From the web site
http://www.paris-brest-paris.org/index2.php?lang=en&cat=randonnee&page=agenda_epreuve

From Tuesday 20th August around 11.30am to Thursday 22nd August 5.30pm: return of participants
At the National Sheepfold, after passing the check in, you will have a meal and a rest room available.

Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #2 on: 11 June, 2019, 10:40:46 am »
No matter what the arrangements are at the National Sheepfold, there's bound to be a lot of bleating about them.

Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #3 on: 11 June, 2019, 11:46:15 pm »
Do you think there will be a baa?
Then again the drinks would be expensive and we’d end up being fleeced.

I’ll get my coat.

Phil W

Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #4 on: 12 June, 2019, 12:00:05 am »
The arrangements are a bit woolly at the moment.

Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #5 on: 12 June, 2019, 12:50:52 am »
That's what ewe say.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #6 on: 12 June, 2019, 07:53:23 am »
Looks like a sheep-sh***ery to me.

I reckon you'll need a dip afterwards. Look behind you.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #7 on: 12 June, 2019, 08:21:53 am »
On a serious note they ran out of food post ride in 2015 for the slower riders. There was a crash out area at the end. By that stage of the ride no one will so much as blink it you striped off and slept naked in the middle of the venue. I will be parking and doing a small local drive too, so will have a light sleeping bag and a lot of recovery food and drink in car. I have an estate but trust me, you will sleep regardless. By that stage you might not be able to think so a simple easy to follow mental plan will be a good idea. Mine is get off bike, feel good for a while, have a drink with others if available, then hobble to car and crash for as long as is required. If the weather is good I will just lock everything in the car, take the sleeping bad and find a quiet spot on some grass close by.

phil dubya

  • It's a fast bike, but the engine's knackered.
Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #8 on: 12 June, 2019, 08:44:31 am »
From the 2015 information sent to riders. Note the 2019 finish is in Rambouillet not at the Velodrome

3) Services at the velodrome after the ride
- From Tuesday noon to Thursday evening, a meal will be offered to the finishers in the central area of the National
Velodrome of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
- Showers will be available to the participants for free.
- About 200 sleeping places will be available to the participants for free, in a big tent on the velodrome
multipurpose area.
- A post-ride buffet will be offered to all present Thursday, Aug. 20 around 18:00.

From the web site
http://www.paris-brest-paris.org/index2.php?lang=en&cat=randonnee&page=agenda_epreuve

From Tuesday 20th August around 11.30am to Thursday 22nd August 5.30pm: return of participants
At the National Sheepfold, after passing the check in, you will have a meal and a rest room available.


Thanks John, good to know.   :thumbsup:

phil dubya

  • It's a fast bike, but the engine's knackered.
Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #9 on: 12 June, 2019, 08:52:26 am »
On a serious note they ran out of food post ride in 2015 for the slower riders. There was a crash out area at the end. By that stage of the ride no one will so much as blink it you striped off and slept naked in the middle of the venue. I will be parking and doing a small local drive too, so will have a light sleeping bag and a lot of recovery food and drink in car. I have an estate but trust me, you will sleep regardless. By that stage you might not be able to think so a simple easy to follow mental plan will be a good idea. Mine is get off bike, feel good for a while, have a drink with others if available, then hobble to car and crash for as long as is required. If the weather is good I will just lock everything in the car, take the sleeping bad and find a quiet spot on some grass close by.

Thanks Alotronic, this is what I was thinking too but wasn't sure if it was feasible.  I also have an estate car and have used it as post ride temporary accommodation for 600's, it's amazing how comfy those seats can be!  That is good idea to leave some non perishable recovery food in the car, thanks.

Re: Post PBP arrangements advice required
« Reply #10 on: 12 June, 2019, 09:32:47 am »
The arrangements in 2015 were a bit of a one-off. The start/finish had been at a big gymnasium next to a large roundabout for a number of editions. There was a large campsite nearby until 2011, and many hotels in St Quentin-en-Yvelines.

So a routine had evolved. Finish, get some rest in the gymnasium, and sit on the roundabout, sometimes with a beer, and watch the big bulge of late arrivals come in. You got a token for a small beer at the end, and there was free food at the presentation for the podium places in the 'not a race'.

Two things happened to change that, the arrangements had to be more formal at the brand-new velodrome, and the safety concerns in France after terrorist attacks. So it's difficult to know what exactly will happen at Rambouillet. There are visitor facilities associated with the National Sheepfold, which is an historic breeding centre for the Rambouillet breed; a kind of Merino. There is also a UCPA (A government sponsored sports organisation) equestrian centre, which might have some sort of stadium facilities.

Those sheep and horse facilities might suggest some sort of stadium, with a show-ring, but it's hard to know at this stage. Security concerns might be less in a campus setting. The finish was a let-down in 2015, the actual route into St Quentin was a bit better than pre 2015. That was always a nasty shock if you finished at a busy time.

If they can organise a good atmosphere for the finish, then Rambouillet could be a lot better than St Quentin. One concern I have is that PBP is very close in time to Semaine Federale, and there's organisational overlap between those two large events. Time will tell.