Brockham - 24 july 2013

Tour de France for female professional cycling teams

Please use the link below to sign a petition to "Allow femaile professional cycling teams to race the Tour de France".
The petition has already been signed by:
Emma Pooley, GBR Olympian & World Champion Cyclist
Kathryn Bertine, SKN National Champion Cyclist and Filmmaker
Marianne Vos, NED World and Olympic Champion Cyclist
Chrissie Wellington, GBR World Ironman Triathlon Champion

Please add your signature to the 59,000 supporters who have already signed.


LINK:
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/aso-amaury-sport-organisation-ouvrez-le-tour-de-france-aux-équipes-féminines-de-cyclisme?share_id=jitaCizvTT&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Petition in English.
Thanks - Merci !

Françoise

Reccie: Charlwood

1/2 Moon Pub: New owners but same chef so still good food. Lovely pub in the summer.
However if taking groups must give choices if more than 10 people.

Route as on openrunner a bit short

Photos: 13 July 2013

Velo & Thalasso - Elevations

PLEASE NOTE:
The mileage shown under the graphs is not the actual mileage which is:

29 miles on Day 1, 61 miles on Day 2 and 62 miles on Day 3 -

DAY 1
Draft Route from Saint-Malo to Pleherel-Plage:

http://www.openrunner.com/?id=2757000

Longitude:-2.01383°Latitude:48.61423°







Day 2 - Draft route from Sables d'or to Josselin





Day 3 - Draft route from Josselin to Pornichet - it gets flatter... eventually!

Chers Cyclistes,

1. Payments to Azureva and Thalasso: The withdrawals should show on your July statements.

2. Payments to us: Many thanks for the cheques and transfers. All is in order for the payment of the ferry tickets. We are watching how the pound evolves in the next couple of weeks before transferring the money for the luggage transport and welcome dinner.

3. Only 7 weeks left to departure...
   So let's all get fitter to enjoy cycling across the undulating countryside of Brittany. Just a reminder that we will be covering approximately 160 miles in three days to get to Pornichet. Please see above the elevation for those three days. Truly speaking, it is no harder than Surrey Hills and the graphs make it look worse than it really is.
4. Timetable whilst on the way to Pornichet:
   On Day 2 and 3, we shall need to do two-thirds of the stage before lunch, ie. 40 miles. We shall therefore leave at 8:30 am sharp, each day. This will enable us to get to villages where there are bars and cafés for lunch (on this tour, lunch is more likely to be “sandwiches” are there is a lack of suitable restaurants when we require them). It is unlikely that we shall have an afternoon tea-stop - again because of the lack of facilities in central Brittany - but also because our goal is to get to the hotel between 4 and 5 pm to view the town (Josselin on Day 2) or to be sufficiently refreshed and ready for briefing/dinner on Day 3.

5. Timetable once in Pornichet:
   Gerard said that the cycling programme is as follows:
   Getting up - 6 am, breakfast - 7 am, rides departure - 8 am sharp (40 to 60 miles) before lunch, followed by the thalasso option or more riding or walks in the afternoon, briefings every night from 19:00 before dinner. “je ne vais pas vous laisser souffler” adds Gerard!!!  We shall either get very fit or need a holiday for the rest of October to recover. However, please note that you can choose to do as much or as little as you want.

Anyone who complains at any stage of the tour pays the first round! You have been warned....

We are off to Brittany on Thursday 1 August to continue our training on the Breton hills. We shall nonetheless keep in touch during August concerning your choices of food on certain meals whilst en-route and to send the departure arrangements.

Happy training!

F & F

Ewhurst Ride

Frank's Ride to Ewhurst - 3rd July 2013 - COBHAM - EWHURST - MICKLEHAM  (Denbies)

I had originally planned to go to the Little Park Hatch in Cranleigh, the largest village in England. When does a village become a town? You may ask.  “Leigh” is the Anglo-Saxon word for a “clearing in a forest”. “People who like this sort of thing will find this sort of thing they like” as Abe Lincoln allegedly said. However after a reccie on Sunday, I realized that the standard of food had dropped considerably since our last visit with the Cheam & Morden a few years ago and the garden which was then full with families enjoying their Sunday roast, was empty in spite of the sunny afternoon.

I therefore resorted to Plan B which was a visit to the Bull's Head in Ewhurst and a 6-mile shorter ride. 14 of us promptly left Cobham and headed to Hungryhill Lane, via Plough Lane and East Clandon. We then climbed Staple Lane to reach the picturesque village of Shere. We then proceeded straight up from Shere on the long  (some thought tiresome whilst others enjoyed the shade) climb of Hound House Road before dropping down to Ewhurst. Whilst two cyclists had to return straight away, 12 of us had lunch which was served by pleasant staff, even though they had no forewarning of our arrival. The food was of a good standard, served pipping hot and a choice of beers was on offer. “Senior” main courses are available – a slightly smaller portion, costing little more than a sandwich in other places.

Suitably rested, I led the group back by a flatter route via Ockley Road to Capel, Henfold and the usual route to Denbies where 10 of us enjoyed a "discounted" tea, although the Duty Manager of the day claimed no knowledge of the agreement for group cyclists.

Discombobulations: chain jumping in mid-climbs and a broken spoke, but nothing serious.

A total of 32 miles from Cobham to Denbies and 60 miles door-to-door for F&F.
Frank

Click on the link to view Frank's ride in OpenRunner:

http://www.openrunner.com/?id=2664079

42 is the number (03/07/1971)

photos: 2 & 4 courtesy of Bernard