2012 Event

I've been getting a lot of emails lately re. this years event. It will be taking place on the 24th and 25th of November. I set this date quite some time ago in the hope that it avoided any obvious clashes. I was soon reminded that it clashed with the annual lap around Taupo. To be honest I hadn't even considered that a clash, but it was soon pointed out that twice, four times around Taupo was a Brevet in its own right! Fair enough, and I know a few regulars will be heading up north instead this year. Oh well, there is always next year.

So, back to this years event. I've pretty much sorted the route this year... its a tad on 300 km with its usual amount of vertical challenges. The course is not really top secret, however I'm not going to tell you where it goes until mid October, early November. Maybe you can ask me if you see me out on the hills this Spring and I can drop some hints! There is a heap of new roads and routes thrown in for good measure and I reckon by the end of 2013 edition we would have covered every non-dead-end road and rideable track on the Peninsula (most in both directions).

Please keep an eye on the blog for updates and flick me an email on LePetitBrevet@gmail.com and I'll add you to the mailing list. For those new to the Brevet style of riding, check out the links for a bit more info. The very first post on this blog gives a bit of background: http://lepetitebrevet.blogspot.co.nz/2010/06/after-great-success-of-inaugural-kiwi.html

Oh and I nearly forgot, if you have been living like a hermit this winter and didn't know, Oli Whalley (twice Le Petit Brevet veteren) smashed the race record at the many thousand kilometre Tour Divide Brevet this year. So a big congrats to him.

Happy riding,

Tim

GDR

Ollie Whalley (half man, half bicycle) is ripping up the course in the Great Divide Race from Canada to Mexico. Check out his progress here:
http://tourdivide.org/leaderboard
Nice to see him dealing to his fellow competitors like he usually deals to us mere mortals. Hopefully he can convince some of them to head south for Le Petit Brevet this year.

Brevet Season is now

Congrats to all finishers of the Great Southern Brevet. It definately lived up to its name with snow, wind, rain and some heat thrown in for a week of fun and purgatory. Check out the pics and updates on http://greatsouthernbrevet.blogspot.com/. I enjoyed watching the ride develop online, but I have to admit, it would have been much more fun doing it (well.... kind of)! Good luck to those still battling through the elements.
Next? Well its time for the 2nd Kiwi Brevet. http://kiwibrevet.blogspot.com/ starting next Saturday. I know of a couple of keen bods that are doing both big Brevets this ear, so I hope the cafes and shops along the route are stocking up in anticipation.
Petit Brevet will be November again, will set a date mid year sometime. Happy riding.
Tim

2011 Wrap Up

Congrats to all who completed the Brevet over the weekend. We were treated to a near perfect 36 hour’s weather wise, which was squeezed in between some quite horrible weather. I like to think that it was recompense for the crap we had last year.

All up we raised $650 for Hinewai Reserve, which I know Hugh Wilson (caretaker) will be more than grateful to receive. Hopefully you all composed yourself enough after the ecstatic piece of single track (otherwise known as Purple Peak) to peek down at Hinewai before the short dawdle along Summit Rd. before plummeting into the abyss once more. Thanks for all the donations. If anyone still wants to donate, let me know and I will add it to the tally.

Hopefully I got all the results right, if there are any errors or omissions or if you have any photos, stories etc. you would like to share, please let me know.

There was some amazing rides in the weekend and I was absolutely astounded by some of the performances. Special mention has to go to Rose and Jackson who pounded out the course on their Tandem, imagine what they can do next year when they both pedal: “It was nice and easy once Rose started pedaling. It was about halfway about Dyer's pass I think ;-)”; Jasper and Judd who unable to afford gears for their bikes, pounded it out on their single speeds – Judd actually flew in from the USA especially for the event (well… maybe for other things too..) - he snapped his seat post at km 16, hitched a ride into town for a replacement and rejoined at Little River; the many cyclocrossers who came along for the ride – I was thinking of you on the steep gravelly descents (with a sadistic smile); and of course Charlotte and Oli (first girl and boy home) who both defied the laws of nature to speed around the course so fast, the sheep were still shaking in their wake once the rest of us plodded past.

I only received one death threat, which was less than last year, and apparently Gary “… wants us to kick him in the balls if he thinks of doing it again.” C’mon Gary, you know your already tweaking you bike set up. Speaking of next year, I was eyeing up some interesting looking roads and routes on Saturday!

Tim

2011 Photos

Photos:Michael O'Dea, Tim Mulliner,Rose Green, Jackson, Matthew Hughes and Craig Phillips

Arrivals and times

Rider hr.min
Oli Whaley 13.47
Craig Phillips 16.38
Tim Mulliner 16.38
Scott Emmens 18.38
Geof Blance 18.38
Charles Afford 18.50
Rod Vardy 20.16
Barryn Westfield 20.21
Peter Maindonald 29.24
John McGrail 29.24
Steve Alloway 29.24
Rose Green and Jackson (Tandem) 29.35
Charlotte Ireland 29.37
Gary MacKenzie 30.30
John Randal 31.00
Megan Dimozantos 31.00
Jasper van der Lingen (Single speed) 34.55
Rosie Shakespeare Abandoned
Craig Shakespeare Abandoned
Ian Edmond 15.15
Karin Pehrson (Cyclocross) 34.00
John Lubbe 32.05
Gregory Manson (Cyclocross) 26.10
Paul Harrison Lowe 26.10
Charlie Mayhew (Cyclocross) 31.30
Matthew Hughs (Cyclocross) 33.37
Julian Lowndes (Cyclocross) 33.37
Charlie Barlett 33.50
Neil Charters 34.40
James Hardisty 34.40
Roy Johnston 34.40
Judd Rohwer (Single Speed) 34.55

1 day to go!

8am Hansen Park Sat 19th (that's tomorrow). For those that want to see a strange combination of lightly loaded contraptions heading into the hills for some granny gear bashing. See you then!