London 2 Paris 2017

By great demand our annual ride to Paris has been decided. Those are the date to pencil in your diary 16th to 18th of June. We will ride just over 300km of lovely rolling roads at an easy pace giving the opportunity to stay altogether.We will maintain throughout the journey the  "NO DROP" policy.

Dates of departure is 16th June from Ealing to Newhaven Ferry Port,approximately 105km.On the way there we will have a pit stop before reaching a nice restaurant to refill before jumping on the ferry.

The ferry ride to Dieppe is about 5 hour.As soon as we land in France we will ride along the famous "Avenue Verte",the old Paris to Dieppe rail track.

We will ride nearly 200km that day with stops along the route to refill and chill.

On arrival in Paris at Eiffel Tower we will do our photos before heading to the hotel.A quick shower to get ready for a lovely meal & a bit of socialising in the Parisian Suburbs.

Around Paris!!

Around Paris!!

We will return to London on the 18th of June with Eurostar.

The price is for £ 250 which include:                                                                    

  • 1 x Driver/Mechanic to accompany the group 
  • Support Vehicle to provide mechanical and emergency assistance as required
  • Baggage transfer from UK to France
  • Bike return from Paris to London
  • Hotel 3 star (twin/double occupancy) on B&B basis
  • Ferry outbound including private cabin(twin occupancy)
  • Eurostar
  • Special Edition SaddleDrunk Jersey 

If you like more info or you would like to join us please email us at ride@saddledrunk.com.

SaddleDrunk Team.

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge,New Zealand

The SaddleDrunk Team has not returned to UK after a month Down Under.During our road trip we met copious amount of Cyclists & Triathletes. A particular rider volunteered to be our guest writer and share with the SaddleDrunk Community an event he attended.The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge 2016. 

The skies overhead looked threatening as the thousands of riders gathered to take part in the 40th Annual Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. Some rain droplets hit the up-turned riders faces as they were waiting to start in their selected categories for the iconic 160km loop around the spectacular Lake Taupo.

Fortunately, the rains did not come and it was a record-breaking day across all the categories, with the fastest time of 3hrs 39 minutes going to Aaron Gate. The fastest Round The Lake female of the day was Kate Mcilroy who was the first female ever to crack the sub 4hr barrier with just 12 seconds to spare. The 2016 event turned out to be a stunning day, heating up towards the end of the challenge when the sun came out in full force to provide warmth to the elated finishers who spent time mingling around the event village, recounting their epic journey around the Lake and enjoying a picnic style lunch and festivities.

The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is definitely New Zealand’s premier cycling event with fun and serious racing combined, having started way back in 1977 when only 26 riders lined up together to raise funds for the local IHC (ihc.org.nz), supporting people with Intellectual Disabilities.  Since then, more than 200,000 people have taken part in this annual fixture that saw 10,000 riders participate in its heyday.  After a few challenging years where numbers dipped, the event has always retained its title as New Zealand’s biggest cycling event for the masses. This year almost 7,000 cyclists turned out from across all the categories including the solo and elite groups. The mountain bike event categories that utilises the famous Craters of the Moon MTB Park in Taupo attracted one of the largest group of riders of any event in the country. 

2016 saw 23 countries across the globe participate with the majority of international visitors coming from Australia. So, if you are looking for an excuse to visit New Zealand this 2017 year, the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is the perfect excuse. You can sign up for this event, spend time in Taupo and then when the event is over, you can check out many other stunning cycling opportunities in the Central North Island; take a look at ridenz.co for a more MTB focused website in the region. It pays to organize well ahead of time, as this amazing event sees the population of Taupo almost double with more than 17,000 spectators and supporters streaming in for one big fun-filled weekend.  As part of the experience, the Great Lake Cycle Trail should not be missed.  It is highly recommended to plan your New Zealand trip to allow enough time to visit some of NZ’s Great Rides like the Timber Trail, Waikato River Trails and the Mountains to Sea. All of these rides are within easy reach of Taupo and would make your journey to New Zealand a fantastic cycling-centric holiday.

If the fast and furious criterium racing appeals to you, then you can also experience the criterium event which is held on Friday night through the centre of Taupo in front of a good sized crowd with cycling legend Robbie McEwen providing non-stop commentary, for the record Robbie also took part in the160km Round The Lake fun event. If you want to ride in the criterium, you can enter the elite category (provided you have an elite license) and mix it up with the big boys of New Zealand racing.  There is an open category also.

ABOUT LAKE TAUPO CYCLE CHALLENGE

The first organised ride around Lake Taupo was in 1977 when local schoolteacher, Walter de Bont gathered 25 others to ride with him to raise funds for what was then the local IHC charity.  Walter, who was the event patron sadly passed away in October 2016. 

The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is best known for its 160-km Round The Lake ride, a one-lap circumnavigation of Lake Taupo, but this is just one of the 13 categories on offer with short and longer road cycling and mountain bike course options for individuals and groups, catering to all levels of cycling and fitness abilities, including young children who ride the 5km Kids Heart Ride.  Because it was the 40th anniversary, it was a blast from the past as retro clad cyclists turned up on their retro bikes for pre-event build up the day before the main 160km event.  There was plenty of colour about as there were prizes up for grabs for the best 70s costume, best retro bike and first across the line on the criterium circuit which provided ample entertainment for the spectators just before the serious criterium racing begun.

According to Event Organizer Aaron Carter, “The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is a celebration. It’s an incredible, unique opportunity for thousands of like-minded people to spend time together to connect and share what they love, which seems to be getting off the couch and onto their bikes in one of NZ’s truly great regions, Lake Taupo.”

If you are thinking about planning a New Zealand cycling holiday this year, do consider signing up for the 41st edition of the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge to be held on Saturday 25 November 2017 and then design the rest of your trip around this amazing New Zealand event. You can jump onto their website to start your planning process, sign up to enter the race this November.

Until next time a big thank you to Daniel to write this amazing article and providing amazing photos.

Have a good week everyone & stay safe on the road.

SD Team.

 

..!! FIRST DATE !!..

WHAAAT?? A date, on a Cycling Blog!! You must be kidding,my son would say to me.

Not exactly a date but close enough.I am talking about my first experience as National Team Manager for the Mongolia Cycling Federation(MCF) at the latest UCI Road World Championships in Doha.

To cut the story short....

The morning after my late arrival in Doha,I had an email from MCF General Secretary Naran Zundui delegating me as Team Manager for the Championships...

WOW...

I was like a kid with his new favourite toy.I don't want to sounds monotonous.

City of Great Architecture.

City of Great Architecture.

During the championships I had the pleasure to meet great new people,see friends of the past, attend meetings, visit the commissaires office & much more. We had long,hot & exhausting days but the ambience of the UCI RAOD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016 made it easier.

6 hours late finally room service arrived.

6 hours late finally room service arrived.

The MCF represantation was composed by 5 riders,1 Coach and Me as Team Manager.I had the pleasure to be a DS(Directeur Sportif), Mechanic,Soigneur for the riders while they were training or resting and working alongside their coach.

You can use anything to make a Coffee Bar

You can use anything to make a Coffee Bar

It was a great place to see the SD logo amongst the big cycling brands during the championships, but mostly important enabled me to meet some of our supporters around the globe.We are looking forward to see all of them again soon.

Tegsee before the start of the Junior Race.

Tegsee before the start of the Junior Race.

Under 23 waiting to start a training ride.

Under 23 waiting to start a training ride.

A typical day at the Championships:

  • 0530 Wake up call
  • 0630 Breakfast
  • 0730 Training ride for few hours before the temperature going up
  • 0900 Attend Meetings at UCI Event Hotel
  • 1200 Maybe lunch
  • Shopping for rider's food
  • 1600 Chillax by the pool
  • 1800 Meeting again
  • 2000 Dinner of course
  • 2200 Bed time
Supporting(Shouting Tegsee) out of the car during the Junior ITT race.

Supporting(Shouting Tegsee) out of the car during the Junior ITT race.

Tegsee con la nostra bella amica Australiana TIffany Cromwell

Tegsee con la nostra bella amica Australiana TIffany Cromwell

The Cannibal(EDDY MERCKX) with Tegsee

The Cannibal(EDDY MERCKX) with Tegsee

Belgian Fans walking to the Start Line.Behind one of stadiums for the FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

Belgian Fans walking to the Start Line.Behind one of stadiums for the FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

Instructing Miga before the start of the Elite race, with the rest of the Delegation arrived for the main event.

Instructing Miga before the start of the Elite race, with the rest of the Delegation arrived for the main event.

Desert Feed Zone #1.South Africa 

Desert Feed Zone #1.South Africa 

Live Cam in the middle of the Peloton!!

Live Cam in the middle of the Peloton!!

Team Germany had few DNF's.Doctors checking body temperature.

Team Germany had few DNF's.Doctors checking body temperature.

We are now working  to get the MCF team across for the CycloCross World Championships 2017 in Luxembourg.If you like to support them please get in touch with us.

The Teams watching the last few KM of the race on the TV's

The Teams watching the last few KM of the race on the TV's

Vamos en España , 23rd March 2017 !!

Ciao a tutti,

In collaboration with PA Cyclism we have created a cycling package to Spain for March 2017. Those Spanish tour can be for Road Bikes or Mountain Bikes. There will be plenty of climbing this is why the area has been used copious times by the VUELTA.

Fresh water to keep you hydrated.

Fresh water to keep you hydrated.

History on route.

History on route.

The date for March trip is departure on 23rd of March 2017 and return on the 26th late evening.

3 Days of cycling + 3 Nights = 570€ plus flight

Every night amazing fresh food.

Every night amazing fresh food.

The prices above includes:

  • Half Board accommodation in double room
  • Great local Staff to make your wonderful trip amazing
  • Daily Energy pack (gel + bars + powder)
  • Transfer from & to Madrid Airport
  • Daily Support Vehicle to transfer your luggage between hotels
  • Full travel Insurance
  • Free Cycling Jersey
Wild Nature

Wild Nature

We have left the freedom to each individuals to book their own flights,given them the flexibility to stay longer or depart at different times.

If you are interested in joining us please email for more infos at ride@saddledrunk.com

Ride the Unbelievable!! Intoxicated with the Freedom of Cycling.

SaddleDrunk start a new Collaboration with PA Cyclism

In the Northern hills of Madrid riding into the unknown at altitude, we have started an amazing collaboration with Projecting Adventure Cyclism.

Patagonia

Patagonia

Projecting Adventure Cyclism will give the chance to everyone,from beginner to pro cyclist the chance to ride the unbelievable,destination such as Mongolia,Atacama Desert,Patagonia,Oman,Ethiopia,Sahara Desert,Sicily,Tuscany,Spain,italy and many more to come.

Oman

Oman

Challenge your self to new places,ride into the wild.

If you need any more information please contact us at store@saddledrunk.com.

Relaxing in Oman

Relaxing in Oman

Join us in our next trip in Oman in December 2016.

See you Soon.

SD Team