What are you capable of at the finish?

[rodgers73]

Well, I was just curious really. Someone might have heard what was planned...

[jamesld8]

Well, I was just curious really. Someone might have heard what was planned...

very reasonable enquiry too---after all many Audax organisers do give some details of what`s at finish, beds, food, etc etc !

[marcusjb]

As LWaB says, it is a new Arivee (after 20 years at the gymnasium?), so no one here will be sure what is there.

ACP know what they are doing and have organised a few of these now - so I wouldn't worry too much about the facilities at the end. One thing to note (and of course, it might be different this time) - there were no dorms at the end.  I think there were showers, in fact I am sure there were, I think I used them. But this is a new location, so there might be 5 star dorms with masseurs for all we know.

No doubt at the event, AUKs will find a new spot to cheer and jeer the Vedettes leaving etc. and a new spot to drink and chat at the end.

Some notableorious AUKs at the end in 2011 - middle of the night.



The sleeping arrangements at the end last time:

[zigzag]

when i finished around 4am in the morning the hall was almost empty, i wobbled to take a shower and later crashed out on the bench in the hall. woke up few hours later, chatted to fellow riders who have finished in the meantime, then went to the hotel and slept through the day and night only waking up to eat, drink and go to the loo. after that felt fine, but had random dozies during the day for a week or two.

[GrahamG]

Finishing at around 2am after setting off for the day 21 hours previous, I didn't even feel capable of navigating back to the campsite all of 3 miles away in the dark. Found a room with a load of gym mats down and slept for 8 hours and then headed back in daylight for the slowest ride of my life via a bakery, cafe and tobacconist.

[rodgers73]

So, whatever the new arrangements might be the general approach is to provide a shower, somewhere to have a sleep and I'm guessing somewhere to get some food have a sit down and a drink as well?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Shower - yes
Food & drink - yes
Somewhere to sleep - probably not, maybe a quiet corner to nap in.

[Veloman]

Looks like lots of opportunities!

http://velodrome-national.com/equipements/11-deux-salons-receptifs.html

[Feline]

I had a few miles to cycle back to the hotel last time which wasn't really a problem. I had drunk some beer and had something to eat with other yacfers at the end and had a nap on the grass. I can remember not being able to twist my foot to un clip on that short ride because I had gone a bit stiff already, so had to jump all the red lights rather than stop and fall over. Simon wondered what was the matter with me

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I plan to finish at lunchtime

[rob]

There was a room somewhere in the Gymnase where you could sleep last time.   I seem to recall walking up some stairs and there being a room full of gym mats.   A bit rudimentary and not all that warm but I had 3-4hrs kip in there last time before getting up and socialising.    My kit was in a mates van so I had to wait for him to arrive.

Will likely sleep a bit earlier this time and ride home in daylight.   Did anyone sleep at Dreux last time round ?


Rob

[GrahamG]

I plan to finish at lunchtime

I think that's a good plan - some of the guys I was riding in with in the early hours commented that it was a shame I'd missed out on the reception from the crowds you get during the day.

[LEE]

I plan to finish at lunchtime

8pm start on Sunday gave me a 2pm deadline on Thursday.

My plan was to finish with about 2 hours to spare but that ended up as 36 minutes to spare at 13:24.

By all accounts it seems good to finish between about 11am and 1pm as you get good support from riders who already finished and you miss a busy rush-hour period in the morning.

This is what it's like at around 13:20
Lee arriving back

As for riding afterwards, we rode a couple of miles back to the hotel then went for a drink and a meal locally.  Riding was fine, it was walking up and down stairs that proved more of a problem.

[The French Tandem]

A few euro notes, a taxi and the job is done.

I have only one word of advice: Unless you are very wealthy, never, ever, think about hiring a taxi anywhere around Paris, especially at night and with a bicycle. They will suck out of you a huge sum of money.  Everytime I visit England, I'm amazed at how taxis are cheap and convenient.  Here in France, it's another story.

[marcusjb]

What are we talking?  50 Euros to Versailles?

If you're really f**ed up, it's going to be worth every penny.

Especially as a Euro might be worth next to nothing by then any way.

[Redlight]

This is what it's like at around 13:20
Lee arriving back

I was a couple of minutes behind you and at 0.14 in that clip you can see my wife and son - then aged 4 and wearing the only XXXS Audax England jersey in existence - waiting to give me a cheer

[Exit Stage Left]

This is what it's like at around 13:20
Lee arriving back

I'm in there of course.



I think that's Graeme Wylie looking belligerent, he was well grumpy at the end. I'd finished in the early morning, had 90 minutes shuteye, and filmed until the cut-off. The quality of the experience at the final roundabout depended on who was directing the traffic, that officer was a true artist, and a pleasure to watch.

The finish is marred by traffic around midday. Will it finish at the velodrome this time?

For me the final part of the project was filming the finish. It's unlikely that you will reach the start unless you have a capacity to work to deadlines and complete tasks. If that task is to return to your hotel room, then unless you have serious physical problems, you'll be able to do it.

[Ray 6701]

I thought the finish last time was superb, lazing around on the grass in the sunshine drinking warm lager & having a snooze 

We travelled back the next day "Friday" & I did a 200k on the Saturday.

Pity the finish of LEL wasn't as good.  In fact it was pretty cack & hopefully will be improved upon in 2017.

[RobW]

I'll worry about that at the finish - right now I'm more concerned about (a) actually getting a registration place (b) actually making it to the finish.

At the end of LEL I was a total zombie. PhilW kindly offered me a lift back to my hotel with his lovely wife driving. I repaid their kindness by repeatedly giving them wrong directions, such was my deteriorated mental state. Luckily Phil and his good lady were more with it than I and had the good sense to ignore my inane ramblings.

Hopefully I'm a bit fitter this time, but I'm not making any assumptions at this stage. If the cycling gods are kind and I do make it to the end, I'd definitely like to be able to savour whatever atmosphere prevails, and sup a beer or two with whoever is around or I've been riding along with before I drag my weary ass off to the hotel.

Hope to see and ride with some of you there!

[Aunt Maud]

I need to be capable of riding to the Eurostar at Paris Gare du Nord upon finishing and putting my bike in the capable hands of the man, who will hopefully be capable enough to put it on the train I'm on.

Then I shall find my seat, whilst smelling like an old sock, crack open two pre purchased beers for immediate consumption and fall asleep. Hopefully I'll wake up when Le Train gets to Londinium and then I'll cycle to Fenchurch Street Station on auto pilot, then on to mothers.

Get up again and travel to Stansted Airport to fly home and entertain the guests at my wife's 50th birthday bash, do the BBQ, drink beer and hopefully remain semi compos mentis for the afternoon till they all go away.

Then I shall sleep.

If I don't complete all that in the correct order and to a tight schedule.........I'm dead.

[tippers_kiwi]

Plotting the route we will take to get to our Centre Parcs holiday on Friday I notice that we cross the Paris - Roubaix route within a few KM's of the Forest of Arenberg.

Since I will have the Domane with me and that road was used during the development of the bike (see HERE) surely it would be rude not to have a crack (hopefully not literally) at it?

[Phil W]

Remarkably awake and alert  at end of LEL 2013.  Got home slept for 5 hours then wide awake following day. I was ravenous day / week after finishing, so expect to be eating a whole horse when I finish.  So key will be to eat loads, drink, then sleep then I'll be good to go again.  I got a lot of sleep on LEL and hope for the same here but the larger field and atmosphere may mean I ride with less sleep. If so I'll just sleep at end to catch up. I certainly intend to enjoy the social and atmosphere as much as possible. Riding back to Ferry on the Friday so planning on being capable of that, plus bit up to London.

[Redlight]

Immediately after PBP I shall be heading off to Senonches, which is one of the small towns we pass through on our way out to Mortagne.  Then, after 10 days of lounging about at Huttopia, I am back off to Brittany for a week and staying not to far from Loudeac so I may go and revisit some of the route to Carhaix in daylight as it's almost inevitable that I'll be riding it in the dark on PBP.  The Mur Bretagne is quite close too.  It would be rude to to...

[Assasin]

Plenty of strong dark Belgian ale with lots of salty chips.
I'll get a stash of the good stuff on the way to the registration.
Incentive to get back and guzzle the lot after the bun fight (if there is one)

[john jackson]

Looks like lots of opportunities!

http://velodrome-national.com/equipements/11-deux-salons-receptifs.html

Might signup fpr a spinning class http://velodrome-national.com/sports/19-spinning-class.html