Bordeaux-Paris 600km Ultra Raid / Rando

[thing1]

Just got sent this by Grand Trophee events (orgs of La Marmotte). Only 43 days notice!, but still thought it interesting revival of an old classic.

http://www.bordeauxparis.com/en/
"""
Ultra Cycling Challenge

Experience the ultimate cyclosportive adventure!

The legendary cycling race Bordeaux-Paris rises from its ashes as an ultra-distance cyclist challenge open to all, 35 years after its last professional edition. Created in 1891, Bordeaux - Paris was one of the oldest and longest one-day cycling events in the world. The race's unique character, with a distance of 600 km and a spectacular finish behind a derny, established its reputation as the ultimate cycling challenge suited only to the strongest and bravest riders in the peloton.
...
The distance of 610 km non-stop and 4,000 m of positive elevation are a massive sporting challenge and certainly the highlight of any cyclosportive cycling season, either solo or relay.
"""

Categories are:

•   Ultra Rando: 28 - 60 hr
•   Ultra  Raid: up to 32 hr
•   Ultra 2: Two person team, up to 32 hr

[vorsprung]

does your tandem count as a "two person team"?

[thing1]

does your tandem count as a "two person team"?

meh, no mention of tandem anywhere in their regs I can see (at least, with a 3 second google)

[wormscoffer]

I've just entered for 2016.

Has anyone here done this (cancelled in 2015) before? I'm wondering about strategy. I have a "touring" bike and a race/sportive bike and not sure which would be preferable. I'm also wondering how to ramp up distance between now and next May as I'm not an Audax rider.

Any advice/guidance appreciated.

TIA.

Andrew

[jsabine]

I'm not an Audax rider.

That's easy enough to correct.

(And would provide you with plenty of opportunity to build up distance.)

[wormscoffer]

Well, I'll start looking for Audax events to do in France where I live.

Should I be up to 400km by the end of the year?

I think I need to be able to average 25 km/h for the event but I'm assuming groups will form so not as hard as maintaining that speed solo.

[Ivo]

I did it twice, many years ago ('96 and 2000). My report of the 2000 edition:

Dodging Pace-cars between Bordeaux and Paris

Last weekend I participated for the second time in Bordeaux-Paris. From last
time I remembered nice solo night-riding through the French forests and a
nice, fast ride in fast groups untill the first peloton. But in that year I
was peaking at Bordeaux-Paris, now my peak is a month later, so I settled on
taking an easy ride to Paris.
As ususal, the Dutch club ERN (Euraudax Randonnee Nederland) organised a bus
to the event. So on thursday-evening I arrived at the abbey in Ossendrecht
where we could sleep before boarding the bus. Allready in the evening the
long series of tall tales about past events (especially Paris-Brest-Paris)
started. The bus-ride in itself was rather uneventfull, everybody tried to
catch as much sleep as possible. In Belgium and in Lille we picked up some
more ridersm  totalling us at 31 participants.
Nearing Bordeaux we spotted more and more cars with bikes on the roof.
Nearing our hotel it was bikes everywhere. The French bike-magazine
'Cyclo-Passion' estimated a 2000 participants.
After a short night we all assembled at 4.30 downstairs for a full
breakfast, and a last-minute preparation of the bikes. By bike we all headed
to the start, way on time. Most of us were waiting on the start-line a good
half hour before the start. This is absolutely crucial during
Bordeaux-Paris, all depends on catching a good echelon for the first leg of
140k.
WIth a bit of attention, I managed to end up in about 20th spot from the
openingcar. Pace was leasurely during the neutralisation. But as soon as we
were out of Bordeaux, things changed. The lead-riders immediately started
cranking 40+km/h. After a few kilometers I told the remaining Dutch riders
Jan and Jaap that I would quit that group. So I stopped pedalling and joined
the second group, which still was riding over 35km/h. But this speed was
still manageable. for the first part. After some 70kms I finally ended at
the end of the pack, started playing the accordeon, untill I dropped out of
the group after some 100kms. Just before the first control I was overtaken
by a large group including veteran Dutch rider Sybren Zandstra. I decided to
take it a bit easy now, I did remember the bad period I had after the first
control. Still things were OK, I arrived at the control in the same time as
in '96, with again a 30km/h average. Usually I'm not such a fast rider, but
the easy parcours of Bordeaux-Paris turns everybody into a racer. Most
French also regard it as a race. They arrive with large club-teams, all
aided by a team-car, sometimes even a motorhome. These cars were quite of a
nuisance during the day. Many drivers were inexperienced and tried to pass
at impossible places. Also most of the other riders were riding with
near-naked bikes. Mine was charged with all the stuff needed to get to our
supply-stop at 320kms without problems. So uphill I was often dropped, and
ended up mostly riding alone.
Mainly I solo for the rest of the day. Luckily the temperatures were still
manageable, not the extreme heat of the weekend before. Without special
events, and without problems, I arrived at the Maritzay-control at 320kms.
The bus was waiting there. So I had the possibility of changing some clothes
and restocking with food. My plan was to increase speed during the night. I
know that most French riders are lousy night-riders, mainly due to bad
lighting. I had seen many bikes with 'anemic-firefly'-type lighting, in
contrast to my doublde-halogene set-up. I left while most of the dutch pack
was still dining at the control. We nearly all were within 1 hour of
eachother. A dozen kilometers before the next control at 400k I was
overtaken by a large group. In it were some independent riders, cranking
full-out to stay with the group on the uphills. I rode my own pace. At the
control I saw them back again. They were looking awfull, and enquired about
a possibility to sleep for a couple of hours. Riding solo was better, I
concluded after seeing them. They were allready off to bed, when I headed
out again. Some people were studying my bike again, the reflective rings in
the wheels allways attract attention, people have the strangest explanations
for them.
Soon it became clear that this night would be different. Many small groups
were riding along, each aided by a pace-car. Thus they could ride at high
speeds, nearly unloaded and with hardly any light at all. The pace-cars
proved to be very dangerous for people not belonging to their club. Many
times they nearly pushed me into the ditch when their unloaded riders were
climbing faster than I was. One of the pace-cars was extremely problematic.
It was not riding behind the group, but in front of it, thus sheltering
their rider(s). Also it had a giant PA-system blaring at the roof. I got so
upset by it that I noted it's licence-number (8790 SF 16, eternal shame be
on it). The driver didn't understand a damn thing about aiding riders.
Uphill (s)he was riding too fast, downhill too slow. After a few minutes I
got so fed-up by the situation that I stopped and waited a few minutes to
get enough distance to it. Later on I tried several times to file a
complaint against this car, but I found nobody who was willing to take the
complaint.
About an hour later motorbikes started to speed past. Since the cyclosportif
group started some 8 hours behind us, I knew that their lead-group was
approaching. I stopped and saw t hem whizzing by. They were riding an
estimated 40km/h at that time. 
The general situation of that night, the extreme nuisance of the pace-cars,
caused sever problems for me. My whole motivation dropped. What I like about
night-riding is the quitetness and ease of it, and even more the nearly
complete absence of any traffic. A complete contrast with this night. Thus I
was riding badly, due to a completely shattered motivation.
Luckily I remembered that it was a long drag into the next control, the
leisure centre of the French post. I arrived there at about 4am. After a
coke and some bread, I decided to take a kip of 15minutes. When I had
finished with this, the main dutch pack came in. I was so fed up with the
whole ride that I stayed in total 2 hours at the control, heading out again
with the rest of the bunch.
After an hour of riding in the pack I remarked that I was dozing away. Since
I had hit a corn-field once some 5 years ago in the same situation, I
decided to let the group go, and take a powernap. From there on I sometimes
rode in groups, sometimes alone to the penultimate control, where the Dutch
bunch was just finishing their breakfast. I ate with some french riders,
knowning that a fast time was out of the question now, but also knowing that
I surely would finish within time. While exiting the control the arrow was
invisible due to too many people standing on it.So I left the village by the
wrong way, and made a nice detour. Halffway the last stretch I bought some
coke and cookies from a village-shop. While eating them, a whole group from
Calais came past. I had seen their van a lot of times, but this was the
first time I saw them all. I had ridden part of my 600k last year together
with them. Entering Paris, the course went over some hills in the
Rambouillet forest. This was done deliberately for the racers, but formed a
nuisance for us. The last part in general was mostly quite uninteresting,
the type of landscape you can find all over France.
Since I had been riding calmly for most of the day, I could finish with
ease. Immediately after the finish I asked  one of the organisers of the
Dutch bus about the rules for filing complaints. He disadvised me from doing
so, since the rules were quite chaotic and unclear. So he judged that a
complaint would hardly have a chance. I didn't like it, but publishing
the licence-nubmer in public, like here, is also a form of complaint ;-).
The finish was worse than last time, when it was in a nice stadium. Now it
was chaotic at a school.  We stayed untill the ceremonie protocolaire, since
we formed the largest foreign club. All riders sleeping in the bus had to be
aroused, for a group-picture by 'Cyclo-Passion'. Several of our Lille-riders
were still wearing their club-jerseys, so it was clear that in fact 'les
Nordistes' was the better title for our group.
In general, my feelings about the ride are very mixed. The bad memories
about the huge amount of pace-cars and their usafeness really makes me feel
bad about it. But the ride in itself is offcourse OK, it's just one part of
the rule-book, and the behaviour of some people. But they can completely
spoil it for others. So I don't know if I will ride again in two years. But
I must say that I am tempted to ride the rerun of Bordeaux-Madrid, to be
organised next year by the same club.

[Deano]

Ivo, I hope this is literally true:

After some 70kms I finally ended at
the end of the pack, started playing the accordeon, untill I dropped out of
the group after some 100kms.

...But I'm guessing it's an idiomatic Dutch expression...?

[wormscoffer]

Thanks - an interesting read.

I'm intending to catch a TGV to Bordeaux for the start. One of the main stops is at L'Isle-Jourdain near where I live so hope my partner and kids can say hello while I stop to refuel then catch another TGV back home from Paris.

[Ivo]

Ivo, I hope this is literally true:

After some 70kms I finally ended at
the end of the pack, started playing the accordeon, untill I dropped out of
the group after some 100kms.

...But I'm guessing it's an idiomatic Dutch expression...?

It's more a Flemish expression. This means your constantly on and off the back of the field, getting dropped and regaining contact with the peloton. So it looks like the said instrument .

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Well, I'll start looking for Audax events to do in France where I live.

Should I be up to 400km by the end of the year?

You'll be lucky to find any French Audax or randonneur brevets or cyclosportifs longer than 200km until Spring next year. France focuses heavily on longer events through Spring and Summer only. Autumn events are generally much shorter. Luckily, that is the sort of development in event distance that you'll want.

[T42]

Well, I'll start looking for Audax events to do in France where I live.

Should I be up to 400km by the end of the year?

You'll be lucky to find any French Audax or randonneur brevets or cyclosportifs longer than 200km until Spring next year. France focuses heavily on longer events through Spring and Summer only. Autumn events are generally much shorter. Luckily, that is the sort of development in event distance that you'll want.

Have a poke about on here.  The big calendar at the bottom is for Champagne/Ardennes but you can change it via the map.

ETA: the next 400 that he mentions is his own, down in Grenoble, and it includes the Galibier and the col d'Iseran. In October. Too rich for my blood.

[wormscoffer]

Thanks - but nothing appears available near me. I'll just ride alone then.

Why do French websites look they're put together by a 9 year old on a BBC Micro?

[mzjo]

Thanks - but nothing appears available near me. I'll just ride alone then.

Why do French websites look they're put together by a 9 year old on a BBC Micro?

I am not that far from you. There are no audax events in our area unless it's a PBP year. You will find 200's one by region going from Agen north to Poitiers from march to may, 300's ditto from april, 400's not many and further apart and expect to travel for 600's and upwards. The closest to you are probably the Ménigoute SR series although there was a 200 organised at St Georges (86) a couple of years ago.

A neighbour of mine did the Bordeaux-Paris a few years ago (6 or 7 years IIRC) and made the podium, 3rd scratch and 1st age category. He started in the 20h group because he won't ride in the dark. He is normally a road racer (still élite at the time) and didn't train over 200kms at all. Finished under 19 hours.

If you would like a couple of long circuits I have a couple that we have done in the club from Limoges (and were generally appreciated) and that could be modified/opened up to start from L'Isle-Jourdan I will PM them. They will be probably about 230kms if opened up. For other ideas the FFCT and UFOLEP calendars are both available on internet, broken down by region. For FFCT Google "Où Irons-nous" or search the FFCT site.

[Jethro]

Very intereasted in this.

Cant seem to get to the 'entering' bit at the moment though for some reason.

[wormscoffer]

Jethro - the entering bit often doesn't work (or didn't for me) from some angles. Click around and you'll eventually get in. They might have sorted it by now but that's what I had to do.

mzjo - thanks, I'd welcome anything as a starting point. I'm actually based in Civray.

[cygnet]

I rode this version in 2014; here's a report I wrote: https://cyclamour.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/bordeaux-paris/