Dieppe Raid
Dieppe Raid |
"Randonnée des Trois Vallées" (The Three Valleys Tour) - or as it is affectionately known here in the UK - The Dieppe Raid - is a cycling weekend held every year in France and this year it fell on the weekend of Sunday 8 June.
The event is organised by Les Club des Cyclotouristes Dieppois (CDCD) and offers several cycling routes ranging from a leisurely 20Km (for beginners and families) along the gentle valley floor all the way up to a gruelling 200Km; as well as a mountain bike route and a walking route (for those without bicycles).
But it wasn't all hard work, sweat and tears - Dieppe is a very pretty town with a lot to offer: it has a busy market on Saturday (to keep the wives happy); a castle to explore (to keep the kids happy); restaurants, a beach and a swimming pool complex (to keep everyone happy)... and the French people are wonderful, very warm hearted and welcoming.
To get to Dieppe you take the Transmanche Ferry from Newhaven. The crossing takes about 5 hours, but there is a bar and a restaurant to pass the time - and if you are travelling by night, you could book a cabin. This ferry is predominantly a haulage route, so don't expect extravagant luxury and entertainment, however, the inside was kitted out to a very high standard, the food was good and it was an extremely pleasant journey.
Most cyclists come over on Saturday as foot passengers - their bikes are stowed away with the cars and lorries - but we decided to come down by car, a day earlier, arriving in Dieppe on Friday evening - this way we could spend the whole of Saturday exploring the town and the market.
Saturday was a glorious day - clear blue skies and lots of sunshine - perfect for exploring the town and the market - before John and all the other cyclists arrive later that afternoon.
In the late afternoon, the CDCD organised a welcome ceremony, attended by the mayor of Dieppe and the founder of the Dieppe Raid.
An early start to the day for most cyclists - John rose at 6AM to be ready for the start of the 200 Km event; while me and Fi took a leisurely breakfast at 0930 for start of our rather relaxing and sedate 20 Km cycle up and down one of the river valleys.
All the routes converged on the chateau at Saint-Aubin-Le-Cauf (pictures 1 and 2 below) where a free lunch was served - fresh bagette filled with pate and a mini round of cheese, all finished off with an ice cold bottle Stella Artois beer (ah... the French have style!)
In the late afternoon an awards ceremony was held in "Maison des Sports", where various prizes were handed out to the oldest, yougest and prettiest riders. (picture 3 below)
In the evening, a celebratory dinner was held at the Hotel Windsor (picture 4 below)
