The smiles of the competitors were as radiant as the sun which flooded the park of the Château de Rambouillet on Sunday afternoon. Yet the pressure is strong under the helmets. Because it will take more than 1,200 km, without sleep or almost, to return to the starting point. If possible, within the barriers of 84 or 90 hours imposed by the organization. Limit beyond which, any runner is excluded from the classification.
At 4 p.m. sharp, the start is given. And the bikes rush to attack the asphalt. Already, some pedal very hard. Determined to fight against the clock and impose their time. Platoons are formed and deformed over the kilometers. The sharpest are already taking some distance in the forest of Rambouillet. Time is in the game. Not a drop and not the slightest breeze.
Competitors take advantage of the coolness of the trees in Rambouillet Park before setting off. (The Telegram/Didier Deniel)
From time to time, the long line of cyclists, who do not hesitate to sometimes occupy the entire roadway, is overtaken by a car. Unlike the usual races, traffic is not blocked on the course. Participants must combine with other users and respect the highway code. Instructions that some seem to have forgotten. No problem, however, in the towns and villages crossed, the inhabitants are perfectly informed of the event. Some flee the marked route, tired of following long kilometers during the cyclists, without being able to overtake.
Last photo for this Indian competitor before heading to Brittany. (The Telegram / Didier Deniel)
Along the route, it sometimes feels like a stage of the Tour de France. Motorhomes, folding chairs, small makeshift bars, flags and signs of encouragement… Nothing is missing.
A dormitory of 400 places
It is 7:50 p.m. in Mortagne-au-Perche, a peaceful little town in Normandy. The first cyclists have just arrived. And leave just as quickly, after refilling their cans with water. “We have planned a 400-seat dormitory as well as 4,000 meals,” explains Serge, who is in charge of the stopover village. They will be used on the return when the cyclists are broken. For now, they are fresh as roach. So why waste time?
Night falls on the countryside. And the red lights are so many fireflies that shine under a striking ocher crescent moon. No road noise. The long luminous snake moves at high speed: 30 km/h uphill and 40 on the flat. Impressive.
It’s the rush on the water in Mortagne-au-Perche (Orne). The sun is setting, night is about to fall. (The Telegram / Didier Deniel)
Like a festive air
The first cyclists cross Averton in Mayenne. The inhabitants of this small rural town, who seem willing to enjoy the spectacle for several days, have done things well. String lights were unfurled. As well as a banner where it is written: “Courage Brest is on the horizon! “A horizon located 400 km away, from where we will have to return.
The bell tower of Villaines-la-Juhel is in sight. This town has always had the reputation of vibrating for the PBP. The 2023 edition will not prove otherwise. Because, at one o’clock in the morning, the inhabitants are numerous to support the competitors who have come to have their road book stamped. Music, bars, eateries, nothing is missing.
The cyclists are engulfed again in the long dark tunnel which will lead them to Brittany, via Fougères, in the early morning.
Villaines-la-Juhel. The first road books are stamped. Proof that each competitor respects the marked route. (The Telegram/Didier Deniel)
32 km/h average for the first in Brest
The sun has risen. And some pelotons, over time and the difference in altitude (11,000 positive round trip), broke up. There are more and more cyclists riding alone. In Brest, it is 10:48 a.m. when the first three competitors – an American, a Slovenian and an Austrian – cross the beacon back to Kerichen high school. They drove at an average of 32 km/h! A performance that many pros could envy. On a low wall, a French hiker is shot dead. Not by fatigue but by this decision he has just taken: a nasty infection in his hand forces him, with a heavy heart, to give up. Tuesday and Wednesday, the bulk of the peloton is expected in Brest. More than 300 competitors will check in there every hour.
2023-08-21 18:06:53
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