Final preparations

Sunday afternoon; it's raining cats and dogs.....it's pissing down and it's not the first day. We've had rain like this for two consecutive weeks now and although I do not mind to much, it's giving me bad vibes for the 5-day Raid that I am about to embark on.

The last two weeks have been filled with preparations at Sospel. I was sleeping in my tent and luckily I put up the big one. Luckily, because that way I did not bring in the drab, the humidity of my shoes....I could take it off in the 'living-area' and sleep dry and warm, thanks to an excellent silk sheet and down sleeping bag.

We've had fun, held a bbq, yelled and cursed and kept on preparing our raid. Last week we've been busy mapping our routes. It is up to us to find appropriate roads, single-tracks and escape routes, to put it in a road book and to map the direction (compass) and mark each turn, twist and change of surface. Very good practise and I enjoyed it. It's part of the course, because as a guide you may have to map your own itinerary some day and spend 5 days with a group of people and lead them through the mountains and forests.

All said and done, I still fear this thing. For two weeks now I have a nagging feeling that something is going to happen and so I basically decided not to participate. This normally means failing the course, but I rather argue for my life as of why I don't want tot participate, than to break a leg, arm, shoulder or knee only to say afterwards: "didn't I tell you so". The internal battle is enormous. The pressure from my envrironment is hard to take, but this one is up to me. My decision to keep me safe and sound.

The weather forecast for next week, during the raid is bad....very bad. A third week of continuous rain is foreseen....so this means riding and cycling and slipping and getting wet and probably cold and nasty, every day, one hour after setting off in the morning. Is it wise? Is this the right thing to decide by the course leaders? Are they truly prepared to put suffering and misery before the educational benefits of a Raid like this?

Questions they have to answer!! I'm not convinced. Look at the picture of my bikes. My bikes? Yeah, they are there....underneath the sheet, to protect them the best I can againt the rain.

First bush fire of the year?

I was happily eating a bisquit in the kitchen, looking out of the window to look at the cat, when I noticed this vale yellow haze in the distance. Just behind the Malmont....I was wondering....when all of a sudden it daunted to me; A fire. A big one by the looks of it and not far. At first I thought it was La Motte, as usual, but no...it's closer. Figanieres perhaps.

Merde. With the wind blazing since a few days, it's obvious that this is a tough one to crack for the firefighters. The wind from the Mediteranean, gusty, and sometimes even nippy....up to 80km/h.
It is this yellowish, brown colour that I will recognize forever, after my bush fire experience in 2005, when I had to secure the campground where I was working, where a van caught fire and burned down, because there was no pressure on the waterhose and where we ran from spot to spot with our big extinguisers, because the pine cones exploded and flew tens of metres far away to immediately catch fire on the ground.
It's a haze of clouds that veils the light of the sun and the sky and that turns your environment into an evening of sickening colour; that weighs heavy and that makes you bow your head.

It's the first fire of 'the season'. Coincidence that it happens with this wind? Has somebody been negligent with his or her cigaret but? Somebody burning leaves in the garden....surely, you're carefull with 80km/h blazes around your house. Will we ever know what has caused it...?

It truly is a Mountainbike Paradise

After a weekend of tough riding, I decided to take it easy today. I'm in full training mode for the 5 day Raid which is coming up in two weeks time and I might even overdo it slightly. Next week is a rest week, while I will be in Sospel, for the first of 3 heavy weeks.

I stumbled upon a steep path uphill to the Malmont. It is a on the property of the Domaine du Dragon, one of the many wineyards around Draguignan. They knew I was up there....I had permission to have a look. They had warned me it was a steep climb, but with the smallest and lightest of gear I happily and slowly went up their hill. I cannot judge about their wine, but they sure have the best view and coolest area to grow and nourish their wine. Who does not want to work in a wineyard high up on the Malmont hill, with stunning views and no nuissance of nearby roads. The best thing yet; who would think that high up on the hill there is a treasure of good taste.....It was another wow experience.

They also have holiday homes for rent....Not bad. It's an old bastide, well done up, with a magnificent pool. If you bring your mountainbike along, I'll guide you aroung on the Malmont, on the best tracks of the area. Afterwards...the pool!! What a joy.

surprise - no brakes - long live the adventure

Don't you just love surprises....
In one month I have to participate in a 'Raid', part of my studies. We will be out on our own, by bike, during 5 days and without any outside support. 5 Days of riding by mountain- and road bike out on the trails of the Mercantour National Parc. Me and the 15 guys of the course and so it is in my best interest to be prepared.

So I prepare myself seriously by riding and practising. Although I am still a bit handicapped because of the pain in my hand/wrist, I can ride my roadbike for hours. Now here comes the surprise....
Here I am, happily turning the legs around on the roads and my speed increases and increases....I have always wondered whether my brakes worked well and the guys and mechanics have made fun of me that I didn't know how to ride a roadbike......Until last week, a car decided not to give me the right of way on a roundabout. I hit the brakes, hard....and nothing happens. The damned bike DOES NOT STOP. Well, that was it. That was my 3rd almost accident and I have had enough of it.
I don't hesitate, ride to the shop immediately, tell of my 'adventure' and finally, after 6 months of complaining that the brakes on the damn bike are useless, he believes me. He believes me....
Unfortunately, changing pads will not solve the problem, I'll have to change the brakes entirely and it's gonna cost me, 'cause the bikebrand has issued a frame that does not allow many deviation of the original parts.......To be continued this week!!

It has been a while....Why? Because I have been busy! I have been busy on the BMX track of Draguignan, busy biking myself and getting a cold as a result and busy with the wonderful wonders of french administration.
The administration issues led my to Toulon, to have some documents stamped and on my way back I passed at the Domaine La Sauveuse, where I bought a box of nice wine......Hopefully it's as good as its promises!

I've been riding and training like crazy. You have to make the most of the good weather. The winter is still in the air....out of the sun it's cold and damp, although my cat doesn't seem to mind too much. He's just happy being up in a tree.

Wow, the new tracks I discovered are promising to take out a group in summer. This time around there were mud pools up to my ankels and I got very wet feet, but the tracks are cool; rocky climbs that require skill, a descent with plenty of surprises, singletracks that make you realise that the woods are fast and deep and single tracks with those little tricks that make you want to do it again.
Throw in a few beautiful views, stunning scenery and you know you're in a mountainbike paradise.

I had another knee check-up as well. To see the holes and gaps created by an operation, on a MRI scan is impressive. I sincerely thought that there was no bone left to support my muscles and weight, but in fact my orthopedist explained that the gaps have been filled up by bone and the structure is super strong (I can count for that), just that the MRI shows the different structures that have been created.
Whow, and then another thing......For the first time since the summer of 2006 I went to an area close the the district 'La Leutenante'........the red earth, the single tracks and the sometimes very technical downhill tracks, remain such a pleasure.....Man....mountainbiking is the best thing that has happened to me. I keep learning and I keep discovering. I do things now that simply freaked me out back then.
Let me take you out there, dear people. Let's roll together and discover this red earth on one of your mountainbike holidays.
See U soon.