Jim's Loire charity ride: stop@Domaine FL with Charlie

 Jim with Charles Eric Pasquiers, general manager of Domaine FL

@FL's new winery (above and below)  

On the last two days of my cycle trip down the Loire from its source in the Ardèche I was joined by Charles Eric 'Charlie' Pasquiers. Charlie had been a track rider and, like me, has recently got back into cycling. At the end of May 2014 he completed the Bordeaux-Paris ride – 618 kilometres. On our way from Bourgueil to Ancenis (Tuesday 23rd September) covering 143 kilometres we did a slight diversion to visit Domaine FL's new winery, which is on top of the ridge at Rochefort-sur-Loire, and involved quite a steep climb up out of the small town. It was FL's first day of picking – they started with Savennières.  

Remarkably Charlie covered the entire 143 kilometres eating nothing after his early breakfast of coffee and croissant in a café in Bourgueil. He lasted the day on water!

Many thanks again for all the generous donations received, which has now pushed the total to the two charities to over the equivalent of £3200. 

Fortunately there's still time to donate.  Here's where:
Gustave Roussy  https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd 

Teenage Cancer Trust  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd   

Loire cycle ride for cancer: good and bad moments

Attractive château just to the north of Le Puy en Vélay

Much of the Loire Valley is beautiful, although there are times when its flatness becomes a little monotonous. I didn't have much time to stop to take photos, although I did take a few.   

 The Loire just to the north of Le Puy en Vélay

 The bridge – Pont des Droits de l'Homme (Human Rights Bridge) -

@Retournac

 The Loire@Retournac

 Retournac: a business that has seen better days

 Close to the Bec-Allier, where the Allier joins the Loire@Cuffy

(above and below)

 The Loire@Ancenis

 Not the best moment!: at the top of the climb over the 

Saint-Nazaire Bridge over the Loire.

Narrow, unguarded cycle lane some heavy traffic

Good when you get sucked along but not so good 

if you get sucked under the wheels! 
(photo: Charles Éric Pasquiers)

Having a Baule@journey's end

La Baule: journey's end for Jim's Loire cancer ride

Carole Macintyre (CRM) @la gare de La Baule 

by the sculpture created by Jimenez Deredia

 

The railway station at La Baule-Escoublac marked the end of my ride down the Loire to raise money for two cancer charities (details below). I may have sat on the saddle for a number of hours every day twiddling the pedals but I couldn't have done it without great and generous support from Carole, my partner and Esme's aunt. 

We stayed in La Baule last night and celebrated with a plateau de fruits de mer accompanied by a bottle of 2013 Château du Cléray Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Haute Culture at Le Ponton, which has a great view of the bay and the ocean. This morning before heading to Muscadet to visit the Luneau family at Domaine Luneau-Papin, I took a few photos of the impressive bay of La Baule and the port de plaisance at Pornichet.

 The great sweep of the bay of Pornichet and La Baule

(above and below)

 

 Port de plaisance, Pornichet

(above and below)

Many thanks again for all the generous donations received. Fortunately there's still time to donate. Here's where:

Gustave Roussy  https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd Teenage Cancer Trust  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd  

     

Last day of Jim's Loire ride for Esme

 Jim ready to start the last day with Charly Pasquiers

Jim made it to his goal – the railway station at La Baule, around 5.15pm today, as you can tell from the station clock below. A tremendous achievement – inspired by Esme.

A last-minute discovery that the ferry no longer exists meant that Jim and Charly had to cross the Pont de La Nazaire – an extra hill! 

Jim has now completed a total distance of 1078 km and an elevation gain of 6300 m for the whole trip. He was relieved that it was the last day as the final section was – straight into the wind.

Jim has so far raised €915 plus €350 off-line for Gustave Roussy and £1152.50 plus pledges of £80 for Teenage Cancer Trust.
If you haven't yet had a chance to contribute to Jim's efforts, the links are:

Fondation Gustave Roussy 
https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd
Teenage Cancer Trust 
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd

Every €5 or £5 makes a difference!

 

Jim at the finish in front of the station at La Baule on the edge of the Atlantic, proudly wearing his Teenage Cancer Trust cycling jersey

Jim and Charly in jubilant mood at La Baule

Cycling the Loire for young Cancer sufferers: Day 6 – Beaugency to Bourgueil

Have now completed Day 6 of my ride down the Loire. Today I rode 156 kms from Beaugency to Bourgueil. There are now just two days left before the finish at La Baule by the Atlantic. 

I am riding to raise money for two cancer charities that are very focused on young cancer sufferers – Fondation Gustave Roussy and Teenage Cancer Trust. I'm delighted that my ride has now raised around the equivalent of £2000 – over 2000€. Here are the current totals, which include pledges. £963.75 is now the total for Teenage Cancer Trust, while Fondation Gustave Roussy is due to rise to 1205€.

Here's how you can donate:
For Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK:  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd
For Fondation Gustave Roussy in France:  https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd
With anticipated thanks.

Loire ride for young cancer sufferers: Day 5 Chavignol (Sancerre) to Beaugency

Michel Mergot: deputy mayor of Epeigné-les-Bois 

will be riding part of the way tomorrow

Something must have gone seriously wrong with our calculations today – I'd thought it would be around 120 km from Chavignol, the leading commune of Sancerre to Beaugency. Instead it was the longest day so far with 166 kms ridden in 7 hours 48 minutes at an average 21.3 kmh. Only 189 metres climbed, which underlines how flat this part of the Loire is.

From riding mile after mile and seeing virtually no one and few habitations, you get a real sesne of how big France is in European terms. I was pleased with the way today went: for although it was long I still have the stamina to finish strongly. 

Tomorrow will be another longish day from here to Bourgueil (Café de la Promenade). I am delighted that Michel Mergot, the deputy mayor of Epeigné-les-Bois and previously mayor of the commune, will be joining me for part of the way tomorrow.

Delighted that donations are now steadily coming in: Gustave Roussy is now up to 775€ and Virgin Giving @£751 including gift aid. If you have already given to help care for and support young people with there is still time to do so.

Here's how you can donate:

For Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK: 
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd
For Fondation Gustave Roussy in France: 
https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd
With anticipated thanks.

       

Loire ride for young cancer sufferers: Day 4 Nevers to Sancerre

Threatening storm clouds around Sancerre

After Day 4 of my ride we are now in Sancerre, so just over halfway down the Loire. The mid-point comes at the bridge across the river at Pouilly-sur-Loire. I included a shorter ride day, so we would have a chance to look at the vines. Apparently a few vines have been picked but the main harvest is due to start from the middle of next week. 

After a glorious start to September the weather has become decidedly unsettled from Wednesday – probably my fault for starting the ride that day. Currently it is stormy and humid. Hopefully the weather will soon take a turn for the better. Certainly the forecast shows that tomorrow there will just be a few showers with no thunder storms forecast unlike tonight. Then Monday and Tuesday it should be sunny with a wind from the north east to dry the grapes. On a very quick look around today (should stress that it was a quick visit) the grapes largely looked healthy but there is a little bit of rot about which would become a concern if the humid, stormy weather was to continue.

 Pinot Noir with a small touch of rot – 

entirely manageable if the weather improves

and the producer uses a sorting table or has good pickers

 2014 Sancerre ripening Sauvignon

Tomorrow I head north to Orléans and then west to Beaugency. To date we have raised £726 for Teenage Cancer Trust and 555€ for Fondation Gustave Roussy. Huge thanks to all who have generously donated so far.

It would be great to raise a lot more for this really important cause – if lots of readers of Jim's Loire donated just 5€ each or £5 it would mount up rapidly and make such a difference! Retweets and Facebook likes are great, but a small donation would be even better and would benefit young cancer sufferers.

Here's how you can donate:

For Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK: 
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd
For Fondation Gustave Roussy in France: 
https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd
With anticipated thanks.

Monsieur Loire fait La Loire!

Yes! Jim Budd, Monsieur Loire himself, is about to embark on a huge challenge - cycling from the source of the Loire to the Atlantic. Starting tomorrow in the Ardèche, just below Le Mont Gerbier de Jonc, he will be covering about 1000 kilometres. And he is doing this to raise funds for two very worthwhile charities in memory of my niece, Esme Morris Macintyre, who died last year at the tender age or eighteen.

We've arrived at the nearest auberge, the Auberge de Bachasson, just 800m from Mont Gerbier de Jonc, to start this challenge.

Jim contemplating his route in the Auberge de Bachasson

As his supporter and partner, I'd like to make a special appeal to all of you who have followed Jim's Loire over the years and freely benefited from his intimate knowledge and understanding of the Loire and its wines. If each of you donated just €5, or even €10, he would easily surpass his target.

So, please, choose one of the charities, log on to Jim's page and give just a small amount.

For Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd

For Fondation Gustave Roussy in France:
https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd

With anticipated thanks (and many thanks to those who have already contributed),

CRM

 

Jim's Loire cycle ride for cancer charities

My new cycle top from Teenage Cancer Trust for Loire ride

Have now sorted out the eight daily rides (étapes) for my ride down the Loire to raise money for two cancer charities – the Fondation Gustave Roussy in France (https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd) and Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd). All donations very gratefully received.

17^th September – 24^th September 

Wednesday 17^th : Gerbier de Jonc – Retournac via le Béage (85 km)

Thursday 18^th : Retournac – Renaison (Côte Roannaise) (120 km)

Friday 19th: Renaison – Nevers (165 km)

Saturday 20^th: Nevers – Chavignol (60 km)

Sunday 21^st: Chavignol – Beaugency (114 km)

Monday 22^nd: Beaugency – Bourgueil (143 km)

Tuesday 23^rd: Bourgueil – Ancenis (121 km)

Wednesay 24^th: Ancenis – La Baule (115 km)

At the moment it looks like I shall doing just under 1000 kilometres but I'm not sure we have calculated all the distances entirely accurately. Also by the time I have gone wrong a few times – and this will certainly happen – the total should certainly be over 1000 km.

Esme Morris Macintyre

My ride has been inspired by Esme's adventure. Esme, CRM's niece, died of a brain tumour last year, aged just 18. 

  

Loire ride for Esme: training ride along Loch Ericht and over the hills

 The beauty of Loch Ericht looking south westwards 

Today I got in a good, reasonably long training ride (a little over four hours) through the Scottish Highlands in preparation for riding the length of the Loire (starting 17th September) to raise money for two cancer charities. 

I headed out from Newtonmore to Dalwhinnie intending to explore The Old Drovers Road that starts just south of Dalwhinnie at the top of a steep hill and goes through to the Laggan Road. Although for the first mile there is a clear track it soon peters out and becomes barely a footpath, so not ideal even for a mountain bike. 

Heading to Dalwhinnie

 The hills above the A9 to the east on the way to Dalwhinnie

So it was onto Plan B (nothing to do with the Scottish Independence debate..) into Dalwhinnie and out along Loch Ericht to Ben Alder where I took the track up into the moorland and across to Loch Pattack. From there northwards following the River Pattack for much of the way until I met the A86 Spean Bridge road well to the west of Laggan. Then back to Newtonmore. 

Great ride through some really beautiful scenery. Although the Loire will be lovely it will be hard to better parts of this ride.

My Loire ride will be to raise money for two cancer charities – one in France and one in the UK. My donation page on Fondation Gustave Roussy is: https://igr.friendraising.eu/jim.budd. For Teenage Cancer Trust it is http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimBudd 

      

 Loch Ericht (above and below)

 The track away from Loch Ericht towards the hills including Beinn a Chlachair and approaching Loch Pattack

 Hills including Carn Dearg (?)

 Loch Pattack

Jim to ride Loire to raise money for teenagers with cancer

Esme Morris Macintyre: 1995-2013

Early Last July my partner's niece, Esme Morris Macintyre, lost her seven year battle with a brain tumour. She was just 11 when the tumour was discovered and 18 when she died.

In those seven years she raised thousands for teenagers with cancer. Her death, her brave fight and indomitable spirit have inspired others to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. (See Esme's Adventure on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/EsmesAdventure). Esme set up this page when she knew that she had only a few months more to live.

Last August Esme's aunt Carole Macintyre cycled from John O'Groats to Esme's home in Kinross, some 300 miles if you include a few involuntary diversions. I rode with her as support vehicle. She raised some £3600 for Teenage Cancer Trust.

Carole@John O'Groats, Scotland

This June we plan to reverse roles with me riding from the source of the Loire at Gerbier de Jonc to La Baule, where the river flows into the Atlantic. Although 1000 kilometres by river but it will be just short of 1200 by road. Carole will kindly be supporting me but this time support will be motorised.

Again the ride will be to raise money for teenagers with cancer but this time I plan to assist two charities - Teenage Cancer Trust (www.teenagecancertrust.org/) and Fondation Gustave Roussy (http://www.gustaveroussy.fr).

The current plan is to take seven to eight days to ride from the source to the Atlantic starting from Gerbier de Jonc heading to to Solignac-sur-Loire then following the Loire northwards to Le Puy, passing just to the west of Saint-Etienne onto Roanne, Digoin, Decize and Nevers. Once I reach Nevers there is a recognized and signposted cycle route from there to the Atlantic. Before then there may be some cycle routes but as far as I know not yet a complete cycle route.

Halfway point: sign on the bridge across the river@Pouilly-sur-Loire

From Nevers the route runs on the West Bank of the Loire past the bridge across the river to Pouilly-sur-Loire, which marks the halfway point for the Loire’s journey to the sea. Then I will be skirting round Sancerre to the east and staying mainly on the west bank until Orléans, where the Loire decides against heading onto Paris, instead heading westwards. Much of the remainder of the route will be on the now south bank of the Loire until I reach the Pont de Saint-Nazaire to finish the last few kilometres to La Baule on the north side.

More details to follow along with a donation link. Will be very grateful for any advice.

Jim's VTT in vines above Chavignol (Sancerre) March 2013

A sorry sight!

An unfortunate postscript!

This post first appeared early yesterday morning on Les 5 du Vin blog and yesterday was the day we motored back to London from the Loire with our bikes on special roof racks. When we left Touraine it was a calm sunny day. Unfortunately by the time we reached the Baie de Somme the wind had really got up. Very soon after we joined the A16 for the run to Calais there was a loud crack and my bike was ripped from its rack and deposited on the carriageway. On its way it hit the back windscreen, shattering it.

We are not sure how it happened but there was a large lorry passing on the other carriageway heading towards Paris and combined with a big gust of wind, produced a force that tore the bike from its housing and completely searing off the rear fastening. The locking part would have released the bike as it is designed to do in the event of a crash.

Luckily there was no other car near us and two or three cars swerved to avoid the bike that was now in the middle of the nearside carriageway. As I ran back along the hard shoulder to try to rescue the bike and get it off the autoroute, an approaching lorry spotted me and the crippled bike. Very kindly he slowed to a halt putting on his hazard lights and a car in the outer lane followed suit and I was able to pick up the bike without risk.

Now it is a question of finding out if the bike can be repaired – the part of the frame that holds the gear change mechanism has been sheared off.

 Not going to get me very far in its current state!