Gien-Le Galibier 600 UAF - 25/06/17

[LittleWheelsandBig]

The Union des Audax Francais is running a 600km brevet from Gien in the Loire. Starting at 07:00 on Sunday 25 June, it arrives in St Jean de Maurienne on Monday afternoon. The following day, weather permitting, there is a 100km ride up the Telegraphe and Galibier to Henri Desgrange's memorial (creator of the Tour de France and of Audax). On Wednesday morning, there is a short jaunt over the Lacets de Montvernier before an optional coach to Gien, arriving at 19:00.

http://www.audax-uaf.com/
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/iconic-places-col-du-galibier-3677
http://alpinecols.com/climbing-the-lacets-de-montvernier/
http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/history/union-des-audax-francais.html

For the uninitiated, UAF ride in a group at a steady pace with scheduled breaks (the original Audax style), four course meals and wine are included (please advise the organiser if your diet is not mainstream French), luggage is carried in a support car and Tour de France-style outriders minimise interruptions to the group's progress. http://www.audax-uaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Bulletin-Galibier-2017.pdf has most of the details, including the closing dates for payment of 410 Euro (includes meals and hotel accommodation). It is impossible for your French to be worse than mine but everybody is very helpful and the organiser, Jean-Michel Vincelot, is delighted to answer enquiries in English.

This brevet was held a couple of years ago and HK and I were there. That time the weather was decidedly unseasonal with snow closing the Galibier. We'll be riding again but probably climbing the Lacets early Tuesday and joining the group for the Galibier afterwards but not taking the coach back to Gien.

HK and I have ridden several UAF brevets up to 1200km and thoroughly recommend them as a civilised and sociable introduction to long distance brevets for newbies and a refreshing change for experienced AUKs.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

For the real headbangers, this UAF brevet could be combined with a BRM 1000 from Menigoute (west of Poitiers) starting Thursday 29 June, a UAF 1000 from Change starting Thursday 06 July and a BRM 1000 in Normandy starting Thursday 13 July. Other than the train from the south of France to Poitiers, you could ride between each event and get a ferry back to Britain.

We will be riding the Change 1000 UAF again. If the same arrangement as last time, it uses a clover leaf route - out from Change in the afternoon to fixed overnight accommodation, two days with large loops, then returning to Change on the last morning. The group may be small enough and on a quiet enough route that motorcycle outriders aren't needed.

[tippers_kiwi]

This UAF idea appeals to me more and more every time you talk about it  I won't be in for these but I reckon in the next couple of years I might just need to give it a go!

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Is that because you practiced following a captain at PBP15? 

We'll probably be heading over for a 400 in May and possibly a late season 200 this year as well and are happy to do some hand-holding. It isn't needed of course (UAF folk are incredibly welcoming to Anglophones as a rule) but consider it a standing offer.

I think there may be an interesting 1000 planned for next year.

[mattc]

The Union des Audax Francais is running a 600km brevet from Gien in the Loire.

Audax factoid: twinned with Malmesbury.

[tippers_kiwi]

Is that because you practiced following a captain at PBP15? 

We'll probably be heading over for a 400 in May and possibly a late season 200 this year as well and are happy to do some hand-holding. It isn't needed of course (UAF folk are incredibly welcoming to Anglophones as a rule) but consider it a standing offer.

I think there may be an interesting 1000 planned for next year.

Probably Yes...I do like being herded along on these rides and capitalising on the experience of long time riders, I hope I can give something back in that sense in years to come but for now I am enjoying learning. Happy to take my turn on the front obviously (which I am slowly learning the art of and getting better at)

Thanks for that offer, I suspect anything that does happen won't be until next year (and probably not a 1,000 as I will still be extracting myself from the dog box after LEL) but I really do hope I can take you up on that.

[Jacques]

I can give these UAF rides a big thumbs up too. I've never done one on this scale but where I live we have an overnight 190 in early December starting at 8pm run on similar lines. When I first talked to some friends about this the description sounded funny. 5 controls (yes 5 ) not including the start or finish. The pace was controlled by a couple of Captains along the way and anyone slowing down for the hills was instantly relayed to the front and the pace slackened off a bit. Every control had hot food and sandwiches plus the obligatory bottles of wine and cidre. It took me 2 controls to realise that I would never finish if I didn't ration the food and booze along the way. We had back up motorbike riders behind us for safety plus a broom wagon. We finished in time for a breakfast at the end of oysters, paté, wine and all the usual French breakfast stuff. With so many stops the actual riding pace was challenging but it was an amazing experience and although the sound of it may be alien to many Brits, I can thoroughly recommend it. The atmosphere amongst the riders was quite unique.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

TK, given that you're an 'ancien du PBP', you definitely are an experienced long distance rider. Like you, I sometimes enjoy giving somebody else the responsibility for not wasting too much time at 'unimportant' controls and just taking steady turns at the front. Not something I want to do every brevet but certainly nice for a change.

It is worth noting that the UAF rolling average is typically 22.5 km/h between scheduled stops, so generally 25-ish km/h on flattish ground and slower on climbs. UAF routes tend to involve less climbing than many current AUK events, otherwise it is tough to keep a group together. Finishing PBP Audax is rated so highly by the French because of the challenges involved with keeping a large group together over rolling terrain for four days regardless of weather.