PBP short brochure (plaquette)online...

[vorsprung]

90 hr start*

the full mass night exit from St Q
breakfast near Fougeres and ride all day on caffiene and adrenaline
arrive in Loudeac (or even Carhaix) the next night for a good sleep
day trip to Brest and back to Loudeac for more sleep
day ride to Mortagne picking up snacks all the way
morning victory parade back to St Q

or in my case

90 hr start
the full mass night exit from St Q
breakfast near Fougeres
lose Brevet card at 1st control,  Team up with demoralised mattc.  See picture


somehow make it to Loudeac with time in hand for sleep
lurch to Brest and back to Loudeac for another 45 mins sleep.
have near head on with car due to unconsciousness,  so stop and sleep in haystack.  Sorry simonp
sleep at Montage.  Give spare crossaint to teethgrinder
hallucinate and weep
finish in time and stay up half the night at hotel drinking wine

[Weirdy Biker]

90 hr start (reality in brackets)

the full mass night exit from St Q (for about 4 hrs until it starts to piss down the rest of the night)
breakfast near Fougeres and ride all day on caffiene and adrenaline (as all the control food is shit)
arrive in Loudeac (or even Carhaix) the next night for a good sleep (outside lying cold on my spare clothes)
day trip to Brest and back to Loudeac for more sleep (lying under wet sleeping bag across 3 chairs)
day ride to Mortagne picking up snacks all the way (until just before Villaines where my ankles fell off)
morning victory parade back to St Q (riding like a pillock on as many pills as I could pop so I wouldn't ever have to go back and feel that pain)

and still finish in 84 hrs if you want with a morale boosting 6 hr comfort zone (actually 86 and that was because Rob scared us into thinking Dreaux was going to shut early)

what's not to like?

You should have had a hand in writing the marketing material for PBP 2011

PBP is all about the atmosphere.  I would ride it again just for the experience of riding amongst like minded people through a country that respects your audacity and makes every effort to show it.

What's not to like?

[Martin]

PBP is all about the atmosphere.  I would ride it again just for the experience of riding amongst like minded people through a country that respects your audacity and makes every effort to show it.

What's not to like?

agree completely; even with my tribulations on the ride it's the most fun I've had with my cleats on

[simonp]

"A nice day ride to Brest" is exactly how I put it at the time, when I set off from Carhaix.  

Snooze in the sun at lunchtime before riding back.  What could be better?

[border-rider]

All this talk of fast times reminds me that I was thinking of trying to gain membership of this http://www.adrianhandssociety.com/Adrian-Hands-Society.html. 

He beat me in 2003, by almost an hour.

[border-rider]

We obviously have very different ideas about what constitutes 'atmosphere'. I found the 84-hour start (i.e.the départ) very flat in comparison with the 90-hours starts I've done.

I'd agree.  The 84 hr start worked a lot better for me last time, but the 90 hour I did in 2003 was a lot more fun.  I'd def. recommend the 90 hr start for anyone who wants to experience the atmosphere to the maximum.  Less support in the towns and villages, too.

[rob]

and still finish in 84 hrs if you want with a morale boosting 6 hr comfort zone (actually 86 and that was because Rob scared us into thinking Dreaux was going to shut early)

Did I ?    I have scarce recollection of that bit although I do remember quite a lot of the run in to St Quentin.

[Andrew]

Can you folk PLEASE stop talking so enthusiastically about start times!

I'd all but resolved to not ride PBP and now there's confusion in my mix.

I intend to ride Bordeaux-Paris this year, and then do a club mates PBP qualifier 400 the week later (!!) but I wasn't going to decide formally on PBP until nearer the time. Your upsetting my balance!!  

[Martin]

and still finish in 84 hrs if you want with a morale boosting 6 hr comfort zone (actually 86 and that was because Rob scared us into thinking Dreaux was going to shut early)

Did I ?    I have scarce recollection of that bit although I do remember quite a lot of the run in to St Quentin.

yes it was at Mortagne; the rumour was that they would pull the 2 hr extension the previous controls enjoyed, whilst I was looking for pharmaceuticals and trying to rest my ankles; although in the end staying there would have just made me feel even more sick with more and more AUK's arriving; all certain to finish when I was convinced I was a DNF

NB there was never ever any rumour that the 90 hr was going to be extended; just the intermediate control times; and this was written up at each.

[simonp]

and still finish in 84 hrs if you want with a morale boosting 6 hr comfort zone (actually 86 and that was because Rob scared us into thinking Dreaux was going to shut early)

Did I ?    I have scarce recollection of that bit although I do remember quite a lot of the run in to St Quentin.

yes it was at Mortagne; the rumour was that they would pull the 2 hr extension the previous controls enjoyed, whilst I was looking for pharmaceuticals and trying to rest my ankles; although in the end staying there would have just made me feel even more sick with more and more AUK's arriving; all certain to finish when I was convinced I was a DNF

NB there was never ever any rumour that the 90 hr was going to be extended; just the intermediate control times; and this was written up at each.

I beg to differ; I was told that "you have an extra two hours" with no qualification.  So yes there was such a rumour.  Salvatore, who caught up with me after about 800km, set me straight.

[Martin]

I beg to differ; I was told that "you have an extra two hours" with no qualification.  So yes there was such a rumour.  Salvatore, who caught up with me after about 800km, set me straight.

the news started to circulate when I was at Carhaix on the way back ; it was very clear, 2hrs extension at intermediate controls but not at the finish, It wasn't because they took pity on us drowned rats; just that they accepted that Loudeac (and to an extent Carhaix and Tinteniac) were getting logjammed both ways mostly due to riders hanging around there due to the weather; and it was difficult to get everyone through.

[mattc]

NB there was never ever any rumour that the 90 hr was going to be extended; just the intermediate control times; and this was written up at each.

Irrespective of what was written (or indeed said) by officials, I don't see how you can deny that a rumour existed.

[Unless you want to start another YACF word-redefinition thread!]

[Ivo]

PBP is all about the atmosphere.  I would ride it again just for the experience of riding amongst like minded people through a country that respects your audacity and makes every effort to show it.

What's not to like?

agree completely; even with my tribulations on the ride it's the most fun I've had with my cleats on

Absolutely. You ride PBP for the people, both on the ride itself, helping or cheering at the roadside.

[Martin]

NB there was never ever any rumour that the 90 hr was going to be extended; just the intermediate control times; and this was written up at each.

Irrespective of what was written (or indeed said) by officials, I don't see how you can deny that a rumour existed.

[Unless you want to start another YACF word-redefinition thread!]

there was no such rumour (at least not one anybody took seriously) when I was at MaP; it was "get back to St Q by 1700 or fail"; I can only speak for what was clearly written at each control and for what other AUK's I was with at the time thought.

You can still search AUK (and indeed every finisher) finish times on the PBP site but it's not much use if you don't know their start time

[Really Ancien]

This notice was displayed at Mortagne on the last morning.



Sorry about the quality, it's a video still from this interview with John Spooner.



<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/OKQC4vxViac&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/OKQC4vxViac&rel=1</a>

Damon.

[mattc]

there was no such rumour (at least not one anybody took seriously) when I was at MaP;

<sigh>

In which case you clearly

want to start another YACF word-redefinition thread!

[Salvatore]

A rumour definitely existed and spread in the way that rumours do. I was told by someone who is usually very well informed that there was a 2-hour extension, and he had been told by the President of his national federation, I met people quite near the finish who hadn't seen the signs plastered all over the controls to the effect that the original time limits were still in force.

I've heard similar rumours on all PBPs I've ridden - there's seldom any substance to them. It's best to make them irrelevant. If you've signed up to finish in x hours or less, then finish in x hours or less.

[rob]

I've heard similar rumours on all PBPs I've ridden - there's seldom any substance to them. It's best to make them irrelevant. If you've signed up to finish in x hours or less, then finish in x hours or less.

In 07 I chose to ignore the alleged time extensions and just worked to the times on the card.   Explains why I pressured cohorts to get back on the road at Mortagne.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Now this is just what I needed to completely destroy my concentration for the rest of the day
But with all this talk of 80, 84, 90 hour starts, one question: when do the tandems set off?

<------- thinking of a delicious tandem paceline.

In 2007 you could choose your nominal time but then you started in the first wave.

Not quite.  Velo Speciale (including tandems) could nominate for a 90 h or 84 h limit, not for an 80 h limit.  VS started 15 min before the first 'normal' wave for that start time.

[Hummers]

STOPPIT.

STOP BLOODY TALKING ABOUT IT.

ALL OF YOU.

DO YOU HEAR ME?

YES, ESPECIALLY YOU THERE AT THE BACK.

YES, YOU.

NO, NOT YOU

YOU


H

[border-rider]

An early outbreak of PBP fever this time

[Panoramix]

STOPPIT.

STOP BLOODY TALKING ABOUT IT.

ALL OF YOU.

DO YOU HEAR ME?

YES, ESPECIALLY YOU THERE AT THE BACK.

YES, YOU.

NO, NOT YOU

YOU

You need not to worry my dear, every other week until PBP I shall start a similar thread to ensure that my fellow garlic eaters have the great honour of sir Hummers and his thong travelling to the land of smelly cheeses.

[Hummers]

I fear there are one too many mental images there for all but the hardened wheelman to cope with.

H

[thing1]

Not quite.  Velo Speciale (including tandems) could nominate for a 90 h or 84 h limit, not for an 80 h limit.  VS started 15 min before the first 'normal' wave for that start time.

Ah, Special Needs. I get it.
With the help of a Spreadsheet I think that means tandems finish at either 4:45 or 10:45 am. 4:45 sounds horrific so I think we'll be down, nominally, as 90hr.
(And no, I really can't believe I'm discussing this already)

I fear there are one too many mental images there for all but the hardened wheelman to cope with.

To be honest, I found this (physical) image enough of a challenge!

[MSeries]

No thing1 0500 minus 15 mins is 0445 not 1645.

and 1830 minus 15 mins is 1815 not 1645