The Queen Arrives

In every multi-day cycling event, there is one day that is known as the "Queen Stage". Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT the day for all riders to demonstrate their feminine sides. The Queen stage is the longest stage of the ride, and that is what today was.

Anyone who chose to ride the full distance of nearly 90 km, would have no time to actually see anything other than their own handlebars and the backside of the rider in front. A much smarter option would be to ride the best part of the route, and then rely on the efficiency of the French Railway system to carry us the rest of the way to Charleville Mezieres.

As our group gladly emerged from the gloom of the Budget Ibis Hotel, and into the bright sunlight, I asked whether there were any who would be happy to defy common sense and attempt to cycle all the way to Charleville. To my shock and horror, there were 6 (probably senile) riders who formed a group of obsessed thrill seekers, while the more intelligent 12 riders expressed their desire to enjoy the day instead.

And which way did I go ? I am sure you already know the answer to that one. In my mind, 45 km on a red raw backside is enough agony to constitute penance for even the greatest of sins. And so we headed off.

Soon we were out of Givet and riding the absolutely delightful Voie Verte Cycle Trail alongside the Meuse. This rewarded us with probably the best scenery we have experienced so far on this ride. As we are heading upstream, the river is getting noticeably narrower and more picturesque. In places the river was bordered by almost vertical rocky cliffs, adding even more spectacle to the ride.

After about 20 km we found ourselves opposite the tiny village of Vireux- Molhian. We were ready for a coffee stop, so we rode across the bridge to a small cafe. The coffee was bad, but that is typical of the coffee in most parts of Europe.

The remainder of the ride gave us some of the best cycling I have ever experienced anywhere in the world. Although the Voie Verte is not just for bikes, we hardly saw another vehicle as we pedaled away happily. Our aim was to stop at the town of Riven, about 45 km from Givet, and load the bikes onto a train for the rest of the way to Charleville Mezieres.

The plan was quite sound, apart from the fact that the ticket machine vending machine was harder to decipher than the Rosetta Stone, and we also faced the challenge of getting 12 ultra heavy bikes to the opposite platform. That involved jamming each bike into a tiny lift to descend to the lower level, and then repeating the process at a second lift to get the bike on the right side of the tracks.

That would not have been such a problem if we had more than 10 minutes to complete the process. As it was, it turned out to be a nerve wracking exercise, as some chose to throw their bikes down the staircase instead of using the lift.

We just made it as the train rolled into the station. We then proceeded to cram all our bikes into the train, completely blocking the entrance in the process. The conductor proved to be a patient man. After uttering a few "Sacre Bleus", he seemed to take pity on a group of such elderly riders who had made such a long journey to ride in his country.

About 30 minutes later we were unloading the bikes in Charleville Mezieres. This large and very famous city is our pit stop for this leg of the ride. This is where we can enjoy our first rest day. These special (non cycling) days are the undoubted highlight of these rides, and gives all our riders a chance to rest, catch up on laundry and do a little bit of sightseeing.Read more