Paris-Brest-Paris 2007

I had high hopes for PBP this past year. My riding and training was going really well. When I registered I was planning on attempting a sub 56 hour ride. This would have been a personal best and also been a Charly Miller Society ride time.

Unfortunately while riding on the Fourth of July I had a chain skip mishap which threw me to the pavement and resulted in a fractured collar bone. Fortunately, while causing a little discomfort it didn’t bother me to continue to ride and train. Within 4 weeks of the crash I still logged over a thousand miles leading up to PBP. The plan to ride a Charly Mille Society time was still quite possible.

I didn’t do anything special for training this year other then riding the brevets aggressively as I usually do. Riding the brevets like I intend to ride PBP trains the mind to think ahead of what I needed to do at each control before I rolled in so that I did not waste time while off the bike. Plus it is much easier for me to hop back on the bike with minimum off time, it means less warm up again and less energy lost.

And for the first year ever for the Rochester brevet series we had weather to contend with for each and every brevet. This would be most beneficial particularly after arriving in Paris and seeing the forecasts for rain and cool temps for the week of the event. For the 200 brevet we had sunny skies but very strong wind to deal with. Head winds on the Eastward sections which meant tail winds on the return. An example on the last section between Spring Valley and Wykoff it took an hour to go the 7.5 miles and 20 minutes for the return leg. During the 300 we had better weather and only light showers for the early finishers. The later finishers had a heavy rain and lighting to deal with. Several took shelter in Byron and waited for the storm to pass. We had rain periods during the 400 brevet, but generally it was dry by night fall. With this years route going through Spring Valley and not Chatfield I elected to ride the 400 straight through. In past years I would stop on the return at home and finish the route off on Sunday morning.

The 600 brevet probably had the more difficult weather to deal with. Right from the start it was predicting rain. It was dry when we rolled out of the parking lot, but we were very wet in heavy rain by time we passed through Byron. And real heavy rain when we entered and left Stewartville. It got hot and humid later in the day and stayed dry for the afternoon and loop from West Union to Elkadar and back. There was some rain early Sunday morning for those that left West Union before 5:00 am. I left later then that and other then wet pavement missed the rain. By mid morning it was turning into a hot humid ride, it agreed with me since I like those conditions, others did not.

My final preparations for PBP was to do a 500 mile week. On Saturday and Sunday I soloed local century loops which I enjoyed riding. On Monday I was going to ride to Austin and meet up with Lon Halderman and Susan Notorangelo on the Northern transcontinental PAC Tour. Tuesday I would ride the PAC Tour route to Prairie Du Chien, about 140 or 150 miles, and Wednesday ride home from Prairie Du Chien. The return leg turned out to be a 160 mile day, I guess we didn’t ride the most direct route to my house. Joining me for the PAC Tour hook up would be LynnAnne Vesper from Ely and originally from Rochester. The weather was great and the riding was exactly what I was looking for. Tuesday’s riding I rode quite a bit with Lara Sullivan, another Ely rider. she let me pull most of the way to Prairie Du Chein. A nice hard pace and another good day. The return from Prairie Du Chein we followed Robert Fry’s 600 brevet route to Elkadar and then my 600 brevet route back to Chatfield, mostly. This was another day where I would stay in front and pull all day. Both days were exactly what I was hoping for and I think both Lara and LynnAnne had a good training ride in also. My collar bone felt OK and didn’t cause any real discomfort for the trip and this was only 4 weeks since the crash and fracture.

As stated previously when we arrived in Paris it was cool and wet, almost cold. After 4 previous trips to PBP and having hot dry weather I didn’t pack a single pair of long pants. I did have all my cool weather riding gear, just incase I needed it and we did. I had also packed and brought most of the drink mixes and energy bars of such I would need for the event. As I did in 2003 I intended to spend as little time in the controls as absolutely necessary, I would eat and drink on the bike. Again just as I had ridden the brevets. Meals at the controls were only when I was taking a sleep break. The day before the start is usually the inspection. Waking up that morning it was cold and raining. When I arrived at the gymnasium for inspection I found out the usual inspection was cancelled and we were to only pick up our brevet cards and other documents. After collecting my stuff I headed back to the hotel and began organizing clothing and food for the drop bag. I put the exchanges of clothes in separate bags so when I pulled into Ludeac I simple needed to pullout the bag and I would have the complete change ready. Many of us at the hotel spent time on the hotel computer trying to get the latest weather forecast. It never looked pleasant. I even continued to debate which of a couple jerseys to wear the first night and which to put in the drop bag. In the end I decided to start with a short sleeve wool jersey with a long sleeve wool jersey over it, knicker bib shorts and bootys. This was probably the best decision I made the entire event.

As expected rain was predicted for all Monday night, temps were not expected to climb much above 60 farenhight. Sharon and I had supper at Pizza Pino around 6:00 after which we headed for the gymnasium for the start. Arriving at the gymnasium the inspection was pretty rudimentary as we passed through the tunnel. We just had to turn on lights and have out vests on. I was queued up easily an hour and a half early before my 8:00 start, but still only made it into the second wave. After the first wave was started they moved us into the start area. Shortly before my group started I saw the Aeling brothers were queued into the third start group. The start was pretty uneventful, but I still didn’t look around and take it in much. I concentrated on watching the bikes around me, I didn’t want to crash out before getting out of the suburbs of Paris. And we did have rain, about 2 hours after the start we got wet, and stayed wet until Paris. I found out the 90 start people stood in the stadium for close to 2 hours in the rain before they started.

I arrived in Vellenes Lajuell around 2:00 am, maybe a little after, in fine shape. I knew exactly what I needed to do at the control and quickly refilled water bottles and got my card stamped. I’m pretty sure I was back on the road within 10 minutes. I started the ride with enough food and drink mixes in my jersey pockets that I wouldn’t have to dig into the pack until Fourgeres, the second official control. At Fourgeres I needed to get a out my second set of bars and drink mixes. This would insure I would only have to mix bottles with drink mix and get my card stamped in Tintiniac. I was hoping to get to Ludiac by early afternoon. In the back of my mind I still had aspirations of making the Charly Miller Society time.

So far so good, I arrived into Ludiac at about 1:30 in the afternoon. It was still wet and cool. The wool jerseys were working great, I was wet but not getting cold. I decided to keep the same clothes on for the ride to Brest and back to Ludiac. I only took the time to replenish food supplies and switch batteries. I also changed into dry socks and a dry pair of shoes. I brought my old shoes since my new shoes caused pain in my left foot. The dry socks and shoes felt great for the first 10 miles, then it rained again and they were wet again.

I arrived and left Carhaix in short order and rolled into Brest before it got dark in just about 24 hours. I was half way done and again filled up with water and rolled out after putting on my vest and making sure the lights were ready to go. I would have about 30 minutes before I needed to turn on the lights. Just as it turned dark I hooked up with a French rider and we rode together almost all the way back to Carhiax. It was dark and lonely in the middle of the night returning over the coastal range, we were both happy for the companionship. When I rolled into Carhaix it was approximately 2:00 AM, I was tiring and the cold wet ride was affecting my attitude. I decided to catch some sleep after getting a meal. I asked to be awakened at 6:00.

I purchased a couple pieces of fruit and was back rolling at about 6:30. I’m not sure what happened but I must have misplaced several food items when I restocked the jersey pockets in Ludiac. I was not rolling with a lot of snap in my legs, but I was at least moving. Things are a little foggy, but I seem to remember we might have had a little sun when I rolled into Brest the night before and this morning. Too much time has passed and I’ll have to ask some other PBP riders if they remember and sunlight during the event. As I came through Corlay, where the outbound secret control was this year, someone called my name, I don’t know who. I returned to Ludiac mid morning.

As I was changing into dry clothes and restocking for the return I met Mike Aeling. He was having a good ride also to this point. We talked for a bit then got separated. I found out later he went to the cafeteria and I left before him. It was sheltered from the wind where the bag drop was and it felt like it was warming up. I left the control wearing only shorts, but by time I hit the city limits it was once again spiting rain and windy, a cold wind also. I had to stop and layer on the tights. I had changed back to my new shoes for the return to Paris, changing shoes just changed the spots where my feet began to hurt. This time I remembered to bring the drugs from my drop bag. When I broke my collar bone the Dr. prescribed Oxycontin, I had saved a half dozen for just this.

Maybe that’s why many parts of the final third of the even are more a blur!! I remember I was riding but not making good time. It was as usual off and on rain, cold and wind. The only events of significance on the return third was the secret control was in the exact same place as 2003 and just a few Villaines La Juell I caught up with John Grunzke. He was going slw at this point because he was nursing a soft tire into the control before getting a repair and spare tube from the mechanic. It was just approaching dark and I decided I was going to spent the night here. It turned out to be a wise move for me, as I periodically slept through the night I could hear it rain. I was also starting to get Shermer neck, it needed a rest.

I left In the morning about the same time, somewhere between 6:30 and 7:00. The legs were not feeling all that well. I was not covering the route very fast. It took until mid morning or later to get to Mortagne, I honestly don’t remember. When Our finishing medals arrive with our brevet cards I can check when I did get to the controls. I’d like to compare the split times with my 2003 PBP. All I know is that by time I got to Mortagne the Shermer neck was back and it wasn’t going away. I found the mechanic and asked for a flatted inner tube. I then proceeded to cut the stem off and lace it through the back of my helmet, bringing the ends under my arm pits and tying in front of my chest. When it was snug enough it held up my head. The only draw back was I couldn’t look at my rear cassette. I needed to occasionally because with all the rain the shifting was very poor. I had to shift 2 or 3 gears then back 1 or 2 to move one cog.

The inner tube worked great. By time I reached Droux the neck muscles were recovering. I still couldn’t go without it. The routes into and leaving the last control were entirely new to me, this town was new on the route. The last control used to be in Nogent Le Roi. I reached Droux. What I do remember was the road into Droux was very rough, I was very glad to reach the control and continue. I also ahd my lowest period a few miles out of the control. I was bonking badly and going down hill rapidly. With only half a bottle of water and one packet of GU drink mix I pulled over. I mixed the packet in the half bottle and chugged it, I needed a recovery fast. It did the trick and I was rolling on towards the control in minutes. I think there was a spot of sunshine as I entered and left this control. After a Coke and a couple croissants I was happily on the way to the finish.

The finish through the suburbs became wet again. A fitting way to finish since we were wet most of the entire journey. I clocked in a little after 5:00 and my final time was 8 minutes slower the 2003. I was happy with this under the circumstances of the weather making this the more difficult PBP I’ve done.

– Martin Fahje

Tags: 2007