Day 2 Paris to Bordeaux (Bastille Day)
Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.
We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.
If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.
Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.
Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.
Today we are taking the TGV from Paris to Bordeaux. Our plan is to start in the south west and loosely follow the tour east, finishing at Grenoble, before returning to Paris by train for the final stage, where Rabobank have a day of activities planned for us.
The TGV trip was quite eagerly anticipated, by me at least. Train travel is something Kiwis don’t get to experience often, and besides any train that goes at almost 300km/h has got to be good! The car GPS did have some trouble working out what road the train was driving on, but did show the speed accurately!
Bordeaux on Bastille is, in a word, shut. Actually some of the shops opened later in the day, but most places are closed and transport is hard to find. However our hotel is close to the old city which is very beautiful. We spent the day exploring the cobbled streets and buying shoes!
Tonight there is, apparently a big fireworks display on the river front, but despite the best laid plans, returning to the hotel at 7 and laying on the bed, the motivation to go out again evaporated into jet-lag.
Tonight there is, apparently a big fireworks display on the river front, but despite the best laid plans, returning to the hotel at 7 and laying on the bed, the motivation to go out again evaporated into jet-lag.