Four Tour Dieppe



It was 7.00am on Friday 14th August 2009 and Edwin, Richard and I converged on Peter’s home in North Lancing. We proceeded to load up his car with luggage and four bikes – three on the Saris Bones boot rack and Peter’s folder inside. Two and half hours later, we were on board the 9.30am Transmanche ferry in Newhaven bound for Peter’s bungalow near Dieppe. There had been some early morning mist and the ferry was half an hour late setting sail but the Channel was like a millpond and so by 2.45pm(CET), when we arrived at the port of Dieppe, the sun was shining brilliantly.

It’s only a short drive from the centre of Dieppe to Peter’s home in Rouxmesnil Bouteilles and after unloading the cargo from the car, we headed straight for the local supermarket where we stocked up on provisions for the next five days. After lounging around on the patio and downing a few glasses of wine, we sauntered down to the nearest restaurant, Le Jockey(I think the name derives from the fact that we were very near the Hippodrome where they have trotting races) for an evening meal. However, there were no customers and the restaurant looked very firmly shut so we walked the opposite way to a 2-star hotel, L’Ealienne where three of us had beef paté while Richard tucked into Profiteroles d’escargot - snails in little choux buns! The main course was pretty ordinary – three had lamb and I had fish.

Day 1, Saturday 15th August – Prior to our arrival in France, Peter had been in touch with his neighbours who operate a cycling club and had made arrangements for us to ride with them this morning. Apparently, they only ride in the morning but the male section would be riding 100kms so we opted to join the ladies section which, due to holidays, was down to just Maryse and Marie Helene today.

The Avenue Verte had been extended and so we picked it up near Arques-la-Bataille where it meandered around some man-made fishing lakes before joining up with the original route of the old railway line at St. Aubin-le-Cauf. Close to Martigny, Maryse took us on a detour to view an old bridge, Pont de Pierres, made up of stepping stones which used to be a short cut until it became very unsafe and is now closed.

Leaving the Avenue Verte at St. Aubin-le-Cauf and the valley of the Bethune, the girls took us on a series of lanes from Varennes through St. Germain d’Etables to a climb into the Forest du Croc. It was a really hot day and Maryse and Marie Helene, being very fit, climbed well but we stopped at a picnic table to wait for Peter who was being accompanied by Richard.

On reaching the town of Les Grand Ventes, we crossed the D915 and took the D22 through Muchedent and the Forest d’Eawy to the D154. A very quiet lane running parallel with the D154 gave us a much more enjoyable ride before returning to the D154 where Marie Helene said that she would have to dash on ahead to meet the returning male section of the cycling club. Meanwhile, Maryse led us back through Torcy-le-Petit and Arques-la-Bataille to Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles. On our return, we were invited to join Peter’s neighbours for an after-ride beer and we met a couple of the men just about to leave on their carbon-fibre lightweights. After a chat and the beer, we returned to Peter’s place and tucked into a typical French lunch of cheese and paté.
The neighbours had recommended a restaurant in Neufchatel-en-Bray for our evening meal and had reserved table in our name so the afternoon ride was already agreed. It was all the way down the Avenue Verte to Neufchatel and if time allowed, continue to Forges-les-Eaux before returning to Neufchatel. Peter opted to do a few jobs around the house and then drive down to meet us with a change of clothes.

Being an old railway line, progress along the Avenue Verte was easy but Richard seemed to be making hard work of it so I suggested we swopped bikes. After adjusting the saddle heights, Richard rode my Specialized while I rode his touring Cannondale. Naturally, Richard was soon flying along whereas I was having to push really hard to get up to any speed due to a combination of wide tyres and heavy steering.

At Mesnières-en-Bray, we stopped briefly to take a look at the château which was undergoing some exterior refurbishment. It was 5.15pm by the time we reached Neufchatel-en-Bray so Richard and Edwin decided against continuing to Forges-les-Eaux but seeing as we had come this far, I wasn’t stopping there. Getting back on my Specialized, I set off at 18mph and reached Forges at 5.50pm, had 15minutes walking around the town and took a few photos before setting off back at 18mph again.


I was going well and my ETA was going to be 6.45pm – the table was booked for 7.30pm – when I heard...flap, flap ...a front flat! I had a spare tube and tyre levers but no pump and I was four miles from Neufchatel! There was nothing else for it but to ride on the flat tyre so I progressed at a steady 9mph and joined the others for a beer at a Tabac at 7.00pm. Peter handed over our change of clothes and the three of us performed a Superman trick – Edwin in a toilet cubicle, me by the washbasin and Richard in the telephone booth!
50kms in the morning and I did another 69kms in the afternoon.

Dave Galle

Next page - Day 2