After a few weeks off it was really nice to get going again, and Grimpeurs was a great way to start back. A short, but damn hard little guy, it’s part of the French Cup, and as so is a free for all with G’d up French guys spazzing out all day long. Our boy Dan Martin snuck into a quality break that the eventual winner came from but was caught with less than a K to go; unfortunately that last K is pretty much straight up. I spent most of the day jumping around covering moves and getting the head back in race mode. I tried to take part in the mass hill sprint at the end with some by-then pretty crispy legs; I think I snuck just top 20, but had a great time none-the-less and after flying 2 days prior was pretty happy to be at the pointy end of things.I’m also pretty happy to have survived the past few days mugging-free. When you read about the Paris suburb riots, well, we’ve spent the past few days camped at ground zero. Argenteuil is nice…really…it is…We could even see the Eiffel tower from the course:). Needless to say, a bunch of argyled-up-spandex guys rolling around town were a bit out of place. Fortunately once the roads were closed and we were surrounded by others in clown suits it was all good and the crowds came out in good numbers. It is France after all. Today we head north-west to Dunkirk, just down the coast from the border with Belgium, which I LOVE. The weather looks like it might be favorable at least as far as the forecast wants to show now, so smiles all around for the time being. Dunkirk is known as a pretty wild crosswind week and a few days without would be a blessing for sure. Even just today without would be pretty rockin - we’re riding the last 100k to the hotel and doing it without a block headwind would be a big bonus. And now for some quality time back in our old friend the camper…
