I worried that I wouldn't be able to start due to severe shits on Friday which culminated in a long spell passing nothing but brown dishwater. Saturday I felt better and managed to eat without loosing it all withing a couple of hrs.
As this was my first PBP and setting off with the specials at 5:15 I didn't know what to expect so stayed close to a friend and fellow velomobile rider, after 30km he siad to me "we're going too fast ease off" only I didn't feel that way, I wasn't feeling that the pace was too much, in fact I thought it was a bit slow, we eventually drifted apart and I didn't see him again until he finished in about 88 hrs.
I was constantly riding with other velomobiles and tandems, which have the same road dynamics apart from tandems climb faster. Talking of climbs, I didn't find any particularly taxing, I just geared down and spun my way up slowly, this caused a lot of yo-yoing with groups as they overtook me going up and I overtook them going down.
I carried a fair amount of food with me so at controls I just stopped for water, I didn't stop for sleep the first night. On the descent of the Roc' towards Sizun, I suffered I front wheel puncture at about 70kph, it wasn't a problem but I took some time to stop with gentle braking, so much for the sealant in the innertubes! A very messy change of both tyre and inner tube and I was off, only to be stopped soon after by the Police, apparently I had been caught at 80kph in a 50 kph zone, with my poor French and his poor English I managed to prove to him that I couldn't pay a fine, I was on(in) a bike and I couldn't go and get him money, he eventually relented taking my details from the Brevet card and said I would receive the fine in England! I have subsequently looked at my GPX files and can't find a place where I was doing that speed on the run between Sizun and the outskirts of Brest!
Soon after the stop I developed the squits again making me stop at a supermarket for the loos, I also restocked on fluids and a bit of food.
I didn't like the run into or out of Brest, but I guess It's a busy place and it was about 5pm. Riding out of Brest it soon became apparent that the head wind that had been keeping me cool on hills was now about the same speed as me climbing, i.e. no cooling breeze, I suffered really badly from overheating until the sun set and the wind died.
It was surprisingly cold during the nights and on the Monday night I was feeling it badly on the descents, the mist and strong lights of the approaching outbound riders were making me close my eyes, I became aware that I was having micro-sleeps so at about 4am I found a wooden pic-nic bench, got out my bivvy bag and somehow slept for over 2 hrs waking to violent shivers. I had to get on my way just to try and warm up. Soon the sun came up which cheered me up. I stopped for coffee and pain au'choc' at a cafe somewhere!
By now my ability to eat had failed, nothing tempted me at controls and when I did try and eat it was like eating cardboard, alcohol free beer turned out to be the best lubricant.
At every control I would be surrounded by people taikng photographs and asking questions, while this expected (it always happens) on a tired brain it became a bit wearing and I inevitably had to border on being rude just to escape.
Eventually the hills subsided and I was on a fast run into Druex with speeds of about 40-45kph, although once into the town they dropped significantly, I was most disappointed with the control at Dreux, there was nobody to tell me where to go, where to park, where the control was, it soon became apparent why, a whole detachment of Fireman and women were there and all the volunteers bar one on the road where with them. Eventually I found the control with two ladies at the desk, they seemed most upset when I said I wanted to go straight out to Rambouillet, when I clip clopped my way back over the wooden bridge I found about 20 fireman and volunteers poking about my velomobile, they had turned my lights and were looking under the seat the cheeky feckers, I asked them to stop, then the question and answer period started again, eventually I escaped back into a very noisy town centre with lots of youths doing youth type driving/racing.
Finally I was out in the countryside, after a while I noticed I hadm't seen a sign for a while, until I eventually saw a red cross, backtracking a couple of junctions provided no clues so i went a few Km back eventually I saw an arrow, on following this again I became aware that I wasn't seeing any arrows. After a few minutes of map reading I knew I was heading in the direction of Rambouillet so I carried on, to my relief a couple more Km down the road I saw a rider and followed him until I was seeing more arrows and gained confidence that I was on the correct route.
The run from Dreux to Rambouillet was fast until hitting the cobbled section but what a relief I had made it, up through the deserted motorhome park, my car was still there then a slow climb up to the finish and the nasty cobbles through the arch and I'd finished, but only half a dozen people there. I felt slightly deflated.
Overall though very pleased with my time of 54:26 and I wasn't a physical wreck despite not being able to eat for essentially 400km, in fact I couldn't eat the finishers meal.
But, the bug has bitten, a bit late perhaps at 56 years old, but I would think I have at least one more go in me.