For my second participation to Bordeaux-Paris randonnee after the rainy one in '96, I choose to go from Grenoble to Bordeaux with my confortable bike. The route choosen goes in the south of France. I travel by train from Grenoble to Montelimar, then Béziers, Foix, Pau and Bordeaux. This route is not the direct one but I want to prepare a trip, a Diagonale, a French FFCT label, between Menton and Hendaye in a limited time (78 hours) . In this way, I have to find a good route, easier than the previous one I tried for Bordeaux-Sete which goes through Haut-Languedoc. A nice ride but with many hills and more difficult in a given time.

I caught the train in Grenoble to arrive in Montelimar at 08:00am. The warmth is always here. Between Uzes and Sommieres, just after lunch, I feel to cross the desert. the wind is in my face and it makes me dry. I found a little coolness after Montpellier close to the sea just before Frontignan vineyard. This place is well know, because oysters from Bouzigues are procuded here. I had a puncture on my front tyre and I had to repair. The day ride finished in Beziers with a little dinner and a night rest.

Route	Heure	Dept	Ville	Km Part	Km Total
	08h00	26	Montelimar sncf	0	0
N7
			Des la sortie de la ville, il fait chaud ...
D73			(Suivre la SNCF sur la droite...)
D73		26	Chateauneuf du Rhone	9	9
		07	Pont sur le Rhone	1	10
D7			Viviers
			La Cite Medievale ...
D86			Carrefour N86	2	11
N86			Saint Montan		18
N86			Pont sur la Conche		20
N86			Bourg Saint Andeol	14	25
N86	09h35		Saint Just	9	34
N86			Pont sur l'Ardeche		37
N86			Pont Saint Esprit	6	40
N86			Pont sur la Ceze	11	51
N86	10h30		Bagnols Sur Ceze	0	51
			La route est ombragee avec le champ des cigales ...
N86			Pont sur la Tave		59
N86			Carrefour D982	13	64
D982	11h40		Saint Hippolyte de Montaigu		74
D982			Pont sur l'Alzon		79
D982	12h00		Uzes	16	80
			Pique-Nique sous la Chaleur ...
D982			Carrefour D22 sur la gauche...	1	80
D22			Pont sur les seynes		84
D22			Dions		96
D22			La Calmette	18	98
D22			Gajan	5	103
D22			Pont sur la Braune		104
D22			Carrefour D907		105
D907			Carrefour D22
D22			Saint Mamert su Gard		107
D22			Pont sur le ruisseau de Leins		107
D22			Carrefour D999	7	110
D22			Sauvignargues		118
D22
N110	15h20	34	Sommieres	12	122
N110		34	Pont sur la Bolivine		125
N110			Boisseron		126
N110			Restinclieres		131
N110			Pont sur le Berange		135
N110	16h40		Castries		138
N110			Carrefour N113	19	140
N113			Le cres		146
N113			Pont sur le Salaison		146
N113	17h10		Montpellier	10	150
	17h50		Montpellier (Fin de la traversee !!!)
N113			Saint Jean de Vedras	9	159
N113			Fabregues	6	165
			Crevaison sous la chaleur ....
N113			Gigean	8	173
N113			Sur la Gauche : Bouzigues
			Le pays de l'huitre de bouzigues ...
N113			Meze	12	185
N113			Carrefour D51 a gauche	3	188
D51			Carrefour D18 a droite
D18			Pinet	8	195
			Les vignes du PicPoul de Pinet ...
D18			Pomerols	2	197
D18			Florensac	3	200
D18			Pont sur l'Herault	1	201
D18			Carrefour D137 a gauche apres le pont
D157			Bessan	5	206
			Traverser le village
D28			Coussergues
D28	21h00	34	Beziers	17	223

I woke up at 05:00 am. It's too earlier to have breakfast in my hostel, so I use my gas stove to have coffee. The road is very enjoyable in the morning with coolness along the Canal du Midi. Some boats are sailing up the river. After Carcassonne there are two steep roads just before Montreal de L'Aude and Fanjeaux. When I entered in Ariege department, at 474 kms far from Grenoble, I saw the pyrenees for the time in this ride. I arrived in Foix at the end of the afternoon and I was welcomed in the younth hostel.

Route	Heure	Dept	Ville	Km Part	Km Total
	07h35	34	Beziers	0	0
			Ville de Pierre-Paul Riquet, le fondateur du
			canal du Midi entre Bordeaux et Sete....
D11	08h20		Montady	11	11
			Tour du XII siecle ...
			Apres Montady, 5kms de petite montee ....
D11			Pont sur le Canal du Midi		16
D11	08h40	34	Capestang	7	18
D11		34
D5		11		4	22
D5	09h00	11	La Croisade		26
D5		11	Pont sur le Canal du Midi		28
D5	09h20	11	Cabezac		32
D5		11	Pont sur la Cesse		33
D11		34			41
D11			Pont sur le Canal du Midi		45
D11			Pont sur l'Ognon		45
D11		11			45
D11		34	Homps		46
D610	10h15	11	Puicheric		56
D610	10h30	11	Ecluse de Fonfile		60
			Les touristes Suisse-Allemand remontent le canal ...
			Discussion avec la naviguation du Sud-Est: Les berges du canal ne sont pas goudronnees ...
D610			Marseillette		63
D610			Trebes		72
N113	11h30		Carcassonne		80
			Pique-Nique ....
	12h30		Carcassonne	0	80
			Entre la capitale Cathare et Montreal, voici le pays des cotes de Maleperre ...
D119	13h25	11	Montreal de l'Aude	20	100
			Collegiale du XIV siecle et Orgues historiques du XVI siecle
D119
D119	14h15	11	Fanjeaux	10	110
			Le domaine des montagnes de Planturel
			Halles du XVI siecle
			Couvent et Eglise Saint Dominique du XIII siecle....
			Fanjeaux est un village perche, a voir sans aucun doute ....
			Fanjeaux se trouve a l'extremite des collines du vent d'avignonet Lauragais ...
D119			Premiere vue sur les pyrennees ...		121
			Nous sommes a 474 kms de Grenoble ...
D119		09			122
D119			Pont sur l'Hers		129
D119		09	Mirepoix (BPF/BCN 09)		130
			Cathedrale St Maurice des XIV, XV et XVI siecle ...
D119			Besset		134
D119			Coutens		135
D119			Rieucros		140
D119			Carrefour D12 a gauche
D12
D624	16h40		Vanilhes		153
N20	17h30	09	Foix (BPF 09)		164
			Auberge de Jeunesse
			16 Rue Peyrevidal
			09000 Foix
			05 61 65 09 04
			Repas + Nuit = 140 FF

Remenber from Carcassonne ...

Early in the morning, I still use my gas stove for coffee. I leave Foix under a cloudy weather but with no rain. Just at the exit of Foix, I can see the beautiful castle. I saw for the second time Pyrenees just before Saint Girons. I can't see Puymaurens but Tourmalet. I continue by riding on hills where it is written on the top : "GPM" to mean Grand Prix de la Montagne because there was a race here before. The name Virenque is written on the road !! I arrive in Saint Bertrand de Comminges where a city has been built 70 years before JC. In the afternoon, I continue to study the diagonale route towards Lourdes and I arrived in Pau at 08:00 pm. I very enjoyed all the little churches just after Lourdes called "Les chapelles de Betharam". I ate Pizza and had a night rest in the younth Hostel which isn't very confortable ...

Route	Heure	Dept	Ville	Km Part	Km Total
	06h30	09	Foix (BPF / BCN 09)	0	0
D117	07h00		Col del Bouich	7	7
			Au Col: HR Le Grand Gousier
			Logis de France **
D117				4	11
D117			Montels	3	14
D117			Pont sur l'Arize	3	17
D117			La bastide de Serou	0	17
			Un Village de vacances
D117			Pont sur l'Artillac	5	22
D117			Moulin de Vic	0	22
D117			Castelnau Durban	4	26
D117			Une montee pour arriver a Rimont
D117			Rimont	5	31
			Village Martyr + Abbaye
			Abbaye de Combelongue XII siecle
			Une descente apres le village
D117			Lescure	4	35
D117			Pont sur le Baup	7	42
D117			St Girons	2	44
			A l'entree du village, une autre facette des Pyrennees ...
D117			Saint Lizier	3	47
D117			Pont sur le Merdancon	1	48
D117	09h15		Lorp	1	49
D117			Caumont	4	53
			Eglise du XVIII siecle
D117
D117		09	Prat Bonrepaux	4	57
D117		31		4	61
D117	09h45	31	Castagnede	3	64
D117			His	1	65
D117			Pont sur l'Arbas	2	67
D117		31	Mane	0	67
D21			Attention : 2 kms de montee GPM!!
D21
D26			Figoral	5	72
D21			Les artigues	3	75
D21			Pointis Inard	5	80
D21			Pont sur le Ger	0	80
D21
D5			Miramont de Comminges	6	86
D5	11h30		Saint Gaudens	3	89
			Eglise XI et XII siecle
			Travaux dans le village
			Il est finalement inutile de monter dans le village ....
D8				15	104
N125
D26			Pont sur la Garonne	3	107
D26	12h30		Saint Bertrand de Comminges (BPF/BCN 31)	2	109
D26			Pont sur la Garonne
N125				9	118
N125	13h10	31	Montrejeau Ausson	2	120
N117		65		2	122
			Quelques gouttes de pluie ...
N117			Pinas	9	131
N117			Pont sur la Save	0	131
N117			Pont sur le Gers	2	133
N117	14h00		Lannemezan	3	136
N117	15h10		Capvern	7	143
D938		65	Mauvezin (BPF/BCN 65)	4	147
			Le Chateau de Gaston Phebus ...
D938			Pont sur l'Arros	3	150
			L'Abbaye cistercienne de l'Escaladieu....
D938			Carrefour D20
D938	16h20		Bagneres de Bigorre	12	162
D935			Pouzac	4	166
D935			Carrefour D937	4	170
D937				4	174
D937			Arcizac les angles	5	179
D937	17h45		Lourdes	5	184
D937			Peyrouse	7	191
D937		65	Saint Pe de Bigorre	4	195
D937		64		5	200
D937			Lestelle Betharam	1	201
			Le beau defile des chapelles sur la gauche ....
D937			Pont sur le Gave de Pau	5	206
D928			Pont sur le Lagoin	11	217
D938		64	Pau	8	225

This day will be a rest day. Before the start of BPR, I went to Bordeaux by train and the weather is fresh with rain. I arrived in the afternoon in Bordeaux. I get my roadmap and I prepared, checked the bike for tomorrow. I went to bed at 10:00pm.

Just before the start, I had breakfast with two Belgium riders. One of them rode PBP and we discussed together. The start was done at 06:00 am and the average speed is high. Just after the first hills, many riders groups have been composed. I met a rider from Mazamet without assistance. We decided to share the room in the hostel I booked in Lussac Les Chateaux. The weather is fresh and it is enjoyable to ride. I arrived in Ruelle at 12:30am to have lunch before the hills in Charentes. In the forests I crossed, the storm caused disasters. In the end of the afternoon, I arrived in Confolens just before Vienne valley, a beautiful ride along La Vienne. In the evening, I arrived in Lussac Les Chateaux. In the supermarket I won a portable phone ! During the dinner with the other rider, we spoke about rides in France. I also met another single rider, Guy Conche, during this first day.

Route	Heure	Dept	Ville	Km Part	Km Total
	06h00	33	Bordeaux	0	0
			Depart de Cenon / Centre Leo Lagrange....
D936			Direction Branne Bergerac
D936			Fargues Saint Hilaire
D936			Camarsac
D936			Carrefour D20 a gauche
D20			Saint Germain du Puch
N89			Arveyres
N89	07h10		Libourne	30	30
		33	Pont sur la Dordogne	0	30
		33		35	65
D674	08h30	24	La Roche Chalais	3	68
D674	08h50	24	Parcoul	7	75
D674	09h00	16	Pont sur la Dronne	1	76
D674			Chalais
			Eglise et Cloitre du XII au XVII siecle ...
D674			Montboyer
D674	10h00		Montmoreau	25	101
			Chateau du XII au XV siecle ....
			A cote: Eglise Monolithe de Aubeterre ...
			VI et XII siecle, la plus vaste d'Europe avec une Necropole ...
D674			Carrefour D101 a droite
D101			Torsac	21	122
			Le Village de Torsac est dans un trou
			Eglise des XII et XVI siecle
D101	11h30		Dirac	6	128
			Eglise des XII et XV siecle
D101			Pont sur L'Angienne
D101			Sainte Catherine	4	131
D23			Touvre
D57	12h45	16	Ruelle / CONTROLE 1	8	139
			Pause Pique Nique
			23/06-09h00 a 24/06-18h00
			Bar Resto Au Terminus Mr PUJOL
			03 Place du champ de Mars
			Telephone : 05 45 65 53 73
D12			La simarde
D12
D11			Pont sur la Tardoise	21	160
D11			Le port d'Agris	0	160
			Discussion avec Guy Conche et un habitant du village :
			Deux inondations provoquees par la Tardoise en 1962 et 1994 ...
D175	14h30		Pont sur la bonnieure	6	166
D11			A gauche le Vivier
			Puygibaud
			Carrefour D27	6	172
			Pont sur le Son	4	176
D739	15h10		Saint Claud	2	178
D951
D346	15h30		Pont sur la Charente	9	187
D436			Manot	7	194
			L'Eglise Romane
			Le Gue de Manot sur la route des Lemovices ...
D16			Pont sur la Vaine	5	199
D16	16h20		Ansac	1	200
D952			La Tulette	4	204
D952	16h30		Confolens
			Pont sur la Vienne	0	204
			Ici commence la Vallee de la Vienne....
D952	16h45		Saint Germain de Confolens	4	208
			Chateau du XII et XV siecle...
D952			Pont sur l'Issoire	1	209
			L'Issoire se jette dans la Vienne ici-meme ...
D927		86		10	219
D11	17h50	86	L'Isle Jourdain / CONTROLE 2	13	232
			Bar Tabac Mr DEMARS
			Place d'Armes / 05 49 48 72 00
			23/06-10h00 a 24/06-00h00
D11			La grace de Dieu	5	237
D11			Persac
D11	18h45	86	Lussac les chateaux	8	254
			HR le relais / Logis de France **
			30 Av recteur Pineau
			05 49 48 40 20

I leave my hostel and my colleague early in the morning and I rode in Vienne valley. I rode with riders and Tandem who comes from Maine et Loire. I rode with them during PBP. The weather is fresh with a shy sun and I very enjoyed to cross Angles sur L'Anglin with the beautiful old castle. Then, during the ride, hills are replaced by long flat roads and I ate in Noyer sur Cher. In the afternoon, I crossed the area where Tourraine wines are produced. I visited Chambord and Beaugency to get two stamps for my BPF collection ( Another French FFCT label ). I crossed La Loire twice in Beaugency. When I came back on the official road, I found again riders and Tandem from Maine et Loire. We arrived together in Orleans in the evening. I ate a soup, ham sandwich, dessert, batteries for my bulbs and I started again alone in the evening. I crossed Orleans. After I very enjoyed the sunset in the fresh air and a beautiful sight on horizon. When I arrive in the last checkpoint, I met two riders who want to sleep here. I tried to invite them to come with me but without succes. Then at midnight, I started alone in the night. Suddendly a car arrives in this last checkpoint with two nervous men. They announced me the first racers of 36hours were going to arrive. I decided to start before them to ride with them when they overtook me. They are seven riders. One of them, Denis, completed PBP in 43 hours and he is very friendly. I rode with them during two hours and a half and I rode 70 kms. This is very incredible for me and I finished the last part of the ride alone in the Rambouillet forest before arriving in Les Clayes Sous Bois , at 12kms far from the start of PBP. At 04:30am the city is sleeping, the first racers already arrived too and I get a stamp in the baker... This ride was vey enjoyable and I completed it in 46 hours 30 minutes in two stages with a 400k on the end. I enjoyed 400 kms !!

Route	Heure	Dept	Ville	Km Part	Km Total
	06h00	86	Lussac les chateaux	0	0
D749			Pont sur l'Arrault	2	2
			Je roule avec les Tandems du Maine et Loire ...
			C'est la suite de la vallee de la Vienne...
D749			Civaux
			Sur la gauche, la Necropole Merovingienne...
D749			Valdivienne
D749		86	Chauvigny / CONTROLE 3	20	22
			Bar Le Jet d'eau
			03 Quai du Maquis
			05 49 46 32 14
			23/06-14h00 a 25/06 01h00
			Cite Medievalle sur la gauche ...
D2			Saint Pierre de Maille	20	42
D2			Pont sur la Gartempe	1	43
D2	08h10		Angles sur Anglin	5	48
D2		86	Pont sur l'Anglin	0	48
D6		36		2	50
D6		36	Entree dans le PNR de la Brenne...	0	50
D6	08h30	36	Tournon Saint Martin	5	55
D6		36	Pont sur la Creuse	0	55
D50	09h20	36	Martizay / CONTROLE 4	13	68
			Bar PMU Les bords de Glaise
			Mr Joubert / 02 54 37 74 94
			24/06-4h00 a 25/06-06h00
			Pont sur la Glaize
D975			Azay le Ferron	4	72
D975			Sortie du Parc Naturel Regional de la Brenne...	5	79
D975			Chatillon Sur Indre	10	89
			Eglise Notre-Dame des XI et XII siecle, Collegiale Romane
			Donjon du XI siecle
			Maisons du XVI, XVII et XVIII siecle...
			Pont sur l'Indre
D975			Pont sur l'Indrois	10	99
D675			Nouans les fontaines	9	108
			Pieta de Jehan Fouquet XV siecle ...
			Porte de la Touraine ...
D675			Pont sur le Tournefeuille	16	124
D675	12h20		Saint Aignan sur cher	2	126
D675			Pont sur le Cher	2	128
D675		41	Noyers Sur Cher / CONTROLE 5	2	130
			Bar Mr Langevin / 02 54 75 16 87
			24/06-07h00 a 25/06/06h00
			Pause repas 12h45 a 13h50 ....
D675			Saint Romain sur Cher	4	134
			Pont sur la Trenne	0	134
			Les vins de Touraine
D675			Couddes	5	139
D102			Contres	6	145
D102			Cheverny ( Le chateau )	10	155
			Cour - Cheverny	2	157
D102	15h30		Bracieux	8	165
D923			Pont sur le Beauvron	1	166
D112			Route de Bracieux a Pontijou	3	169
			Entree dans le Domaine de Chambord
D112	15h50		Chambord (BPF 41)	4	173
			C'est la fete de la Chasse a Cour ...
D33	16h30		Crouy sur Cosson	9	182
D103
RF			Saint Laurent des Eaux	9	191
D951		41	Carrefour D925	3	194
D925		45		2	196
D925		45	Pont sur la Loire	3	199
D925			Beaugency (BPF 45)	1	200
D19
D103			Jouy le Potier
			Je reprends la route officielle ...
			Je retrouve les Tandems du Maine et Loire ....
D7			Ardon
	19h00	45	Orleans La Source / CONTROLE 6	32	232
			Centre ASPTT
			Pause repas 19h30 a 20h30
			24/06-14h00 a 25/06-12h00
	21h00		Orleans	11	243
			Pont sur la Loire	0	243
D97	21h30		Fleury les Aubrais	5	248
D97			Fin de la Foret d'Orleans ....	13	261
D97			Saint Lye la foret	2	263
D97			Acquebouville	19	282
			Le coucher de Soleil ... L'instant Magique ...
			La Danse des Lapins sur les cotes de la Route ...
D97	23h30	45	Autruy sur Juine / CONTROLE 7	9	291
			Hotel du Cygne / Mne Prevot
			45480 OUTARVILLE /0238325278
			24/06-12h00 a 25/06-14h00
			Je retrouve deux cyclos bretons qui dormiront ici...
			Dommage, je repars seul dans la nuit ...
			...
			Les premiers 36heures arrivent ...
			Direction Andonville ...
D22		91	Angerville
D838			Possay
D838			Authon La Plaine
			Chatignonville
			Boinville le Gaillard
			Bretonville
	01h30	78	Ablis	40	331
			Prunay en Yvelines
			Cerqueuse
			Orphin
D176			A droite
D62	02h20		Gazeran	21	352
			Je lache ici les 7 cyclos des 36 heures qui roulent trop vite ...
D107			Poigny la foret
D107
D936			Saint Leger en Yvelines
D138			Monfort L'Amaury
			Il fait froid dans cette foret que je connais si bien ....
D155			Galluis
D42			Mere
D42			Vicq
			Je grelotte sur le velo...
			Je rencontre le coureur solitaire entre Nanterre et l'Orne ...
D11			Neauphle le Vieux
D11			Le Pontel
D11			Plaisir
D11	04h30	78	Les Clayes sous Bois	48	400
			Stade
			Arrivee