Sunday 18 July 2010

Rest Day in Pau

Rest day in Pau today which has been nice and gave me the chance to catch up on a few things. In particular I experienced the delights of a French launderette. It was a real challenge trying to get things to work with no English instructions and no staff but I was helped out by a kindly French couple and all was well. Spent a pleasant half hour chatting to them and then dried everything off in the sun, excellent, clean clothes again :-)

Lazed around for much of the day in the SKINS RY400 gear, ultra comfy and later watched some of The Tour as they climbed to Ax-3-Domaines. I'm not sure but I think they went over the climbs marginally quicker than I did but only by a whisker ;-)

Planning an early start in the morning for the last big day in the mountains, my second climb of The Tourmalet, which is sure to be a serious undertaking. As I climb tomorrow I will at least be able to think that when I reach the top of The Tourmalet the serious climbing of the 2010 Tour de France route is over and done and I can start thinking seriously about the route Northwards to Paris. It hardly seems possible that I am at this stage and still rolling, but still rolling I am and keeping my fingers crossed, and anything else I can cross along with them.

Heading for an early night tonight, doesn't really matter whether I sleep too much, as long as I'm lying down and recovering ready for tomorrow that will do me just fine.

Thank you again for stopping by to see how I am doing, it means a lot to me.

Photographs from Today:

My beautiful launderette – in Pau.
Interesting name for a forest!
Modern art on a Pau traffic roundabout :-)

Today's Weather:

Hot and sunny once again for those riding The Etape du Tour, the route of which I shall be riding tomorrow.

6 comments:

  1. I almost wish I was you sometimes and then I wise up ;) Keep it rolling.

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  2. Quentin,

    Been thinking about posting for a while but just sussed how to do it....d'oh

    Think what your doing is superb and must be the experience of a lifetime.

    Keep it up, you're showing up the people (me!!) who wont even tackle the 100 mile Cyclone how it should be done.

    Well done.

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  3. Carrie

    I know how you feel, I sometimes wish it was someone else doing this but it's a bit late for that now!

    Thanks for the support.

    Q

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  4. Hi Anon

    Thanks for the comment. One of the ideas for this ride was to show to people what can be done by just an ordinary bloke with some determination and application, in the hope that others would also try to live their dreams.

    I'm 52, I weigh in at around 80kg, I have smoked and drank in the past and have never been a high achiever at sport, or much else for that matter!

    I wanted to turn my life around and to try to make the most of it. I wanted to think big, to have a go, and to dream big dreams and to try to make them come true.

    When I started I had no idea whether I could make it but I was determined to try, the safe thing to do would have been not to but that's not how I want to live. I still don't know if I will make it but I do know that tomorrow I will continue to try.

    So, my advice is if your dream is to do the 100 mile cyclone route then just decide that you are going to try, and then go ahead and try, that's far better than the safe option of not risking failure. I am 99% sure you will surprise yourself and I hope you do. If my ride helps you achieve that goal it will have been worth it, and who knows what your next challenge may be.

    Do things, don't observe others doing them. Do sport, don't watch others doing the things you want to do yourself.

    Just try, what's to lose?

    Q

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  5. Keep it going Quentin. Not far to go now! A couple of hills then all downhill ;-). Stay safe!

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  6. Quentin, enjoy your well earned rest and
    good luck for the rest of the stages,

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