Le Creusot France Map
16
Nov0
Nov0
Here's an update on quite a few hot topics. You may have received some of this information from me already in answer to your individual questions but I'm including it all for completeness.
Entry Forms and Cheques
A big thank you to everyone for returning your forms and cheques so promptly. The good news is that the all the forms have been endorsed and have been forwarded to the race organisers. All your cheques were given to the British Triathlon Director of Finance on Monday (June 5th) so expect to see them cashed within the next few days. If you are on direct copy of this note, your entry has been submitted and you're in the team.
Team
We have a final team size of 157. There are 113 males, spanning 50 years in age from 20 to 70, in every age group from D to N, and there are 44 females, spanning 46 years in age from 21 to 67, across every age group from D to M. We had a total of 201 applications, of which 44 have subsequently had to decline their places, or withdraw, due to accidents, injuries and other commitments (including being posted for a tour of duty in Iraq), and including our oldest applicants Mike (76) and Kim (72). Each one has asked me to pass you their very best wishes for a successful Championships. The furthest application came from Paul in Australia, who unfortunately is now unable to get the time off work to join us. Two of our team members, Sarah and David, are joining us individually from Switzerland, another, Pamela, is joining from Germany, and another, Robert, from Albania. Whilst Tim, one of our two team members from Jersey, is fresh from a top 20 finish at the Commonwealth Games.
Congratulations go to Kieran who won the National Sprint Championship at wet Redditch, to Kate who seems to have won every race I've attended this year, and to Michelle for an excellent 7th place in the Womens Elite Race at the ITU World Long Distance Duathlon Championships held in Fredericia, Denmark.
And congratulations to everyone else who I've seen competing this year, with no aspirations of medals but just a sheer love of the sport.
One of the beauties of Age Group triathlon is that everyone is an equal part of the team, regardless of age, or gender, or ability. From the seasoned GB competitors to the people competing for GB for the first time; from the medal contenders to the last place contenders; from the youngest in age to the youngest in heart. A very big welcome to all of you.
Drugs and medication
Another of the beauties of Age Group triathlon is that all athletes compete with integrity, fairness and honesty. And with the utmost respect for each other. Athlete against athlete, natural ability against natural ability. That's why were so proud of you. So I'll say this only once, and get it out of the way: Anyone who can't uphold the values and ethics of British Triathlon, especially with regard to banned substances, please leave the team.
Good, we still have a team of 157. However, some of you have asked about the need to disclose information about your prescription medications (asthmatic inhalers, etc). To my current knowledge, you don't need to sign any forms for disclosure of prescription drugs and other medications for the Age Group races. But you should ideally be in the position that you could obtain a cover note from your GP, if requested. If you have any doubts, please get in touch.
British Triathlon publishes its Anti-Doping rules on the website ( http://www.britishtriathlon.org/about/rules.php )
Captains
I've already said that everyone in the team is equal - but there is a way you can be even more equal than the others. If you thought that being a member of a Great Britain age group team was the ultimate honour, how about the thought of being the Captain of a Great Britain age group team. Just gets better and better doesn't it! At some stage, we'll be looking at the appointment of a team captain for each of the larger groups, or collectively for some of the smaller groups. The captains will be chosen by you, rather than us, and he/she doesn't need to be the best athlete in the team, or the most experienced, or the person with the nicest bike. Their qualities will need to include altruism (with an unselfish concern for the welfare and happiness of their team mates); resiliency and focus (to ensure it doesn't interfere with their own race preparations), and stoicism (to cope with the whims of two very demanding Team Managers). Its not easy to get to know all 157 people in just two days so having a team captain helps you identify with your own age group, helps you bond with your specific team, and it gives you a last minute focal point in areas like Transition where only your fellow athletes are allowed. Start to think if you'd like to step up to the role.
Feel free to send me the name(s) of someone you'd like to nominate as team captain, or let me know if you want to nominate yourself for the task. Its an open book and there are no rules. But we may need to resort to Plan B if there are 157 self-nominations!
Photos
Another way to help you to get to know all your team mates is the photo board. Thank you to everyone for providing me with your passport-sized photos when you sent me your forms. I received everything from stunning glamour shots to pictures that looked like they were taken in the police cells. Overall, though, I've been totally impressed by what a fit, healthy, dynamic, energetic, dashing, good-looking bunch of athletes you all are. If there was a prize at Autun for best-in-show we'd be certain to get the gold.
We'll now find an appropriate way to compile and present the pictures to help you identify each other. Its amazing how many you'll recognise from your competitions but never knew their names.
Pasta Party
Another good social ice-breaker is to meet up with your team mates, and members of the other European teams, before the race at the Pasta Party. Its on Saturday night in the City Centre and you'll already know from the Entry Form that entry is "gratuit pour les athletes ayant participe sur presentation d'un bon" (i.e. its free for participating athletes upon presentation of a voucher). I'm guessing you'll be given your voucher when you register at Age Group Registration. Everyone is invited so bring your loved ones. The cost for non-athletes is 7 euros each. Voyez-toi à la partie.
Procession of the Nations
Also mentioned on the second page of the Entry Form is the official ceremony (or 'Procession of the Nations') on Friday June 23rd at 7:15pm. The form says "each athlete must parade in the official uniform of his/her country". We're not sure if this means "each athlete must parade" or simply that "if you parade you must wear your uniform". If its the former, I'm already aware that some of you won't be arriving in Autun until Saturday. If its the latter, make sure you get your kit orders submitted on time. We'll try to get you some more details and clarification.
For some of you this is your first taste of competing for your country. You've spent long years of hard work and determination to get here, so make the most of it and milk every moment for all its worth. This is your chance to rub shoulders with the elites, to fulfil your proudest dreams, to live life like an Olympian.... Hmm, well, you know what I mean.
You've earned it, enjoy it.
Kit / Uniform
The Team Managers have not been directly involved in dispatch of kit items. All kit orders are being handled centrally by the BTA office team in Loughborough, However I've followed-up on the open item from my previous notes. Anyone who received interim race kit last year and qualified for replacement kit would have received a letter late last year asking if you wanted replacement or refund. If you said replacement the new Orca race kit will be sent out to you automatically - they still have all your details on record and you don't need to submit any further requests or order forms (unless you want additional items of course). The replacement items are being dispatched with a higher priority than new orders, so if you haven't received anything yet, you should expect it to be with you shortly.
By the way, if you're having replacement kit you don't need to send back the old kit. Which will certainly be good news to Alex Frost (male G team).... because his wife had it framed for him as a birthday present. (sorry Alex, hope you don't mind me sharing that one!)
The GB Age Group Orca kit was only recently delivered to the BTA offices, so many of you may still be waiting for your cheques to be cashed and your kit orders to be delivered. Please be patient. Priority was being given to the team members for the Fredericia event, and then to the replacement kit orders, and then to all the other orders in date-received order. I was at BTA HQ on Monday and they definitely have all the kit in stock and are fulfilling orders as you read this.
If you have concerns or questions, you can talk directly to Maria Brown or Sarah Belton on 01509 226161. They're doing a stirling job so please afford them the respect they deserve.
Polo Shirts
The only item of kit that isn't currently being sent out is the Polo Shirt. This is being embroidered with the event name and will be dispatched seperately, two weeks before the event. If you included a Polo Shirt in your order, you will receive everything else, and your full payment will be cashed, but the Polo Shirt will follow in a seperate delivery as soon as its available.
I know that Maria has been including a note in your initial deliveries telling you about this arrangement, and wishing you a successful Championships.
Previous Kit
If you already have GB Age Group race kit from previous Championships, you don't need to buy new 2006 kit. You can wear your old kit, on the understanding that it's official GB badge kit and still complies with the British Triathlon rules for uniforms and sponsorship.
Sponsorship
Details about sponsorship and kit logos can be found on the BTA website at the following URL: http://www.britishtriathlon.org/age/agegroupteamsuniformsponsorship.php
The most relevant details are as follows:
4. Sponsorship can be sought by GB age group team members in accordance with the following two criteria:
4.1 In any personal search for sponsorship, you must state clearly that you are a member of the GB age group triathlon team and you must not imply that you are competing in the elite category.
4.2 A sponsor must be approved by British Triathlon prior to applying any logos to GB kit. Sponsors must fit with the ethos of the sport of triathlon and must be ethically and morally appropriate. Email jasmineflatters@britishtriathlon.org for more information or to seek approval for a sponsor.
5. Sponsors' logos will be allowed on GB racing kit, provided that the country name appears on the front upper chest in a size three times larger than any other sponsor logo/mark.
6. There is no limitation on the number or position of sponsors' logos for age group athletes, provided that they do not obscure the country name.
7. Sponsors' logos will be allowed on Great Britain leisure wear and tracksuits as in 4 and 5 above.
8. You are permitted to add your national flag to your kit, (ie Scottish, Welsh or English) provided it is no greater in size than the Great Britain flag on that item.
9. Sponsors logos and national flags must not obscure the official Great Britain flag and wording nor must it obscure the logo of the kit manufacturers.
So far I've seen sponsorship approval granted for TriUK, Marriott West India Quay Hotel, and Linklaters.
Timing Chip
At registration you will be given a timing chip. This must be worn on the left ankle. The idea is to get it from start to finish in the fastest possible time.
If you fail to return the chip you'll be charged 20 euros. When David Dickinson says "cheap as chips" he's obviously never lost one!
Schedule
We've looked at the overall schedule for the four days and extracted the parts that apply to the Age Group event. Please note these carefully:
AGE GROUPS Schedule : ETU Triathlon European Championships
Friday June 23
16:00 – 18:00 : Théâtre Romain : Registration Age Groups and AWADs
19:15 - 20:15 Opening ceremony City Centre
20:00 onwards Various activities City Centre
Saturday June 24
09:00 - 12:00 Théâtre Romain : Registration and body marking Age Groups
11:00 - 12:00 Briefing for Age Groupers
20:30 Pasta Party City Centre; Evening Concert City Centre
Sunday June 25
13:45 - 15:00 Opening of the transition area for Age Groupers
15:00 Race Senior Men Age Groupers
15:05 Race Master Men Age Groupers
15:15 Race Senior and Master Women Age Groupers
19:00 Théâtre Romain : Medal Award and Closing ceremony
There are some important items you MUST note:
There is NO registration and body marking on the day of the race (Sunday June 25th).
Registration for Age Groupers is Friday evening (4pm - 6pm local) and Saturday morning (9am - 12am local).
You do not need to attend the Race Briefing at 11am on Saturday morning. This session is primarily for the Team Managers only.
Around this event schedule we'll also have our own specific GB Team schedule of events:
Friday Morning: - Team Practice sessions. This may be our only opportunity to train together as a team as the town and lake will mainly be closed for the Junior and Elites events from Friday afternoon onwards. (More on this below).
Saturday: - When you're in town for registration and body marking, this is a good chance to visit the GB Support Team. Then stay and watch the Elites.
Sunday: - Very important..... We need everyone in the team to meet together for a GB Age Group Team Meeting from 9:00am to 10:30am. Everyone MUST attend this session. During this session we'll provide you with a Race Briefing, and also take the Team Photo. Please ensure you bring your GB kit for the team photo. I'll let you know the venue shortly but it will most likely be either at the St Louis Hotel in Autun (our team HQ) or at the ampitheatre. We're still in discussion with the venue for somewhere suitable.
We'll also try to arrange a team breakfast for anyone who wants to join us from 08:30 to 09:00, for breakfast at the St Louis (note, if you're not staying at the St Louis this will need to be self-funded). Its not compulsory because we realise many of you will already have breakfasts provided at your own accommodation.
We'll send more details soon but if in doubt about any of the arrangements, check with the Team Managers when you arrive in Autun.
Team HQ and Team Registration
We have a request for everyone. You don't need to notify us when you've arrived in France but can you please let the Team Managers know once you've registered at Registration. One of us will try to be in the registration area and we'll also make a list available at our team HQ. We ask that you tick your name on the list to confirm that you've registered, and also to supply us with an emergency contact number (just in case!). Our team HQ will be a suite that Mark and myself are sharing at the St Louis Hotel in Autun. Please come and visit us at our HQ, we'll hopefully have lots of useful information available and it will be a focal point for us to meet everyone.
Team Hotels
The hotels being used by Nirvana can act as focal points for meeting up with your other team mates: There are two:
AUTUN: St Louis (6, rue de l'Arbalete. 71400 Autun. Tél. 00 33 (0)3 85 52 01 01). This is our team HQ so you all need to be familiar with this one.
Hotel website: http://www.hotelsaintlouis.net/english.htm
And here's a website with a map showing the location of the hotel: http://www.francehotelreservation.com/en/autun/francehotelhotel-2617_3-hotel-saint-louis-et-de-la-poste-hotels.html
LE CREUSOT: La Petite Verrerie (4 rue Jules Guesdes, 71200 Le Creusot. Tél. 00 33 (0)1 43 40 77 79). This hotel is 24km from Autun
Hotel website: http://www.hotelfp-lecreusot.com/index-gb.htm
Or try this website: http://www.hotelspreference.com/public_en/hotels/fiche_124_presentation-Hotellerie_La_Petite_Verrerie.html
Support Team
Our Support Team will also be based at the St Louis Hotel. When I last wrote I mentioned that Bev Neave would be joining us. Bev has withdrawn because of the rigours of travelling when she's pregnant. So I'm very pleased to announce that the fourth member of our Support Team will be Friedel De Beer. Our full Support Team therefore comprises our two specialist massage therapists, Ros Viner and Friedel De Beer, and our two very experienced bike mechanics, Martin Evans and Dan Goodbourn.
Support Team Charges
If you wish to use the services of the therapists and mechanics, we'll be using a charging system that will be adopted for most of the Age Group Championships this year.
Massage: 20 euros for 30 mins. Booked in advance and 'no shows' liable for charge.
Bike: 20 euros per hour pro rata charged in 15 min blocks (e.g. if it takes Martin 15 minutes to re-assemble your bike from the bike bag when you arrive, it will cost 5 euros, if Dan takes 45 minutes to make a major change or repair, it will cost 15 euros)
Approach: All work will be fully receipted and all monies will go back into British Triathlon. If you choose to give a tip, it will be pooled and shared amongst all four members of the support team.
Sale of spares: this is the sole responsibility of mechanics.
Massage Bookings
We're still thinking about this one, so will let you know nearer the date. The most likely method that we'll be using for the Therapists is to display a list of available dates and times outside our team HQ room at the hotel and ask you to put your name against the session you want to book. We only have two therapists amongst 157 athletes, so spaces will be in hot demand, especially for post-race massage. But why wait, Ros and Friedel can help prepare you for the race after the aches and strains of your long car or plane journey. Treat yourself to a therapeutic massage with Ros or Friedel while Dan or Martin re-assemble your oily bike. Go on, pamper yourself, you know you deserve it.
Bike Advice
There's an attachment to this note, called "PreTravelBikeAdvice". Please read this attachment, as it contains invaluable advice from Dan Goodbourn, based on many years of being the team mechanic at major championships. Especially note about the beakaway hanger, the bike bag packaging, and the selection of gear ratios. This is essential information and I encourage you to take advantage of the services offered by Dan and Martin. The document contains contact information and tells you how to pre-book for re-assembling. We'll have a booking sheet at the team HQ for other services.
Bike Education
I know that some of you prefer to tinker with your own bikes and others might be wishing you had the basic skills and knowledge to be able to do it. Well, you can. Some of you may have already seen on the British Triathlon website that Dan is offering a bike maintenance course to Triathlon Clubs around the country, with particular emphasis on the Age Group triathlete. Although not directly related to our Autun event, I'm very happy to promote Dan's course through this newsletter, so please take the time to look at the second attachment "MaintenanceCourseForClubMembers". This has been sent out to all the Triathlon Clubs and I'm sure Dan will be very willing to discuss it further with you when you meet up with him in Autun.
Bike Shops
Something I mentioned in the last newsletter was the lack of knowledge about a bike shop in Autun. So I'm extremely grateful to Jason Smart for the following information: "there is a bike shop in the centre of Autun about 100yds from the cathedral and also there is one next to l’eclerc on the outskirts. I got some repairs at the one next to l’eclerc and they did a good job"
Team Photographer
Something else I mentioned in the last newsletter was the need for a photographer. Well, my request for someone to step forward to take the team photo didn't produce a single response. If anyone has a family member or friend in Autun who is exceptionally adept at taking photos, or even if they're inept at photography but available and willing to help us, we need someone to take the official team photo. They don't need to be a professional (that's my way of saying we don't have a budget to pay for a photographer) and they're very welcome to use my camera if they don't have their own. But we can't let this proud moment go unrecorded. So speak softly in the ears of your nearest and dearest and try to find us a volunteer.
Supporters
Tell your family and friends to deck themselves with flags and clothing that identifies them as Team GB supporters. Its amazing what a boost it gives us all when we see our local supporters. They can order any of the leisure items from the Age Group kit (e.g. the Team Fleece) and please remember to tell them the traditional chant as you're heading to the winning line..... "Go GB". Although, if they're part of your family they'll hopefully remember your first name too!
Winners 2005
We're delighted to welcome back 6 medal winners from last year's ETU European Triathlon Championship 2005, whose names definitely deserve to be remembered:
GOLD: Hilary Stevenson (60-64).
SILVER: Ray Gray (60-64).
BRONZE: Chris Rhodes (25-29); Simon Hoppe (35-39); Les Humphrey (65-69); and Peggy Crome (60-64).
Elites
And talking of winners, the Great Britain Elites will be racing against the other elite triathletes of Europe on Saturday afternoon, and in a relay on Sunday morning. I can't imagine anyone, including family and friends, will want to miss this opportunity so here are the details of the Elite schedule:
Saturday June 24
13:30 Elite Women Race
17:00 Elite Men Race
19:30 Théâtre Romain ; Medal Ceremony
Sunday June 25
11:00 Team Relay Elite Men
12:30 Team Relay Elite Women
14:30 Théâtre Romain ; Medal Ceremony
If you go to watch the Elites, please take with you a flag or anything that shows you're supporting the GB team. "Go GB". Lets give our Elites as much support as we can.
Note - the Elites use a very different swim, bike and run course to the Age Groupers.
Bike Route
We asked the race organisers if the bike route for the Age Groups race will be on traffic-free closed roads - and they said 'Non'. The Elites will race on closed roads on Saturday through town but the roads for the Age Groups race on Sunday will not be closed. Please take care and if possible, find time to ride the route beforehand so that you can inspect and learn all the technical parts, and know the dangers. If you're not used to riding abroad, it also makes it especially important to remember this early bit of Team Manager advice.... "tour du côté droit" (ride on the right!)
It may not be feasible for everyone to ride the route together as a GB group training ride so we'll probably look to the Team Captains to arrange smaller ride teams amongst their respective age groups. The race organisers have confirmed that there are no pre-arranged practice periods for the teams, but the track will remain open to Age Groupers outside race times.
And now the real news.... we're extremely grateful to Daf and Steve Belt for this report from their recent visit to Autun: "Steve and I went to look at the Autun course last weekend. The race venue is really beautiful and the backdrop of the forest behind the lake is wonderful. The bike is a serious course with an awesome hill that starts at 2 miles and climbs continuously without any let up for three miles, it's like the climb up to Hawi in Hawaii! Then there is a flattish plateau for a few miles before a very nasty turn into a gravel and pothole section and then a single track climb after passing between the little etangs. There is another easy section before the dangerous descent all the way back into town with two very sharp right turns and we counted 30-40 drain covers in the centre of the road and some sections are patched and cracked. It was also 14 miles per lap. The run is nice soft gravel paths around the lake with a short steep climb on every lap".
I'm also very grateful to Mike Hawkins for sending me a link to a similar detailed description of the course on the TriTalk forum website: www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13778
Remember that this latter account is just someone's personal record and is unchecked and unofficial. So now, did you read "cow pats, pot holes, mud, drain covers, oil spillages, and steep hills", or did you read "fast flat sections, farms, woods, hamlets and pretty lakes". That's the spirit! It makes Mark and me wish we could take our bikes and do it with you!
Lake Training
We've also asked the race organisers if the lake will be open for practice swimming sessions. Their answer is that the lake is not officially open for swimming, but training will be tolerated under the athlete's own responsibility. I strongly suggest that we train in small groups and pairs, again something that the captains might wish to organise.
Other Countries
David Betts (Male H team) writes: "A bit of news, it seems as if the Swiss will also send a big team (bigger than in Lausanne last year). I have just seen on the Swiss triathlon website that they can only take reserve places now. Looks like the swim start may be a bit hectic this year".
We don't have any details of other teams yet, but may know more after June 10th, the closing date for entries.
Swim Waves
According to the event schedule, the females all start together in a single wave and the men's race has been split into two waves - senior and master. We're not sure if the age range for senior and master has been pre-defined or if its an arbitrary split that will be decided by the race organisers when they know how many people are entered in each of the male age groups. The race entry form says that the Age Group race is limited to 620, so they'll probably try to organise the start so that there are about two hundred in each. I agree with David that it certainly sounds hectic. We'll hopefully hear more after June 10th when all the countries have submitted their entry forms and the race organisers have a clearer idea of numbers.
Magazines
We're still trying to get the race organisers to send us a boxful of the Autun event magazines, so that we can distribute them to you all before you travel. If we're successful its likely to be sent to you from me in a brown A4 envelope marked IBM. Please don't put the envelope to one side thinking its advertising. The magazine contains lots of useful information, including clearer course and venue maps than those on the website, and lots of adverts for local services and accommodation.
Caravan/Campsite
Several of you have asked for details about a local caravan/campsite. I'm told there are two in Autun but the only one I have details about is as follows:
Camping de la Porte d'Arroux, Route de Saulieu - 71400 Autun.
Tele: 03 85 52 10 82
Fax: 03 85 52 88 56
email: contact@camping-autun.com
internet: http://www.camping-autun.com/ (The website only seems to be available in French)
If you zoom-in on the map (Plan) bottom left, it shows the camp site. The race venue is close to 'Av du 2eme Dragons' at the bottom of the map.
If you select 'Visite' from the menu you can find some good images of the caravan bays and the restaurant... and even the toilets!
Accommodation
If you're still looking for Hotel accommmodation in this region of Bourgogne, I've found the following website: http://vialandis.reservit.com/reservit/zone.php?userid=79589113b92526879ccc9fc11d9db2bf90cc&zoneid=113
Here's another site with accommodation in Le Creusot: http://location-vacances-no1.com/chalet/le-creusot.31067.htm If you go back to the search page (by clicking on 'Modifier La Recherche') you can also find accommodation in Autun and the surrounding areas (by using the pulldown in box 1 Situation Geographique).
Driving Route Maps
One way of finding your route for driving from UK, and within France, is via the Michelin maps: http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm
Another is Multimap: http://www.multimap.com/map/aproute.cgi?input_rt=aproute_pan&startcountry=GB&endcountry=GB
Another is Map24: http://www.uk.map24.com/
Or if you're really posh, you can use your SatNav of course.
Weather
To keep an eye on the local weather, here's a potential site: http://www.meteoconsult.fr/ter/france/region/carte_region.php?region=Bourgogne&num_region=5
Doctors
We don't have a Team Doctor so we'll try to find some information about the medical facilities in Autun. I know there will be a medical centre on the right-hand side of the finish area.
Autun is probably a useful place to be if you're not well because our GB Age Group team includes a good number of Doctors. I'm not telling you who they are because they're off duty (just like the policewomen, and financial advisors, and legal counsels, and hoteliers, and professors, and students, and veterinanians, and fitness advisors), but if you talk to a team member there's probably a one-in-ten chance that they'll be diagnosing your ailments.
Well, maybe not quite that many. But as my old work colleague used to say to me: "Malcolm, I must have told you a million times not to exaggerate"
Team Managers
Yes, here we are, with just a brief, humble mention down at the bottom of the newsletter. But we wanted to let you know that both Mark and myself will be at the World Qualifier at Ellesmere, Shropshire, this coming weekend. Mark will be competing, hoping to qualify, and I'll be spectating and supporting. So if we spot any of you, we'll definitely try to say hello.
Which just leaves some personal snippets:
Sarah
Sarah Hughes (Female J team) started fund raising in 1998 for terminally ill children and has so far raised £41,000. This year she would like to reach £50,000. The money raised during the last two years has been for the Chesnut Tree House Childrens Hospice. Sarah will be holding a party in her garden in Bognor Regis on 13th August 10am to 2pm, to which you're all cordially invited. Live music, raffle, silent auction, stocks, full monty breakfast. Tickets only £10. You can email Sarah at david@orphie.fsnet.co.uk for details or to sponsor her.
Julie
Julie Moore says she got flights at an amazing price of £53.00 for 2 return from Luton going out on Wednesday 21st & returning back on Tuesday 27th with Easyjet. Says its worth a mention to others who may still be dithering on travel arrangments. When I last heard, Julie was still looking for a decent B&B near to the venue, so any ideas would be welcome. Julie's email is woodmoore@onetel.com
Nicholas
Nicholas Benson would like to hear from you if you have a Gite you might want to share. Nicholas can be emailed on NBenson@sunterra.com
Marius
Marius Kwint has booked a rental car and could accommodate one other athlete plus bike. The car is to be picked up at Geneva Airport at 10pm on Friday, to be returned at 2pm on Monday 26th. Marius says he'll be staying Friday night at a motel between Geneva and Autun. If you're interested in sharing the car you can contact Marius directly on mariuskwint@onetel.com
If you're looking for B&B, Marius says there are still some places available on the Gites de France website: http://www.gites-de-france.fr/eng/index.htm He adds "From what I gather, my room was about the last one available in town, but the surrounding area seems to have a good number of B&Bs which might offer accommodation to those motorised or willing to cycle".
Chris
Chris Rhodes is thinking of driving down to the race, leaving UK on the Tuesday or Wednesday before. He'll be travelling from Wiltshire, taking about 4 to 5 hours, with a possible stop over on the way. Chris says he has space for one other if someone would like a lift. Chris can be emailed on cmrhodesuk1@yahoo.co.uk
Kevin
Kevin Pearson is staying in Le Creusot, in the hotel used by Nirvana, and has asked if there's any information regarding public transport between Le Creusot and the race venue. Nirvana have said that they'll aim to transport all their guests to registration, etc, but can't guarantee availability of transport while they're busy meeting incoming flights. At this stage, no, we don't currently have any public transport details for the race weekend.
Hilary
Hilary Webber now has a further space available. You'll recall from a previous note that Hilary has a house 30 miles north of Autun (north of Saulieu in the village St Leger Vauban) and can offer accommodation. She will be driving down (from Wiltshire) and can maybe also offer a lift. If you're still in need of single accommodation, with the bonus of being with someone with local knowledge who can answer all your course questions, you can contact Hilary on hilarywebber@dsl.pipex.com
Peterborough
The Sports Desk of the Peterborough Evening Telegraph would like to run a story about local triathletes who're competing at the European Championships. If you live in the Peterborough area, and you're happy to be featured, you can contact Bob Frank on the Sports Desk on 01733 588710, or email to Bob.Frank@peterboroughtoday.co.uk This is your chance to be in the news.
STOP PRESS - Emma Cooling
I've received sad news today that Emma Cooling (female D team) has been involved in a very nasty accident with a car whilst riding her bike and is in intensive care in Northallerton. Emma has broken many bones, including her femur, and has lost a lot of skin which will require grafting, but luckily she didn't suffer any head injuries. She's undergoing several operations and will still be in Hospital while we're racing in Autun. I know how much she was looking forward to being a member of the team and we've let her mother know that the thoughts and well wishes of the whole team go out to Emma and her family as she begins her recovery.
Please, everyone, take care this weekend. And good luck wherever you're competing.
Malcolm Westwood & Mark Warren
GB Age Group Team Managers
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