Paris-Brest-Paris 2011
A distance of 1,200 kms ridden by bicycle is no longer, than to be flown the same distance by airplane :o)
...but riding by bicycle is much, much more exciting!
...and on the way you will get to know one interesting person well: Yourself!
Departure PBP 2007 |
What is PBP?
From PBP the commercial version “Tour de France” has originated.
The non-commercial brevet PBP is organised by Audax Club Parisien (ACP) all 4 years. Aim of PBP is to ride by bicycle the 1,200 kms long distance from Paris through Normandy and Brittany to Brest and back with nearly 10,000 altitude meters in less than 90 hours total time.
Already in the year 2007 I took part in PBP. More than 5300 starters of 40 countries from all five continents made PBP to the biggest international randonneuring event of the world. This year, even more starters and nations are expected.
Which abilities you need?
…but I still have much respect for PBP :-)))
To ride a 1,200 kms brevet, you need, of course, well trained endurance ability. Beside the endurance ability is important, …
a) ...that your digestion is in the habit of work under sporty load conditions. --> Many riders, who must give up, have no energy anymore, caused by digestive problems. During “London-Edinburgh-London” I had problems with chilli beans, that I lunched at a control point in Scotland. My body didn’t except the beans. The digestive problem cost time of nearly 8 hours!
b) ...that you are able to handle the lack of sleep. --> There is the danger to leave the street unintended and to fall. Also the potentiality of getting hallucinations exists! If sleeping attacks appear or you start to hallucinate, it is better to lie down in the roadside ditch and to sleep one to two hours, than to fall and to injure yourself!
c) ...that you are mental well prepared to carry pain. --> Be certain, on the long riding distance, you will get pain from several places of your body. Your brain will have to fight against your body!
Control points |
kms |
|
Villaines-la-Juhel |
221 |
|
Fougères |
310 |
|
Tinténiac |
364 |
|
Loudéac |
449 |
|
Carhaix-Plouguer |
525 |
|
Brest |
618 |
|
Carhaix-Plouguer |
703 |
|
Loudéac |
782 |
|
Tinténiac |
867 |
|
Fougères |
921 |
|
Villaines-la-Juhel |
1009 |
|
Mortagne-au-Perche |
1090 |
|
Dreux |
1165 |
|
Saint-Quentin |
1230 |
|
You will prove, that where there is a will, there is a way! ...to Brest, ...and back to Paris!
Qualifying
To qualify for PBP you must complete a Super Randonneur series (200, 300, 400 and 600 kms) of ACP-sanctioned brevets in 2011. Those brevets are offered in over 35 countries around the world. I finished the complete brevet series in Germany. The 200, 300 and 600 kms brevets I cycled at ARA Niedersachsen and the 400 kms brevet at ARA Weserbergland. Now I am a “Super Randonneur 2011” and officially qualified for PBP. :-)
The start
Online rider tracking
- Interactive route map Paris-Brest-Paris 2011 - |
Characteristics of the route
Main parts of the route are small country roads with low traffic. Typically Brittany’s roads have raw street covers. The raw covers generate a high rolling resistance and causes bike vibrations. In 2007 my stiff neck and my senseless hands and fingers were mainly originated by permanently vibrations. This time I solve the problems by riding a recumbent bike. The last 1,200 kms ride in Russia showed, that on my couch I get no body problems, not even on bad Russian country roads. :-)
On the PBP-route are no high mountains and there are no steep ramps. But Brittany is wavy like a washboard! Constantly it goes up or down. Some of the 30 gears of my couch I will have to switch all the time. :-)
What to do until the start?
All along the 1,200 kms of PBP, I will measure the strength of my body and, above all, the strength of my brainpower :-)
Will we meet on the route?
Please watch the Promotion-Video of PBP 2011