Hi Daniel,

It was a pity you could not join but we have thought lot of times of you so you were alwasy near to us. The meeting would have not been there if you had not started BIG. We all thank you for that. Today on Col de Verde I had to think of 4 lines of a song of my favorite band Rush and I have moulded these to this year's BIG meeting: And the members they would gather for the BIG meeting in May. Traveling to Corsica to hear the other members say: Let's have fun and cycle up the hills now here together and so create a memory a memory that lasts forever.....

I had the crying eyes as Mauro would say. But this time not from grieve but from laughing. We again had a lot of fun during the meeting. The climbs were tough at times and beautiful too. The planning was very demanding du to the narrow and winding roads that take 30-40km/h and hence quite some time for the moves. But as most of us cycled the 10 BIGs (and some even had to pick up a rental car) I would say that the planning could not have been much better. The Roadbook was an asset this year to have as we did not have a local guide unfortunately. So thanks for the work you have put into that. The overall feeling was that we have cycled on a beautiful island and have had a wonderful time here with our BIG family. Until the next meeting I hope!

Regards, Helmuth

Hello,

We want to thank you for the perfect management of the annual meeting in Corsica and for the beautiful hostels that you booked for the members...

Fantastic Woodroom in Ferayola, lost between forests and sea...but also very good hostels in Bastia, Calacuccia and Ghisonaccia !!)

Just like all the other meetings, the atmosphere wa sfantastic...with much time to cycle but also much time to laugh in the evening around some glasses of beer (corsican beer, called Pietra)

The BIGs were also interesting...

Some of them long like Vergiu, Bavella, Haut-Asco

Some very hard like Grotelle (the corsican BIG with 18%), Bocca di a Battaglia and Vergiu

Some were more easy like Col de Serra, Prato or Verde but it depends on which speed you're climbing, isn't it ?

For the landscapes, the tops are Lava, Haut-Asco, Grotelle and Battaglia

Thanks a lot for everything... and let's see now our pictures

Ciao

The italian team

Mauro, Luciano & Domenico.

NOUS VOULONS VOUS REMERCIER POUR LA PARFAITE ORGANISATION DE CE MEETING EN CORSE, POUR LES TRES BEAUX HOTELS ET LOCALISATIONS QUE VOUS AVEZ RESERVES POUR LES MEMBRES....

(FANTASTIQUE LE CHALET EN FERAYOLA, PERDU ENTRE LA FORET ET LA MER......MAIS AUSSI TRES TRES BONS LES HOTELS A BASTIA, CALACUCCIA ET GHISONACCIA !!)

COMME TOUS LES MEETINGS, L'ATMOSPHERE ETAIT FANTASTIQUE.....BEAUCOUP DE TEMPS A PEDALER ET BEAUCOUP DE......RIRE LA SOIR AVEC UN GROS VERRE DE BIERE CORSE "PIETRA" !!!!

LES BIGS AUSSI ETAIENT TRES INTERESSANTS......CERTAINS TRES LONGS - VERGIU, BAVELLA, HAUT-ASCO.....

CERTAINS TRES DURS ,GROTELLE (LE BIG CORSE AVEC MAX % = 18 %!!) , ,BOCCA A BATTAGLIA.......VERGIU...

CERTAINS FACILES (MAIS TOUT DEPEND DE LA VITESSE DE LA MONTEE!!) ..COL DE SERRA, COL DE PRATO ET COL DE VERDE.....

POUR LE PAYSAGE LES MEILLEURS SONT = COL DE LAVA -- HAUT ASCO -- GROTELLE -- BATTAGLIA.....

MERCI POUR TOUT....ET ....A VOIR NOS PHOTOS ....

CIAO

TEAM ITALIEN

MAURO, LUCIANO & DOMENICO

03/06 : A second biking day with a weather a little less good. Good climb of the very beautiful col de Lava. Only the top is not fine. In the col de Vergio, there was rain and afterwards stormy thunder. Patrick and Rob missed this last climb. Much laugh in the group : very good atmosphere.

The hostel is a little far from Porto and they had to drive a little bit much to be quiet. On the other way, the hostels in Bastia and Calvi were very fine, with just the dinner a little expensive.

03/06 : Une deuxième journée de vélo avec une météo un peu moins belle. Bonne ascension du très beau col de Lava, où juste le sommet est moins joli. Par contre, le col de Vergio s'est déroulé sous la pluie avec même du tonnerre. Patrick et Rob ont manqué cette dernière ascension. Beaucoup de rires dans le groupe : l'ambiance est superbe.

L'hôtel est un peu éloigné de Porto et ils ont dû beaucoup rouler. De l'autre côté les hôtels à Bastia et Calvi étaient très bien, avec juste le dîner un peu chérot.

02/06 : The car has been found. No problems anymore. Claudio and Patrick are on the road, on the bike and on the BIG climbs, like the other ones. Already 3 BIGs claimed in one day : Col de Serra, Serra di Pigno and the Bocca di a Battaglia. Just Patricia missed col de Serra and Christian missed Battaglia. The atmosphere is just like always very sympathic, convivial and enthusiastic. A lot of fun at dinner, it seems. Chaotic day but happy end, wrote Helmuth Dekkers.

"Beautiful and hard climb this Bocca di a Battaglia", wrote François Candau."And the way between the several BIGs is very long and we drive very slowly".

02/06 : La voiture a été trouvée. Plus de problèmes. Claudio et Patrick sont maintenant sur la route, sur le vélo et sur les chemins pentus des BIGs, comme tous les autres. Déjà 3 BIgs de déclarés en un jour : le col de Serra, la Serra di Pigno et le Bocca di a Battaglia. Juste Patricia qui n'a pas grimpé Serra et Christian la Battaglia. L'ambiance est comme toujours sympathique, conviviale et enthousiaste. Un bon moment de rires au dîner du soir apparemment. Journée chaotique mais heureuse fin, nous écrit Helmuth Dekkers.

"Splendide et difficile ascension que ce Bocca di a Battaglia", écrit François Candau,"Et le chemin entre deux BIGs est long car nous devons conduire très lentement".

01/06 : The official meeting started today. A little chaotic because Claudio and Patrick found no cars to travel in the island but the team will manage its possible to find a solution during the first day of this event. It will not be so simple to climb and in the same time to find a car...

01/06 : Le RV officiel a démarré. Un rien de manière chaotique car Claudio et Patrick n'ont pas trouvé de voiture pour voyager dans l'île mais l'équipe fait son possible pour trouver une solution. Ca ne va pas être facile de main de grimper et d'en même temps trouver une voiture...

29/05 :

After the packing of yesterday there was little to do for us this morning. I only had to put the bike carrier on the tow bar and the bikes on the bike carrier. Then we said goodbye to Erwin and we left around 8 o'clock. At start it was chilly but while heading south the weather improved and aound lunch time I could switch to short trousers. Not much more to tell really though we did see an old friend lying in the distance: Mont Ventoux (I cycled that BIG in 2003). We arrived in Aix-en-Provence around 21:45 and booked in for a room. The Etap hotels are quite good for a night. We pay 53 Euro's for 1 room with a double bed and this includes breakfast (petit dejeuner). We have to catch the Ferry in Nice tomorrow at 13:15 and have to be there at 12:15. But it is just 161km from here so that's no problem. That's all for now.

Regards, Helmuth & Patricia

29/05 :

Après la mise ne bagages d'hier, il ne nous restait plus beaucoup à faire ce matin. Juste le porte-vélos à hisser sur la oviture et les vélos sur le porte-vélos. Alors, nous avons dit au revoir à Erwin et nous sommes partis à 8h du matin. Au départ, c'était maussade comme météo mais peu à peu, le soleil est apparu et nous avons pu enfiler les shorts. Pas grand chose à ajouter sauf que nous avons revu un vieux copain : le Mont Ventoux (je l'avais gravi en 2003). Nous sommes arrivés à Aix-en-Provence vers 21:45 et nous avons loué un bon Etap Hôtel pour une nuit. Nous payons 53 Euro's pour une nuit et le petit dejeuner. Nous devons prendre le ferry à Nice demain à 13:15 et devons y être déjà à 12:15. Mais c'est juste à 161km d'ici , donc il n'y aura pas de problèmes. C'est tout pour l'instant.

Regards, Helmuth & Patricia

366. Col de Serra

367.Serra di Pigno

368.Bocca di a Battaglia

369.Haut-Asco

370.col de Prato

371.col de Lava

372.col de Vergio

373.Bergeries de Grotelle

374.Col de Verde

375.col de Bavella

Road-Book & organization

Tour prévu et organisation