Paris1972-Versailles2003

You might think and many think that I only ride in a car all over here and don’t realise that in France or Europe for that matter, public transports many times is a need ,so yes done it all from taxis, tramways, funicular/cable cars, buses, metro, train short medium and long, over country lines you name it. Even bicycles and walks !! Now I am in back country Pluvigner, in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne, and in my belle France, If you know about bikes and probably most readers know more than I, then you know Bretagne is a hotbeds for many good ones. Even in little Pluvigner. Therefore, let me tell you a bit about bikes in and around my Pluvigner !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Even if still the car is king for many reasons already expressed in many posts in my blog. What many do not realised either is that I have experience with bicycles or bikes or vélos in France; just to say tried them all can’t argue with me…. And follow for upteens years the Tour de France and Vuelta de España even going to see a stage or two over the years.

One of the best from our town that I like to give credit was  Jean-Marie Goasmat ,a pro cyclist born in Camors on March 28, 1913 and died on January 21, 2006. Living in Pluvigner , he was nicknamed the Farfadet de Pluvigner or Adémaï. He was the most popular sportsman in Brittany. Each year, a Jean-Marie Goasmat Grand Prix is run in mid-August at Malachappe a district of Pluvigner. His long career was marked by numerous victories from 1933 to 1951. He notably won a famous stage of the 1936 Tour de France which ended in Briançon. His performances on the 1938 Tour de France aroused a lot of interest in Brittany winning the 8th stage of the Tour de France. However, when he had to assume the role of leader in 1939, the Army did not grant him permission (he was indeed performing his military service) to compete in the Great Loop. Nevertheless he was the 1939 French military champion. Other interesting races he had performed well were the 1941 Critérium de France (occupied area) ; 1942 Grand Prix des Nations (free area), Critérium de France (occupied area); 1949 2nd place in Paris-Limoges ;1950 3rd stage winner Tour de Luxembourg,and the 1951 Paris-Bourges, 3rd stage Critérium du Dauphiné libéré. On the big races he participated in the  Tour de France with year and result to follow: 1936: 28th, and stage winner, 1937: 18th 1938: 11^th and stage winner ; 1947: 9^th; 1948: retirement ;1949:; 22nd 1950:, 35th ;1951 21^st; and the Tour of Italy 1938: 18^th.

There is a great local race here we watch in city center every year call La Pluvignoise, next one in Sept 2020 if all goes well with the virus. The last one took place a Sunday, September 15, 2019, fictitious departure from the city/town hall, at 14h15.; entry to the circuit at 15h50.; arrival at 16h45; Pass-cyclist race, 13h45.  Since 2011, the event has been closely linked to the name of Warren Barguil, the professional runner from Arkéa-Samsic. The Morbihannais (as locals of Morbihan are call) had signed one of his very beautiful victories on the pluvignois circuit. In my town there is a vélo or bike club of all ages and they do run all over the roads lol! I am an educated driver and person to allow for all manifestations as long as the rule of law is kept. If you happened to by here and need more info you should contact them. There are several bike trails see below webpage for Brittany.

The other activity which is big here clubs all over and even at work is walks or randos even VTT, yes the Bretons walk into the woods/forests looking for Merlin and Morgane etc but they don’t get tired, they do VTT and Triathlon races and mini marathons and full marathons. They keep inviting me but I go to watch them lol!!! Now this is a walk of about 7 km which we have not done the whole but did some of it and is call the Saint Tremeur or a chapel here.  The full swing goes from the fontaine St Guigner to St Tremeur and back. I have done post on the monuments and sigths of course. See webpage below credits.

Now if you had read my posts, you know that I did rode a bike in Paris! yes the early Vélib and we rode into the Parc Monceau with a group of friends. I dare to do this and with company it was fun, I believe this was 2008 or 2009 ! However,  I taught my boys to ride them and then as the years went by there was only one left I ride in my blue days on the park nearby Goh Lanno in town. Of course, I am not a road rider , do it just for fun in the park. My boys are now into cars and motos/scooters etc. The last bike rider sold the bike switch to a trottinette , and sold it too !

The officialTour de Bretagne : https://www.tourdebretagne.bzh/

The local club stars of Pluvigner or Etoiles cyclistes Pluvignoise on their Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/ecpluvignoise/

The options on cycling in the Morbihan, this is the dept 56 tourist office : https://morbihan.com/a-voir-a-faire/activites-et-loisirs/les-activites-sportives/toutes-les-activites-sportives/

The France bike tourism on Brittany bike sites: https://en.francevelotourisme.com/cycling-destinations/brittany-by-bike

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist office on bike trails and walks : https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/explore/walking-in-the-bay-of-quiberon/cycle-along-the-trails

The official randobreizh on walks in and around Pluvigner: https://randobreizh.fr/randonnee-bretagne/morbihan/pluvigner/saint-tremeur/

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Pluvigner : https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/pluvigner

There you go folks ,a bit country and a lot of Breton soul in my adopted area , already 13 years here , time flies  with all the ups and downs of life. We will resist and go on living la vie en rose or as I said La vie est belle in my beautiful Morbihan 56. Again, hope you enjoy this post on bikes in and around Pluvigner as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!