Author Topic: Bordeaux-Paris UAF 600 - 2016 (Read 5748 times)

LittleWheelsandBig · « **on:** 27 December, 2015, 11:34:33 am »

Even older than Paris-Brest-Paris is Bordeaux-Paris. Back in the early days of the safety bicycle (May 1891), four Englishmen were the first to finish what became the longest one-day race in the European pro calendar. The professional race fizzled out 30 years ago but the 'Derby of the Road' isn't dead. There have been periodic randonnees and more recently some sportive editions but every decade since 1951 the UAF has organised Bordeaux-Paris as a 600km Audax brevet. It is on again in 2016, HK and I will be there and we shouldn't be the only Anglos enjoying the fun.

Audax in France is quite different to Audax UK events. The UAF's motto is “Start together, finish together” and the French form follows Desgrange's original concept of a group riding to a schedule with 'road captains' setting the pace (22.5km/h average excluding stops). The captains have the dual aims of maintaining the schedule and everybody finishing. A follow car will transport your luggage, so there is no need to carry the kitchen sink. There are stops every 40-60km, wine is on the table, meals arrive minutes after the riders do and are included in the entry fee, as is the four course meal at the finish. Many French riders choose UAF for their first 600 brevet and the format is a refreshing change for experienced AUKs.

Bordeaux-Paris Audax departs from Artigues 07:00 Saturday 11 June and will finish in southern Paris (Montgeron's Reveil Matin, where the very first Tour de France started) at 19:00 Sunday 12 June. Cycle helmets are compulsory, as are lights and reflective vests at night. Pre-inscriptions (75 Euro) are due by 31 January with the balance of the 220 Euro total entry fee due by 30 April. For many one-way brevets, the UAF organises a coach to transport riders and their bagged bikes but you'll need to let the organiser know in early January if you want a lift to Bordeaux. We will be either flying or TGV/ Eurostar to the start and possibly riding back from Paris via an ACP Fleche de France permanent and ferry.

More details at http://www.audax-uaf.com/cyclotourisme/bordeaux-paris-audax-2016/ including a link for pre-inscription.

Don't be too concerned about potential language problems. Your French can't be worse than mine and everybody has been nothing but helpful since I started riding UAF brevets in 2008.

Veloman · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 December, 2015, 12:07:58 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 27 December, 2015, 11:34:33 am

Your French can't be worse than mine .......

Oh, I'm not sure about that!

Sounds a very interesting ride.

Jethro · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 December, 2015, 12:17:56 pm »

Do UAF events count towards a (UK) SR series?

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 December, 2015, 12:19:42 pm »

No. AUK currently chooses to only recognise BRMs.

It does count towards UAF's Aigle d'Or and Aigle d'Argent awards, which have no time limit to complete. Bordeaux-Paris Audax also is an excellent qualifier for PBP Audax 2016.

Frank9755 · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 December, 2015, 01:36:17 pm »

What happens if someone can't keep up and gets themselves dropped? Are they allowed to rejoin at the next control or are they DNF'd?

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 December, 2015, 01:40:54 pm »

The intent is to ride as a group, so the captains monitor the back of the bunch to try to keep riders together. Joining at the next control is often fine, as long as you don't extract the urine e.g. unroll a bivvy bag. It is common to drop off the back for a leak or to fix a flat and to chase back on (often in the company of a 'sheepdog'). Being off the back for too long could result in non-homologation. It is the typical French situation of applying the spirit of the rules, rather than the letter.

Somnolent · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 December, 2015, 04:27:48 pm »

It's a different style of riding, and one that I expect a number of AUKs would be interested to try.
But maybe more takers if a 200km was organised in the UK to be run UAF style.
I've yet to persuade LWaB to grasp that nettle.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 December, 2015, 04:28:37 pm »

I'm not interested in doing so under the AUK banner while AUK doesn't recognise UAF brevets.

Somnolent · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 December, 2015, 05:04:10 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 27 December, 2015, 04:28:37 pm

while AUK doesn't recognise UAF brevets.

And why would it? AUK is not affiliated with UAF.

Maybe it should be - but I doubt you are going to build a groundswell of opinion for that by telling folks to go and ride 600km and 1200km events in France.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 December, 2015, 05:06:53 pm »

Audax Oz thought that it was appropriate to recognise 'proper' Audax brevets, so affiliated with them last decade and then started running UAF brevets and recognising them for Audax Oz awards. Audax UK's Board doesn't. Such is life.

If I run UAF brevets in the UK, they'll be recognised by the UAF.

Somnolent · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 December, 2015, 05:20:14 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 27 December, 2015, 05:06:53 pm

Audax Oz thinks that it is appropriate to recognise 'proper' Audax brevets and so affiliated with them last decade. Audax UK doesn't. Such is life.

No reason (IMO) why AUK shouldn't follow Audax Oz's example in affiliating with UAF.
But I'm not aware that that has been proposed at an AUK AGM in recent times?

Such a proposal might get more support if more AUK members had experience of that style of riding.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 December, 2015, 05:26:25 pm »

We are rehashing old discussions that have very little to do with riding a specific event in France next year.

I commend the motion of riding Bordeaux-Paris UAF to the house.

Somnolent · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 December, 2015, 05:53:21 pm »

Quote from: LittleWheelsandBig on 27 December, 2015, 05:26:25 pm

We are rehashing old discussions that have very little to do with riding a specific event in France next year.

Quite so - and apologies for derailing your thread.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 January, 2016, 06:10:06 pm »

The UAF have an English-language entry form for those (like me) who have problems reading French. Feel free to PM me for it.

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 January, 2016, 08:18:16 am »

Does the entry fee include all the meals ?

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 January, 2016, 08:18:51 am »

Yes, of course. Wine too!

Veloman · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 January, 2016, 09:50:12 am »

How much whining? !!!!

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 January, 2016, 09:52:50 am »

Surely this must be right up your street VM.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 January, 2016, 12:54:40 pm »

Speaking personally, whining depends on the degree of precipitation.

Veloman · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 January, 2016, 02:23:01 pm »

Quote from: Aunt Maud on 24 January, 2016, 09:52:50 am

Surely this must be right up your street VM.

I'm thinking about it!

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #20 on:** 13 October, 2016, 12:50:28 pm »

I'm just having coffee with Barry Parslow and collecting some stories. He rode a Bordeaux-Paris brevet on the trike back in the day. Apparently an old Frenchman, 'the Wizard of Bordeaux-Paris', rolled up at the start and chatted with Barry at length about various things including the trike. By my reckoning, that Frenchman would have been Francis Pelissier, one of the great legends of the Tour de France. I'd never realised there had been that sort of link between French and British cycling legends.

Jethro · « **Reply #21 on:** 13 October, 2016, 01:07:32 pm »

Is there a sleep stop on route?

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #22 on:** 13 October, 2016, 01:29:06 pm »

Generally UAF 600s have a sleep stop but this year's Bordeaux-Paris 600 UAF was arranged to ride straight through. The various randonneur brevets and sportive Bordeaux-Paris events generally ride through the night but the cyclotouriste brevet has enough time to allow a sleep.

TigaSefi · « **Reply #23 on:** 14 October, 2016, 09:16:02 am »

295 Euros for an Audax?

I get that France often have long periods of travelling by bike where food will be really hard to get hold of but it's only 600km.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #24 on:** 14 October, 2016, 09:23:17 am »

Audax UK validate randonnees, not Audax rides. They are different things.

The big UAF Audax rides include things like motorcycle outriders (no stopping at lights or roundabouts), four course meals with wine, hotels, transport before/after for one-way brevets (like Bordeaux-Paris) and a follow car during the brevet. Those services cost money, despite enthusiastic volunteers from the UAF.