From Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris.

In many respects Europe has a lot in common with Melbourne…38 degrees C yesterday, 9 today!  Worried about sunburn/heat stroke yesterday, trying to find warm clothes today.

My racing has been somewhat weather affected this year.  I was s’posed to do 7 races..3 got cancelled due to rain, 2 were unaffected and 1 (yesterday’s RR) was ridden in 38 degree blazing sunshine.

I got 3^rd yesterday…dropped on the big hill again..although a bit higher up this time, I was 4^th over the top not too far back and ready to blast down the hill etc etc.  I caught the rider in front and she did a couple of turns with me, but she was unable to hold my wheel and dropped back..I heard later she blew up big time and ended 5^th (body parts scattered all over the road was how it was described to me!).

I continued to be within cooee of the first 2 but at the top of the last hill and onto the TT course there was a head wind and being solo was a distinct disadvantage but by then I was struggling with the heat anyway and realised that what I had to do was to go my own pace and make sure I kept 3^rd possie.  The finish line couldn’t come fast enough.  Reckon I lost mega weight out there, but put it back on straight away with 3 very large mugs of electrolyte and some home made apfel strudel(!).

So then it was packing, presentation and bed followed by getting up today at 4am for the drive over to Paris.  I made very good time, partly due to the early start but also because the roads were strangely empty..perhaps the non stop rain helped.  My journey took me near Verdun, the Maginot line and sites of many First World War battle sites and cemeteries and Bitche again, but not Spy or Plopsaland.

So that’s it then…for this episode although I’ll be in UK in October and Italy in October and November..so don’t go away!  BTW at last count there were over 1000 visits to the blog…thank you all for visitng….