A few weeks before the 2015 race was about to take place I received and email. It read as follows, “Would you be interested in covering Paris Roubaix?” … I will let you guess how long I needed to consider my answer. But within a few hours of receiving that email I was booked on the EuroTunnel to Calais and I had a hotel booked for the Saturday night just outside Compiègne. Now all I had to do was control my excitement for the next two weeks!

After what felt more like 4 weeks the day had arrived to start the long drive down to Folkestone from Leeds. At midnight on Friday I set off with a couple of mates. It’s fair to say we were more than a little excited and this would prove to be a bit of a problem later in the trip. We arrived at Folkestone in the early hours of Saturday morning and boarded the train that would carry us over to France. We were all still excited and wide awake ….

After what felt like no time at all on the train we had arrived and off we went. It was my turn to drive now and I was regretting not sleeping on the Leeds to Folkestone leg of the journey (damn you excitement). I managed to stay awake long enough to get us within about 15 miles of Compiègne before I had to give up and let someone else drive.

We arrived at our hotel at 9am Saturday morning and decided that there wasn't really any point sleeping now. So we headed over to Le’McDonald’s and grabbed a coffee and some egg McMuffins.

The next stop was Compiègne and the race start area where the team presentation stand was being set up ready for the afternoon presentations. There was a section set aside for stalls selling cycling memorabilia.

Share this Story

Beer and Mud (there wasn't any mud)

Alpe d'Huez is orange for a day *week

A Hilly Monster ...

Town Centre Racing

HSW Road Race

the same, just less mud ...