The trip from Paris to Lyon was fun and fast. We were on a fast train, traveling about 400 km in a little under 2 hrs. Now that is one fast train. The ride was smooth, like skating on ice, and practically no noise. Here's a pic in the Gare De Lyon train station in Paris. I still wonder why two people need soooo much luggage (the bike bag gets a pass of course).
Any hooo, we met up with the Bikestyle tour folks in Lyon, settled in, set-up the bike, and rode a nice 25 mile loop to loosen up the legs. See pic below - the group stopped to take a few pics of the local sunflowers. Yeah I know, we should be hammering down the road. We have about 20 riders and at least 3 non-riders (including Linda) on the tour, along with 5 tour guides including the bus driver. Lots of Aussies, and a few folks from Canada and the USA. The lead rider is Pat Jonker, a former pro cyclist who has raced in Le Tour (Tour de France) a number of times, and won the Tour Down Under in Australia in 2004. Yep, he can ride. We had a couple of "warm-up" climbs today, and let's just say that yours truly probably won't win the polka dot jersey on our tour. Another super rider is Lorian Graham, a former pro rider on the female circuit, known for fierce climbing endurance and speeds. She must weigh about 90 lbs. So, third place in the climbing competition is what I'm shooting for at the moment. Tomorrow we head out early to climb historic Alpe d'Huez. Stay tuned.
Awesome!! Have fun!!
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