Herentals-Cosne/Loire-Herentals 1200

[Salvatore]

As a warmup to HBKH I'm riding this 1200 starting 2 weeks tomorrow. Herentals is in Belgium, and Cosny-sur-Loire is its twin town in France (SE of Orléans). I've just had the routesheet and here's a sample. Lots of closely packed instructions, which is very much to my taste. I'm sure it'll all make sense on the day.
.

I also noticed this bit, which suggests that if you arrive at the right time, you can participate in a champagne-tasting session. Not my tipple of choice by any means, but hey-ho.


There are 24 riders, 17 BE, 5 D, 1 USA and yours truly. I know 3 of the Belgians from previous rides.

For anyone who's interested, I'll be tweeting during the event.

I'm looking forward to it all immensely.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

There are 24 riders, 17 BE, 5 D, 1 USA and yours truly. I know 3 of the Belgians from previous rides.

Danish or Deutsch?

[Salvatore]

The latter.

[Swarm_Catcher]

I also noticed this bit, which suggests that if you arrive at the right time, you can participate in a champagne-tasting session. Not my tipple of choice by any means, but hey-ho.

You could always spend some time in Hoegaarden instead...

I'm looking forward to it all immensely.

Bumped into Jan last weekend when he talked about the ride.  I'm immensely envious!!

[Salvatore]

In an unprecedented ten minutes session of actually looking at the routesheet before I start a ride, I noticed that we'll be visiting parts of Paris that the PBP  (even the 1991 prologue) fails to reach.



It should be very early morning when we pass through, so little traffic. In theory.

[Jules]

It looks absolutely wonderful.  The Arc di Triomph (6th exit) should be fun.

I'm trying to plan a little France/Belgium DIY myself at present. Is this available as a perm?

[Salvatore]

The Arc di Triomph (6th exit) should be fun.

My tactic will be to stay in the middle of the bunch for as long as possible and do what everyone else does.

I'm trying to plan a little France/Belgium DIY myself at present. Is this available as a perm?

I doubt if it is at the moment. If you're interested, PM me your email address and I'll send you the routesheet.

[Nuncio]

John finished this OK.  I've just caught up with his tweets:

Herentals 1200km.finished in spectacular storm. Medal now round my neck. 10:35 PM Jul 10th via txt
 
Eghezée 1132 km. Ardennes most of the day. Hot hot and hilly 5:39 PM Jul 10th via txt
 
998.8 km Brunehamer. breakfast in the marketplace. It's going to be another scorcher/ 8:53 AM Jul 10th via txt
 
273 km tomorrow in 18 hours or 16 if i want the BBQ. Starts with Reims sightseer 10:44 PM Jul 9th via txt
 
Reims 930 km. Super morning with low temps and nice scenery. Afternoon was a return to baking sun and vast cornfields. 10:10 PM Jul 9th via txt
 
Just had my card stamped at LIDL at Romilly/Seine 812km. Stopped raining now. Only 110 more to do today 2:24 PM Jul 9th via txt
 
Joigny 731km Not a cloud for 2 days and now it's raingng. Lumpier today. Heading for champagne country. 9:50 AM Jul 9th via txt
 
Am now in the hotel at Cosne/Loire. 650km done. Very hot today and more promised tomorrow. Got lost a few times today. Paris sightseer ace. 11:49 PM Jul 8th via txt
 
Beaulieu/Loire 630km sitting outside waiting for pizza. @swarm_catcher: Toon just arrived. 9:52 PM Jul 8th via txt
 
Orleans. Very hot 4:08 PM Jul 8th via txt
 
le ferté alais about 450km. Paris sightseer was brilliant. Getting out of paris a nightmare 11:27 AM Jul 8th via txt
 
Got to paris control 365km just after midnight in a group of four. It all starts again at five. 4:10 AM Jul 8th via txt
 
Choisy-au-bac 290km for a meal. 8:13 PM Jul 7th via txt
  La Fere 236km. Horrible hot headwind. Passed through a town just before the Tour came through and got rousing cheers from the crowds. 5:03 PM Jul 7th via txt
   
177km Le Cateau. Got dropped by thE lead group at 160km. 12:58 PM Jul 7th via txt
     
1st control at Naast. 100km. included brussels sightseer including Atomium, Royal palace cobbles tramtracks etc. #audax 9:30 AM Jul 7th via txt

[Salvatore]

Don't expect a ride report before I get back to Blighty at the end of August. Highlights will include:
- the "take 6th exit at the Place de l'Etoile" instruction being as scary as it sounds
- persuading 2 flamands, 1 Walloon and and a Dutch American that I knew the way and they ought to follow me.
- encountering the instruction "keisse bergop" in the wet in the last 20 km of a 1200.

[arabella]

- the "take 6th exit at the Place de l'Etoile" instruction being as scary as it sounds

they must've done something to it since 1992 when I was last there, though admittedly I've done it more often in the other direction.
glad you enjoyed it anyway.

[Ivo]

This event is organised again in the PBP year, starting at the 6th of july.

[Salvatore]

I've just been laminating the route sheet (which looks identical to last year's) and casting my eye over the start list. Of the 23 starters, 10 rode last year, and 2 of the others rode HBKH - our very own Maverick and Valkyrie's best friend Bernard from Paris, so I already know most of the riders -  and there's Gilbert who is doing backup again. Altogether:

12 B (although Antonio is Spanish really)
3 GB
2 NL
5 D
1 F

No day-3 champagne tasting on the routesheet this year, but the route still goes through Hoegaarden near the end. And, being an "excellent lecteur de road-book" I don't think I'll miss this instruction this time

:"betonnen brug" ►L+L+L=over brug

Hopefully this time there won't be an international incident on the canal leading to Paris, and we won't be 30+ mins late in the centre with the increase in rush-hour traffic.


I'm looking forward to it all immensely.

[mmmmartin]

Tweet, please, so we get a vicarious thrill at reading tweets by someone riding the event. It's not as good as actually being there, but as close as I'm likely to get.................. 

[Maverick]

Yep, I'm in along with my recumbent riding mate xrtim of this parish. I'll be tweeting my way around this one. I'm hoping that my gps will get me through the L+L+L type instructions.

[Von Broad]

I'm looking forward to it all immensely.

I guess PBP will be a gentle little warm down for you this year then John? 

Good luck to all those riding.

[feel exhausted just thinking about all that!]

[Salvatore]

Tweet, please, so we get a vicarious thrill at reading tweets by someone riding the event. It's not as good as actually being there, but as close as I'm likely to get.................. 

I certainly intend to.

I'm hoping that my gps will get me through the L+L+L type instructions.

I'd say it would be most useful on the stretch on lanes and riverbank paths from Orleans to Cosne/Loire. Mind you, Bernd used a gps last time and ended up here. And it might come in handy negotiating the giant retail park on the outskirts of Paree. But the best strategy is to stay as close as possible to Jan's wheel.

[recumbentim]

Really looking forward to this now with most of the preperations done.
 With transport , Hotels each night  , Bag drop , Food and cafes , GPS track and Tour de Paris on 2nd day all organised and sorted it sounds like a luxury holiday not a Grueling Audax?
 
 Still got to do the miles though, cant wait.

[Salvatore]

Really looking forward to this now with most of the preperations done.
 With transport , Hotels each night  , Bag drop , Food and cafes , GPS track and Tour de Paris on 2nd day all organised and sorted it sounds like a luxury holiday not a Grueling Audax?
 
 Still got to do the miles though, cant wait.

Didn't anyone tell you about the D97 to Orléans? Last year it was tackled in a 35° headwind , with nowhere to fill your bottles

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Looks good to me.  Some greenery around, a village to aim at and a nice quiet road to allow you to chat with fellow riders

[arvid]

I would be really interested in a GPS track of this afterwards. I plan to cycle to Paris(for PBP), and when I set Google to walking to Paris, it sends me via Herentals at about 200km. So Herentals is a very likely place to sleep.
I can then plan my own route onwards from Herentals without any knowledge about the roads. But I know this route will go to Paris as well, and is likely to be a lot better.

[Ivo]

Part of the route you can find easily. IJzeren weg from Herentals in southern direction, a bit of road riding and then the old railroad from Hoegaarden. Take the branch-off to Gembloux, stick north of Charleroi and use the Ravel along the canal du Nord to Mons. From there to Bavay and on to Paris. From Tilburg to Herentals is another old railroad.

[recumbentim]

Maverick and I are setting off for Dover crossing tomorrow am. Start is Wed am and weather looks good. Got Tracks ,  Routes , Route sheets and paper map too. what could go wrong------- lots I here you say?

[Nuncio]

All the best to you and Martin for the ride.  Say hello to Salvatore for me (and remind him he owes me £30).

[Nuncio]

And they're off.

John_Spooner
Naast 100 km. Headwind. Fast pace. Knackered. #audaxuk #Audax #hch2011 5 minutes ago via txt

maverick_47
#audaxuk At first control 100km weather dry but windy 8 minutes ago via txt

[Nuncio]

John_Spooner
Choisy au Bac 289 km. Antonin and i instituted a lanterne rouge group, joined by André then Martin and Tim. wind dropped. #audaxuk #Auda ... about 1 hour ago via txt