Final thoughts !

Well, it's my last day ! What a ride !

It's hard to believe it's only a bit over 2 weeks ago i flew into Paris. I've done 800k on the bike, eaten a lot of waffles, drunk a lot of very fine champagne, and watched 4 pro tour races (there's only 1 a year in Australia !).

Of course the highlight is the 3 events I've done... Not just the dream of riding the tour of Flanders and Paris -Roubaix, but also the dream of spending time here, heading out each weekend to a new cyclosportif. It really is possible, and it sure is fun!

One unexpected pleasure was to get to know belgium better, it's a place i feel very at home in... And the cycling craziness of the belgians and dutch has to be seen to be believed.

I've and a super time, and I think I've been incredibly lucky with the weather. Only a few drops of rain, and many warmish sunny days. If it had been cold and raining the whole time (very possible) it would have been a different experience.

I hope you readers have enjoyed the ride, it's been fun writing the blog, and will be a good source of truth when i start to make things up !! Thanks for all the comments... Its been great. And yes... One day I will shave those legs!

A special thanks to Supergal and mom-in-law for being my support crew. Every ride alone included a bunch of txts with times and places so there was someone who knew where I was and what time I should arrive where. It eases the mind when things go a little awry to know they're there.

One final thought while I've got the microphone... I've ridden a lot of k's in close with other bikes, cars and motorbikes. The bike handling skills you see in the tour, aren't far above the bike handling skills i see all around me here. It's not uncommon to be in a large bunch on the road and suddenly your heading onto a bike path only as wide as a foot path... And it just flows. In all my k's i didn't see one crash (I saw the aftermath of a few). At home, given the same conditions, I fear there would be carnage. I don't know how... But with the increase in popularity of cycling at home, we need to find a way of increasing the quality of the riding, not just the quantity. The risk of injury from other riders will just increase if we do not.

Anyway.... There'll be plenty of time to ponder on the plane!

Till the next Cluster adventure.......

News flash 4 - action shot from the Amstel Gold

I know... You're thinking... But he didn't even register... How can he get photos?? It's all the magic of free enterprise! (there are other web sites I'm checking too !)

The Amstel Gold Race

I woke up this morning... Feeling tired and lazy, and not too keen to get out into the cold and watch the race. After a relaxed breakfast and watching mark webber drive an amazing race in china, it was time to get dressed and get on my bike.

The plan was to ride the 20k to the finish and watch the action.

Once i headed out, I found the day a lot warmer, and things just kept improving from there.

The race starts in Maastricht but it does 3 loops (each one different !) each loop finishing n the Cauberg. So thats where i headed.

Some views of my hotel... A renovated old farm. Very nice, especially in the sun shine !

No... It's not a road without a bike path.... It is a bike path !! The road is above with traffic lights, but cyclist just role on through. The whole 20k was on bike paths... It's crazy !

First stop was about 5k from the start. I stopped and got some goulash soup and the obligatory Amstel beer, to await the riders on the start of their last loop. I was stopped and posed for a photo in my Aussie shirt, this place is cycle crazy !

After seeing the riders pass, i headed for the end. Huge crowds but i found the bar/museum of the ride (just next to the pearl Izumi factory store ! Had 2 pieces of pie and a coffee . Both places had the race on tv, so it was easy to hangout and walk out in time to see the race pass !

When they passed me schleck was still off the front, so it was a great effort by Gilbert to take it out !

I left by riding up the Cauberg to the finish line... Thousands of people walking down so it was a bit tricky. Once passed the finish, i then got stuck in team bus hell... It's bizare when you get so blasé... I cut off the radio shack bus because i wanted to get outta there !

Looks like I might have to come back in September !

All in all a great day... Really lifted my spirits after a tough day yesterday. I'm still smiling !!

Amstel Gold Race Toerversie (tour version)

What a day.... I knew very little about the Amstel Gold race before i got here... I know a iittle bit more now !

Most interesting to me...was that the only Aussie to win it was Phil Anderson in 1983 ... What a legend !

There were 6 different distances to choose from... I chose the 150, as it had all the cool climbs and seemed like enough k's to me. So... After changing my flight, car, travel insurance, bike insurance and booking my hotel... I thought it was time to register (at the tour of Flanders lots of people registered on the day at the start). Ooops... It's booked out ...all distances are booked out ...all 12,000 places were gone in the first 2 hours it went online... 2 hours ...that's crazy ! These Dutch sure are mad keen about cycling !!!! Anyway... Never detered by such trivialities.. I checked the course and drove about 10k from my hotel to meet the route at about the 10k mark. Long story short... I rode the 150 without an issue.

It was actually a pretty tough day... It was cold a lot of the time... And some of the climbs were actually pretty tough (I was wondering when i say a lot of compact cranks and also a lot of triple). Though I have to say i felt like a climbing god compared to the locals !

The countryside was amazing... Really beautiful... We spend some time in Belgium ...and also found the spot where Germany , Belgium and the netherlands meet .... Cool !

If Belgium was cycle friendly... Then the Netherlands is where cycling rules. Check out this road.. I know where the bikes go...but what about the cars .. What happens when a car comes the other way !! We soon found out... Basically they pull of the centrelane and sit behind the bikes til they pass...then back n the centre. Incredible !!

More incredible scenery... Just amazing..a real pleasure to ride through it

Of course there is the pro race tomorrow... We saw AG2R and Katusha out training... Then along came the Leopard team car... So i stopped to take a pick... Its very cool to see the pros out training while you're riding !

These rides are amazing...every bar along the way is full of cyclists having a break... Very different to the "race" mentality. I thought I'd join in and stop for a wee snack !!!

The route was a maze... Especially with the different distances. At some stages we went back on ourselves so you had bikes in both directions... What a nightmare for the cars !!

Eventually I made it to the finish (seems like the k's between 60 and 90 take forever ... Or maybe that was just the waffles talking) ... And what a finish... The Cauberg ..1200m of about 6% ... But i think it's about 10% in the middle.. One of the moat interesting finishes in cycling !

A dinner worthy of Supergal !

Apologies to my cycling fans.... I'm in maastrict where the Amstel Gold (the name of a beer not something else ...) cyclosportif is on tomorrow... So there will be full rreports on things cycling again tomorrow... But this st is purely for the foodies out there !!

To cap off my amazing stay in Champagne country, we went out to a restaurant in Reims (my first Michelin star restaurant, i believe).

The atmosphere was relaxed but very well presented, and the food was spectacular. Here's some shots of the evening... Oh yeah.. And it started with a 3 piece amuse-bouche which I forgot to photograph.... Raw asparagus with garlic mayo... Cool... Plus... Like a Parmesan macaroon (loved it) and a foie-gras with bourdeax jelly... . Now that's a way to start a meal !!

We ordered the same menu with 2 entrees, a main, cheese and desert... A choice of 2 options for each course....

Fish covered in a thin sliver of beetroot (not my choice but was fab !)

Carpaccio of veal with a Parmesan sorbet... My choice... And it was Amazing !!!

More fish... With Ginger and peanuts... Not my selection but the gang raved about it

Prawns and muscles .. My choice... And very nice.. But not spectacular

A main... Fish with a vegetable cannelloni ... Everyone was raving !

My main... Spatchcock (we think) with truffles and mash.... Loved it !!

Serious cheese action... Complete with a matching jam for every cheese... Cool.. But i preferred the cheese straight ... The served a warm fruit bread with the cheese... And it worked !!

Deserts.... The raspberry and cream one... I didn't order blew everyone away.. Mine .. The one with the suggar dome on it was a braised banana thingy... It was good... But i couldn't help covetting the raspberrys.

Just when you thought you were safe...out come the petit-fours... 4 different ones .... 1 each, plus a title pudding thing... Plus fruit jellies on a stick...un believable !

One fabulous evening !!

News flash 3 - Amstel Gold

Due to overwhelming demand to keep the blog going... I've extended my trip a few days... And am heading to the Netherlands to ride the cyclosportif of the Amstel Gold race on Saturday and watch the race on Sunday .... Coooool !

La Montagne de Reims in spring (hey.. My bike still works !)

After the hugs experience of Paris - Roubaix, I headed down to my champagne making friends near Reims. After as many days off as the tour riders get in 3 weeks, I decided it was time to gt on the bike again.

I created for my self, a little tour of the Montagne de Reims, through some of the same roads and same vineyards we rode in 2007.

Laurence's yard in spring.... I was amazed how pretty it allis !

Checking out the vats at Nicholas Feuillate ... Very col !

M-in-law absorbing the champagne story and the champagne!

Beautiful shots on my ride

Beautiful ride !

I saw a sign and decided to take an 8k shortcut home,,, after Paris - Roubaix I wasn't scared s... Who needs a mountain bike?

Best creme caramel ..every!

New flash 2 - action shots from my Paris-Roubaix challenge

I just received the official action shots from the Paris-Roubaix challenge.. Cool !!