Still in recovery, and a classroom with a difference at 40mph.

So, what to write into your blog when the main subject, cycling, has not been happening.... This is todays tricky operation! Although, yes the cycling has been few and far between there still has been plenty happening to keep me entertained (but not too busy). There still is the underlining problem of the knee issues. I will come back to that later on, get the good stuff going on first!

So back to the Haute Route Pyrenees, the guy who pipped me to win the event was called Andrea. He lived in Italy near Varese where he ran his business Punto Tours. From what I can gather he had done a load of racing over the years, plenty being on a mountain bike. He had pretty much made sure he won the Pyrenees event due to his descending and as much as said so to me after the final stage as we rolled into Anglet. He then offered me lessons and a visit to his home in the North West corner of Italy to teach me the art of going down hill. I was really excited by this kind offer but thought he may have only said it on the spur of the moment thing, but no, once I was home I contacted him and he was even more keen for me to visit him and show me how to descend technically well.

So last week I drove up from the Nice area in my hire car and found his rustic cottage in the middle of the beautiful Varese countryside. After 4 days and 3 rides there I really feel I have made a step in the right direction. It was the sort of classroom I enjoy although was a little scared at time (as usual). I certainly am not the finished article by any means, but I could feel a distinct difference in how I was cornering after my lessons. A huge thanks to Andrea http://puntotours.com/ (and his lovely wife who fed me immense meals)! During my stay he was busy setting up tours and still made time to teach me.

Now I am back in my French base for the time being helping my friend Justin with his http://azurcycletours.com/ I am finding it a great place to be while I now try again to rest my git of a knee! I try to swim for an hour each day in an attempt to keep captain fat belly away (think I am just edging this contest currently). When I say swim I mean more of a laying kicking my legs about a bit, at least I tend to be floating better in the salty water here rather than steadily sinking in swimming pools back home!

This morning I heard a load engine noise while chumping my beloved porridge, I jumped up, shot outside onto the balcony and from right above the apartment 3 yellow planes were roaring out towards the sea. I had seen them before and Justin had said they were some sort of flying fire engines, though last time they circled over they just circled about. This time I got my camera out and all three did several practise runs of gobbling up water then dropping it. See video below, its very cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QrXjdSmFRs&list=UUvjwv-_f9RIcPVz3NxNrlgg

Nice and short blog today. Many pleased people...!

Thanks for reading and apologies for grammer and spelling mistakes!