Tour de Bretagne 2000

Thursday 8TH June

At six o’clock on the evening of the 8th June, I went to Len and Gina’s to collect the trailer with Len’s CB72 already loaded. Len then accompanied me back to our house in order to load up the C95. The boat didn’t sail until 11:45 but the excitement was building after the months of waiting. See you later Len, about 10:00 O’clock? Can we come around earlier if we want? OK!

By 9:00 O’clock the tension was getting to all of us, except Dina who was busy watching the one program on TV that she follows. Around 9:30 the doorbell rang, it was Len and Gina saying, we want to go.

The docks were quiet and we waited to drive on board the Barfieur. After leaving Poole we took some drinks out on to the deck and looked back at the lights of the town and wondered what the next few days would hold for us.

Friday 9th June

Arriving in Cherbourg the following morning to an overcast sky we set off for Uzel where we were to leave the car and trailer until the end of the tour. The organizers of the tour had encouraged us to dress in period costume and so it was that by midday, dressed in period style leathers covered in badges, studs and (for some of us, paint), white scarves flowing in the breeze, we were on two wheels, well at least for the first hundred metres or so when the C95 stopped. It started again and went on for another two miles and stopped gain. So far from home and all that preparation what could it be? What a relief to find that the vent in the filler cap had self-sealed and what a wonderful feeling when the vent was unblocked we were off again heading for Guingamp, where the tour officially started. We parked up in the town centre in a small park, where a few cars were already exhibiting, or exposing, as we came to call it. Was this it?

Our accommodation during the tour collectif’ (read bunkhouse) trouble is we did not know where it was. As the aftemoon moved on more cars turned up and we desperately scrabbled around trying to find out what was going on, what happens next and where we are staying. By 7:00 O’clock we had managed to meet up with Patrick who showed us to the tourist office where we got our joining instructions and a nice little plaque to tie on the bikes. By this time the band had arrived and the Ricard van had turned up dispensing pastis free to all that wanted it. People were turning up to look at the entrants, which by now was numbering around 70. The vehicles were varied ranging from the late 1920’s up to the mid 70’s, but was this it?

With the bikes locked safely in the park under the gaze of the security guards, we went off to the collectif around 9:00 and dumped our luggage in the dorm at the local school. Every dorm had a curtain over the hall door except ours, so in the great tradition of seat of pants living . . . we nicked one from another dorm. Funny how the empty space where the curtain was gradually moved along the corridor as others came up with the same plan! At 10:O0ish we sat down to the evening meal. Sat next to us was a young French couple, Eric & Clotilde, who were to become new friends during the next four days. On our right sat Monsieur Guinnot who spoke no English but made for great conversation. Eventually the dining room filled up with approximately 150 others, and this was the first due we had that the event was gathering pace.

The wine flowed the hours passed and we went to bed around 2:00 0’clock, with alarms set for 7:00am.

Saturday 1Oth June

Tired, we staggered down to breakfast at around 10:00am, to find everyone else had eaten, so we ate our breakfast then wandered with our luggage, down to the bikes. The square was busy with, cars, trucks, vans parked in any available space throughout the town centre, and there were people everywhere. So this was it!

At midday the Tour de Bretagne started. Leaving Guingamp was an amazing experience. The town folk turned out to watch the tour leave, lining the street and waving and cheering furiously. Flowers and good will cards were handed out to all the vehicles, and as we rode through the main street a running commentary was taking place, when our turn came a big cheer went up.

We rode on waving to the onlookers feeling overwhelmed by the atmosphere of good will. People lined the road periodically waving at us as we travelled on our way. Throughout the whole event there were some publicity vehicles designed like a 60’s style rocket, whose main objective was to broadcast comments about the tour and distribute small flags and hats for the onlookers to wave and wear, at the entrants. There were a few buttock clenching moments as we rode over some of these cute little blue plastic flags that did not get picked up and I was glad there were none in the road on the tighter bends. About an hour later we came to a halt outside the small town of Pontrieux, where a nice man gave us crepes to eat. Not really knowing what to do other than eat it (thank goodness for open face helmets) we rode into the town for our first stop. On parking up near an old railway siding we were offered cider (the perfect accompaniment to crepes) for refreshments. After 30 minutes or so of exposing ourselves, we moved off with the rest of the pack.

The next stop was Plouha, which happened around 5:00 O’clock, more crowds and more cider only this time with cassis in it. Initially we were a bit cautious as a Gendarme was with us all the way, but the only law enforcement he seemed to engage in was to get a French motorcyclist to wear a helmet instead of a flat cap.

Around 8:00 O’clock we arrived at Plerin, which was to be our first over night stop. We found the luggage van and retrieved our bags and went off to find where we were staying. Finally we found out the coach would take us to the school at 1:00am. We sat down to eat at around 10:00 this time in a sports hall where our number seemed to have swelled again. Feeling taken back by the event so far I went up into the seating area to try and take a photo of the assembly only to be accosted by a French Lady somewhat the worst for pastis who attracted by my silk scarf tried to strip me of my clothing. Don’t worry readers my ample bulk was saved to me, and my closest companions. During the course of the meal we were entertained by an off beat cabaret consisting of ghouls, transvestites and the like, all in the best possible taste of course.

After joining in with our table in singing the Bretagne dead boat song (don’t ask) we set off at just turned 1:00am for the much-needed bed. The Sacre Coeur was a beautiful old school, but it was enormous and after climbing up an down stairs for 30 minutes and losing Len we finally heard a shout across the inner square, it was Len having found the rooms.

To be continued......