Mad Jacques Picardie 2022

 

Pre-departure pick-up of my number and hat.

After my first bike tour in August, I was surprised to win a ticket to participate in the Mad Jacques bicycling event in Picardie just a couple weeks later. It was an event that I had been following since the year before as something I wanted to participate in, but I was not at all confident in my cycling ability then. With the successful completion of my tour earlier in August with @bustallthemoves, I thought I could potentially do another 2 day tour. There were going to be other people along the route, checkpoints, bike repair people, physical therapists, food and entertainment provided, along with the map -- so, I thought, "Why not?" and took the ticket. 

It was not without some pain : another cyclist ran into me while I was resting at the side of the road resulting in a huge bruise across my butt and inner thigh; I gave myself a nerve impingement losing most feeling and coordination in the ring and pinkie finger of my left hand. 

But besides that and being tired, I had a great time! My tent worked (it had only been used once before), by bike paniers worked (also only one previous use), and the organization by Mad Jacques was great and able to answer all my nitpicky questions like "are there vegetarian meal options at the food trucks?" (the answer was yes). 

Since I was still new at bike touring, I opted for the "classic" (shorter) itinerary instead of the "gros mollets" routes that add about 30 km to each day and are a bit more challenging (ugh, hills, my nemesis). I plan on participating again next year, after training a lot more, so that I can try the longer routes and see the other sites that weren't along my route. J, too, I may have convinced to come with.

You can watch my stories from the ride on instagram. Here are some photos from the adventure. 

What I packed.

The "road book".

 

Checkpoint stamps!

I carried three beers named after me all day and drank this one while I set up my tent.

Sunrise view of my trusty steed.

The tire changing competition is about to begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A view from a picnic table along a
rails-to-trails greenway and it was a
great
part of the ride.

Another fellow rider at the top of another massive hill.

 

 

 

 

A few fellow riders passing me by.

Now a citizen of the Republique Mad Jacques.

The last hill before the endpoint is... impressive.

 

Cheers to a ride done!

The château of LFM.

 

 

A view from La Ferté-Milon.

On the TER heading home.

 

 Now to do it all next year and take more photos!