If you’re planning on doing Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011, you should read Jan Heine’s interview with Jean-Gualbert Faburel. As president of Audax Club Parisien, Jean-Gualbert is as close to the horse’s mouth as you are getting for information on PBP and he has a few things to say that have not yet made it onto the official PBP website. Most important of all, perhaps, is that they hope to be able to accommodate all entrants.
I notice what is said about starting a 400 at 16.00. It is a daunting prospect. I haven’t done more than a couple of hours of night riding, mostly finishing and with the end in sight and that’s quite different from 8-10 dark hours in the prime fillet of the randonee. Is it under consideration?
Not so much under consideration as a done deal – the Brown Stuff 400 is in the calendar as a 10pm start for this very reason. Of course, the Fleche is another good opportunity to get some experience of riding straight through the night. Night riding is one of the tougher psychological challenges in audax, but it’s a lot easier when you’re in a group and there’s some conversation to keep you from drifting off.
Actually, I’m talking through my hat – it’s a 2am start for the Brown Stuff, although the sleep deprivation effects should be more or less the same.