Nearly ready to go

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Here we are three days from leaving for France for Le Grand Depart on Sunday 16 March, and I haven't written anything since November! Been busy. Moved to Kent, found the flat I bought needed lots of work, and have been getting the place in shape before I go away ... haven't been doing enough cycling.

There was a big meeting in France in February where we got our final instructions, saw the equipment we are taking (including two big lorries to carry it) and got our official bikes. These had a few problems as they had been put together in a bit of a hurry due to late delivery of some components. They are also very heavy. We have portable showers as well as tents and camping gear. Everyone is very friendly and I have had lots of help - I stayed with Marc and Suzanne Wuyts overnight for the meeting, then Jean-Yves Guegen gave me and 2 other people and bikes a lift to Paris, I stayed overnight with Jean-Yves and then he took me by cycle tracks to the Gare du Nord to get the Eurostar home. When I go to Paris on Friday I will be met by Liliane who will guide me to the Trocadero to hand in my luggage and bike ready for the off on Sunday. I couldn't ask for nicer companions.

The 100 cyclists are divided into 5 groups of twenty, each identified by a colour and with a team leader. I am in the red group, led by James Mara.

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Photos

The whole group
One of the lorries in the background

The red team
I'm the one in the red jacket

The five team leaders
James is on the left

The bikes
We shall all look the same on our identical bikes in our official Paris-Pekin clothes

New bike
I am trying it out, watched by Liliane and Andre