Bol d Or September 1999 

Outbound Wed 8th September:- Portsmouth to Cherbourg 14.00 Hrs arrive 17.45hrs

Return Mon 20th September:- Bilbao to Portsmouth 12.30 hrs arrive 16.30 hrs Tues

Crew Alan & Julia (VFR800), Keith (CBR600), Peter (ZZR1100), & Bill (GPZ1100)

Day 1 Wednesday 8th September

Leave home at about 11.05am to meet Peter at 11.30am at the Cross Hands pub Nr Castle Coombe as usual Peter was late as I see him at the traffic lights he is sat on his bike with his knees stuck out about 2ft either side as he pulls up I realise why, he has got his panniers sat on the petrol tank, he reckons they would not sit across the pillion seat. He has only come 10mls and he is already complaining about the discomfort. We get under way by 11.45am with only 11/2 hrs to get to Portsmouth. Couldn’t have taken a worse route A46 to Bath Ok but A36 Bath to Salisbury seems to go through every village in Somerset & Wiltshire.
Eventually arrive in ferry port with 1 minute to spare before they close the doors of the ferry much to Alan, Julia & Keith’s relief, the next ferry was the overnight. The crossing is only about 13/4hrs just enough time to settle down get something to eat.
Of the ferry by about 6.15pm, head straight down the autoroute with the intention of stopping at Le-Mans for the first night, we decide that we wont make Le-Mans Peter seems to struggle keeping up unless the roads are straight and everybody is getting low on petrol so we try a couple of hotels on the outskirts of Alencon which were all full up, we manage to get petrol then travel on to the centre of Alencon where we find a small hotel with a garage to lock the bikes in. Have a nice meal in the hotel not really much to drink, as we are all tired and then a reasonably early night.
Distance travelled about 260mls.

Day 2 Thursday 9th September

We load up the bikes a get going reasonably early on what is going to be the longest distance in one day with the aim to get somewhere into or near to the lower Alps. The route takes us through Le Mans riding down the famous Mulsanne straight part of the Le Mans Circuit then through the Loire valley, Tours, Vierzon and on down south to Clermont Ferrand, St Etienne, Annonay and finally stop at a Formula 1 hotel in Bourge-les-Valance. Hotel rooms cost £13.00 between three of us unfortunately they only have a double bed & a single bed (not good for three blokes).
Have a rather expensive meal in a restaurant nearby, again not too much to drink and a relatively early night.
Distance travelled today approximately 460mls.

 Day 3 Friday 10th September

Wake fairly early to the noise of lots of bikes blasting down the autoroute to the Bol, have a quick buffet breakfast then load up the bikes a get going. We are not going by the quickest route, which would be straight down the autoroute but choose to head west and up into the Alps for some superb riding on the fast mountain roads through Gap & Sisteron to Aubagne & the Paul Riquarde Circuit.  
We have to keep stopping for Peter to catch up; his style of riding would have been more suited to the auto-route I don’t think he likes leaning the bike around corners.
You can almost feel the temperature rising as we travel further south, when we stop for petrol helmets and jackets have to come of real quick because it’s sweltering. Eventually find the Circuit this is the 2nd time I have been to the Bol both times I have struggled to find it. We set up the tents in the campsite, which is extremely noisy, nutters riding around naked most of the night the girl camping next door gets knocked over by some mad dog riding around the campsite probably pissed.
Distance travelled today 250mls

Day 4 Saturday 11th September

Watch the start of the race & check out all the side stalls for clothing etc. Then we take a ride into town to stock up with beer, wine, food and a barbeque for tonight. On the way back to the campsite the traffic is atrocious finally find out why someone has totalled an R1 and himself I wouldn’t wonder judging by the state of the bike. Eventually get back to the campsite and stash the supplies. Then wander around the circuit checking out the various entertainments going on Funfair, Bands, Bungee Jumping, Lunatics revving their bikes up to the rev limiter etc, back to the campsite for burger beer & wine.

Alan almost single-handed demolishes 3 bottles of red wine.

Day 5 Sunday 12th September

Wake up with a hangover (there’s a thing) most of us lay around sunbathing nursing our heads till life comes back to us. We then have a final wander around the circuit before returning to pack all the kit up on the bikes ready for the off. Once packed, we go back over to the circuit to watch the end of the race. Then leave heading for Andorra head first for Marsielle where we manage to get hopelessly lost. Eventually we find our way out on the road to Nimes.  At Nimes a slight bit of indecision on a junction makes me pull up unfortunately I’m leaning over slightly and the front wheel is on loose road grit so I end up dumping the bike on the deck scuffing the fairing and pannier slightly. We check out the map and find it was ok the way I was going. Head on down the Motorway by Montpellier to Narbonne somewhere along the motorway we pass a biker laid on the central reservation with his bike 500 yards further down the road. Find the Hotel Relax at Narbonne (£10.00/night) have the usual couple of beers and a meal then bed.
Distance travelled today approximately 190mls

 
Day 6 Monday 13th September

Wake up reasonably early breakfast & on the road by 9am subject to Peter’s usual objections (what do we want to go this early for, what do we want to go that far for we’ve got plenty of time were on holiday). Weather not so good occasional spits & spots of rain travel from Narbonne past Carcassonne down to Pamiers, Foix then cut accross to St Bauden then start heading up towards the Pyrenees stopping for lunch in a small roadside restaurant sat in the sun watching Red Kites soaring overhead.

Then wind on up the Pyrenees through Viella to Baquera where Alan & Julia have booked an apartment on their timeshare gig We arrive at about 3pm. Garage the bikes and take the kit up to the apartment after checking in. Nice apartment but where is everybody. Settle in and unpack the kit shower then down to the restaurant for something to eat a couple of beers and bed. 
Distance travelled today approximately 200mls.

Day 7 Tuesday 14th September

Arise leisurely and have breakfast in the apartment then out for a walk (there is hardly anybody around the resort is all but shut up) walk up the valley for about a mile then back down the other side. Alan, Julia & Keith go back half way up. Meet back up at the apartment and check out the bus timetable and catch a bus into Viella. Wander around the shops Peter and I book a 2hr canyoning trip for tomorrow (Alan thinks we have got a death wish). We find a nice little tapa’s bar for lunch they have over 30 different dishes, excellent meal. We catch the bus back to the resort with a view to checking out all the bars, what bars? The resort is closing down for the winter tomorrow. We complain to RCI about duff information. Take the decision that with the lack of much to do and the weather being not too good we will move on tomorrow, bugger!! We will have to cancel the canyoning. Alan knows a place on the med which is not to far away called Porto de Selva. We have a meal in the apartment and do our best to dispose of 5 gallons of rose wine, not a bad attempt.

Day 8 Wednesday 15th September

Get up, have breakfast and pack kit ready for the off with the intention of stopping 1 night in Andorra to check out the duty free bike gear. Leave at about 11am calling in to Viella to try and cancel the canyoning nobody there so leave regardless. Have a scary ride up the mountain, roads are very wet, very misty and lots of tight hairpin bends all the way up to the top of the mountain. It’s not much better down the other side, but as we descend the weather improves and the road dries out making the ride much more enjoyable. At one point on the descent we have to stop the bikes and wait, as 2 horses are fighting in the middle of the road Chriist. We stop about 5 miles past Sort and have a cup of coffee and a snack checking out the map we realise we should have turned left just on the edge of town. So after refreshments we back track to pick up the right road to Andorra. The road is another mountain pass, superb fast sweeping bends, tight hairpins and nice fast twisty bits and the weather is now glorious. We all have to stop and wait periodically for Peter to catch up (Why is this when he has got by far the fastest bike). Sweep down and across the border to Andorra La Vella riding through town every other shop is selling bike gear and accessories. We find a hotel at about 3pm (not the best hotel we’ve stayed in) We get all the kit into the room shower and change into civvy street gear and go for a meal in the restaurant over the road nice mixed grill. Then we wander into town to check out the bike gear. I try to by some leather trousers but they only have standard sizes not fat bastard sizes, if they fit my waste the knees are on my shins. (I can’t think why) After abandoning trying to buy leathers I check out price of a top box, 40% less than in England. Peter buys a rack and top box and toys with the idea of buying a tyre. Alan buys a new jacket we go back to the hotel; Peter builds his rack then finds he has to open up the holes in his frame for the bolts to fit.
Distance travelled today approximately 100mls.

Day 9 Thursday 16th September

Wake up early (5.30) and write up the diary for the last 3 days down for an early breakfast and we manage to borrow a drill off some builders working at the hotel to sort out Pete’s rack. By the time we have finished we decide we need to get a move on so don’t bother with getting new tyres for Alan & Peter. So we make a dash for the coast for a couple of day’s relaxevous. Before we leave I did manage to buy a top box for my bike the UK price was £145.00 Andorra price £66.60.
We travel out of Andorra via Soldue (A ski resort) with a superb ride down the mountain pass to Perpignon then on the auto pista to Figueres up another nice mountain road and down into Porto de la Selva. We manage to find somewhere to stay (Hostel Amberes) unpack and settle in, at this point I discover that I no longer possess a wallet !Shit! The last time I can remember having it was at the payage on the autopista, to late to do anything now except find out from the tourist office where the nearest police station is to get an incident no. Its borrow money( Alan & Julia finance me for the rest of the trip) and cancel credit card time sort that out then shower and out we go for an evening meal in the town.  A salad starter, grilled sardines 1 beer and 8 bottles of wine later pissed and go to bed. Peter has got a strop on I think mainly cause he’s realizing he has spent to much and is starting to run out of money 
Distance travelled today approximately 180mls.

Day 10 Friday 17th September

Chill out day 1 today, breakfast at the hotel wander around the town and laze around on the beach. Back to the hotel for home made salad lunch Alan and I go into Figueries to sort out an incident no end up sitting around for hours waiting just for a number. Back to the hotel shower then out for a wander around the town. Have a nice evening meal to much red wine again, and then back to the room Keith is wiped out and retires to bed we demolish a bottle of Absynth Oh Dear!

Day 11 Saturday 18th September

Chill out day 2 check out the bike for tomorrow chain lube & tension Tyres etc, we have a couple of hours on the beach then ride up to a village in the hills for lunch. Find a small local restaurant, a young kid serves us speaking perfect English his mother is English and married a Spaniard now lives out here.

Wander around the very pretty village for an hour then back to Porto de la Selva. Have a couple of beers in the bar opposite the hotel then back to the room to shower. Find a small back street restaurant and have the best meal and best seafood of the trip. Then early to bed, for an early start on a big run to Pamplona in the morning.

Day 12 Sunday 19th September

Wake up early 4.30 am can’t get back to sleep get up at 6.15 have a quick shower and pack the kit and load up the bike, it is absolutely pissing down. Everybody gets kitted up in wet gear and we set of at 8.00am. The rain stops for a short while then starts again even heavier and very windy. We reach Barcelona by 10.00am and stop at the services for breakfast Peter’s Speedo cable has become disconnected, for some reason known only to him he decides to start stripping the fairing of to re-connect it while we have breakfast. I point out to Peter that most people with a bike as old as his with so many miles on the clock would be happy to leave it disconnected, Peter says he wants to know what mileage he does on the trip, I’ll tell you says I. Usual story everybody is ready to go and we are all waiting for Peter, Keith tanks of up the road doing a wheelie in temper, we all fuel up and wait for Peter to have his breakfast. While waiting for Peter we decide to abandon the scenic route in favour of the autopista because of the weather. Have a very high speed ride (100-125mph) in what is not really ideal conditions very wet and very windy keep hitting patches of diesel or something rev counter suddenly goes up to the red line. Then it happens I get into a massive tank slapper at 120 mph, thoughts of sliding down the road at 120mph going through my mind but I manage to hang on to it and haul myself up, I have to have a stop to compose myself, we decide that because the weather is so bad we will miss out Pamplona and go straight to Bilbao. The rest of the trip to Bilbao was wet and uneventful apart from bracing yourself every time you overtake a lorry for the blast of wind blowing you into the next lane. Arrive I Bilbao and struggle to find a hotel (No signs) eventually we find one and get out of the wet gear hang it all on the radiators to dry. Shower and out on the town to eat, Sunday evening seems to be promenading time for the Spanish. Alan and Julia decide they have had enough of us and want to have a meal on there own. Peter needs a cash point cause he is out of money when we find one he withdraws the minimum pays me back what he has borrowed then realises he hasn’t got any money left to eat Duh. We find a Chinese restaurant and sit down to eat only for Alan & Julia to come in they can’t find anywhere else, a nice cheap Chinese meal and bed by 9.30 knackered.
Distance travelled today 525mls.

Day 13 Monday 20th September

Leisurely arising and wander down the road for breakfast of Croissants and coffee. The ferry is sailing at 12.30 am arriving in Portsmouth 16.30 pm on Tuesday. Go back to the hotel pack the kit then out to the garage to fetch the bikes, load up the kit and of to the ferry port and onto the ferry to find our rooms and change into civvy street gear then its time for lunch and a beer. Everybody is planning a bit of a rowdy night for the last night and sleep it of in the morning I’m not so sure this will happen there are warnings of storm force 9 gales in the Bay of Biscay, come the evening everyone has disappeared to their bunks feeling a little squeamish Billy no mates sat drinking on his own so that was the end of that.

Day 14 Tuesday 21st September

Of the ferry by about 5.00pm and home in about 2hrs.
Distance travelled today 109mls.

Total distance ridden approximately 2200mls