So, Do They Do Champagne Round Here Then?

Photos

The fiftieth incarnation of the Reims Sportive encouraged a large group of North Roaders to set out on the long journey to the Champagne region of France, to take part in a ride that has been an almost regular part of the cycling calendar for club members over the years.    We all set out on the Friday with Chris Glithero driving John McDowall and Dave Gudgeon, while Ashley Glass was carrying Bruce Metheringham and Jim Ewers.  The Kent ‘wing’ of the club, Neil Lewis and his partner, were meeting us at Dover.  The drive down to the coast and then across France was completed with heavy squally showers giving a grim portent of what might be to come.  With the weather forecast looking grim for the weekend my thoughts turned back to the drenching I had received on the Tilfe ride and I started to prepare myself for the worst.  After navigating a fiendishly designed rather Gaulist one way system, we settled in to the Ibis hotel situated next to the main railway station and prepared for the social ride on the Saturday.

With our first four course meal from the Friday evening safely digested we set out at a civilized hour for the social ride out to the village of Maizey, with the aim of coming back to Reims later in the day to register for the event proper.   After the ride out of town we meandered through the beautiful French countryside admiring the view but with one eye on a very threatening black cloud off to our left.  Although Neil and I had donned our rain capes in preparation, the downpour when it arrived was of biblical proportions.  Almost immediately, such was the amount of water coming from the heavens, our capes became useless and completely permeable.  Fortunately a small copse lay directly ahead that enabled us to gain some shelter from the elements.  The ride down to Maizey was eventually completed with streams of water running down the road.  In this typically French rural village we dried out in the local bar come eatery.  Madame quickly had us seated and in quick time had prepared a rustic four course meal for us with a main dish of what seemed to be still twitching beef.  With four course meal number two safely dispatched we set out to ride directly to Reims.  On the way back we stopped at a small British war cemetery situated in Hermonville that contained about a hundred graves.  These where mainly soldiers from the Durham Light Infantry, killed during the great German offensive in 1918.  It seemed so incongruous that such a quiet and beautiful place had once been the location of such tremendous violence and destruction.  The inscriptions that families had asked to be placed on the graves of loved ones where so poignant and heartfelt that you could almost feel their loss ninety years later.  It was a slightly more melancholy group of cyclists that set out back to Reims to register and prepare for four course meal number three later in the evening.

The main ride itself started under uncertain skies and with a nip in the air.  As we rolled out of Reims following the luminous yellow arrows marked on the kerb edge we quickly hooked on to a good paced group of French club riders.  The first feed station came up very quickly, as we grabbed some food and drink, Jim muttered his usual ‘I’ll ride on slowly’ and attempted to slip away down the road.  I had heard this before and jumped on my bike in pursuit followed by an enthusiastic Ashley.  Another fast moving train of riders from a cycling club from the Namur region provided a very handy tow as we swept through rolling Champagne growing areas.  It was noticeable that this was a very ‘French’ event, unlike other rides I have been on there seemed to be very few entrants from over countries, and I saw none at all from the UK.  The whole event is amazingly well organized with each feed station well stocked with edible goodies handed out by cheerful yellow shirted local volunteers.  With Ashley, Jim and I riding together we tagged on to a fast moving pair of French riders, seemingly on a mission.  As they eased off for a breather our attempt to increase the pace on our own led to us wandering off course, adding another twenty minutes to our ride by the time we realized our error and turned back.

  It was at Mailly-Champagne that we stopped for our pre-paid lunch.  In an open three sided barn set with tables and chairs we where provided with an airline style meal that went down very well.  A local band where playing a medley of popular local ditties that where clearly being enjoyed by the local riders.   As we sat eating Bruce decided to ride on almost immediately as we waited for Jim, Chris and Dave to roll in for there well deserved Lunch.  Riding out after lunch and just as the digestive enzymes had started their all important work we where faced with a challenging climb.  With Jim feeling the pace after grimly hanging on for 100K I ended up riding with Ashley over the first climb and on to what looked a daunting rise ahead.  This climb was a sharp right up and through a village that looked (and was) horrific.  Ashley, casting aside such modern ideas as triples or compacts, climbed the brute on a ‘normal’ chain-set while I minced up in on my recently installed compact.  It was a very tough, steep and long climb that left Ashley wheezing and gulping for air at the top like a recently debagged fairground goldfish.  As we gratefully rolled into the last control at La Neuville Aux Larris we joined up with Neil Lewis for the final run back into Reims.  This was thankfully mostly flat and eventually a view of Reims could be seen ahead clear of any more ridge lines.  After a long turn on the front by a very strong Ashley, and with the road looking very flat, I put in an attack opening a gap but with Neil still on my wheel.  Unfortunately as we round a bend a TGV bridge came into view and this short, sharp rise slowed our pace down so we re-formed as a three for the last run-in to Reims.  After the final stamp on our race card a token was provided for a glass of Champagne which we drunk as Jim, then Chris and then Dave arrived at the centre. 

As Bruce and Jim cried off back to the hotel we all sat in the main hall awaiting the presentation of prizes.  As the only English riders we where somewhat viewed as minor celebrities, so it was no surprise when Chris got called up on to stage to receive a trophy.  As Chris was the only French speaker amongst us we couldn’t confirm what the trophy was actually for, although the general conjecture amongst the remaining North Roaders was it was some sort of life time achievement award for Chris from the French pastry industry.  His speech went down very well as he received a hearty round of applause for his contribution to cycling entente cordial.  All that was left was to plan our fourth and final four course meal that evening that we insisted on eating outside despite a series of torrential thunder-storms that cleared the streets of Reims of more ‘normal’ people.

 Special thanks should be given to Chris for organizing a superb long weekend, for driving down, and for his understanding and patience when being constantly badgered for translation duties.  Respect also to Dave Gudgeon and Jim Ewers on completing a grueling ride despite the lack of proper preparation.