Northern Sydney Cycling Club

4 days ago

Join the CCCC guys and gals at their annual French cycling pilgrimage - details below

Here we go again, time to start planning "the" trip of a lifetime - but a little different to the usual.

The 2019 trip will include the Pyrenees, Andorra, and Spain. It’s 3.5 weeks of cycling and approx $6500 all inclusive. That’s international airfares, accommodation, transport and meals!

We’ll land in Barcelona and head straight for the French Pyrenees to catch a stage of the Tour de France and ride all the famous climbs like Col du Tourmalet, Hautacam, Col du Aubisque, Luz Ardiden, Col d’Aspin and some hidden gems you may not have heard of.

We’ll be based in a 200 hundred-year-old hotel for the first 7 days in a beautiful little village nestled at the foot of two of the most famous TDF climbs - Hautacam and Col du Aubisque.

From here, we’ll head into northern Spain for a couple of easier days riding through farmland and rolling hills with a few shorter climbs. Once we’ve acclimatised to the slower pace of our small village and immerse ourselves into the ride, eat, snooze, afternoon drinks and out for dinner routine, we’ll make a beeline for our more modern accommodation in Andorra.

After 5 or 6 days in Andorra, your climbing legs will well and truly need a rest and you’ll get that in Girona - home to over 150 cycling pros in Spain. It’s uncommon to do a ride anywhere here without seeing team kitted cyclists worn by riders who actually ride for those teams.

The roads in Girona are just amazing - with long loops, coffee rides, hills, the coast, small country back roads and cyclists out and about everywhere. It’s here you’ll be able to get your first “real” coffee since leaving home. 🙂

At this stage, I’m looking for general interest and I’ll be chasing $1000 non-refundable deposits in October so I can make hotel bookings once the TDF route is announced. Non-refundable unless you or I can find a replacement to cover any out of pocket booking costs.

Just to be clear - this is not a guided trip and I am not the guide but I will do everything I can to make it the holiday of a lifetime for everyone. It'll be a bunch of friends / cycling buddies going on a holiday and we can chop and change whatever we like and there will be access to the van and car/s whenever and for whoever wants to use them. To be a successful trip though, we will need some sort of framework and we will need to book promptly once the TDF course is announced.

Also, early bird flights are available now and what I’m basing my budgets around. These finish in the next month or two. Currently, there are Singapore airline return flights to Barcelona for $1600.

If you have any questions, email me andrew@impact-images.com.au or call me on 0413 852 222

This will be a first come first served basis ($1000 non-refundable deposit - unless someone else fills your spot) with a maximum of 18 (any combination of riders and non-riders is fine) due to logistics. Non-riders are more than welcome and will have use of the car/s for sightseeing, exploring the many small towns and markets.

Riders do not need to be CCCC members and if you are considering asking a friend, no problem.

Accommodation is twin or triple share and I reserve the right to choose who I room with. 🙂

Speak soon
Andy H. ... See MoreSee Less

Northern Sydney Cycling Club

6 days ago

NSCC will be hosting a women’s ride on Sunday 30th September. It will be a great opportunity to meet with female riders in our club and to and find buddies to ride with from the club and local area. NSCC club members (and experienced riders) Deb and Ran will lead the ride. They will also be there to answer any questions you may have about the club and provide advice on riding/racing in general.

We will meet at Hornsby at 7am and head north towards Cowan for coffee together at Pie in the Sky. This will be a no drop social ride and we expect to have a couple of groups to cater for different speeds/abilities. Group one will turn around at Brooklyn and climb back up the hill for coffee and group two will go straight to Pie in the Sky. The total ride distance for the Brooklyn turnaround is approximately 50km and for the Pie turnaround is approximately 40km.

We will have experienced riders to lead the groups so please let us know if you are not familiar/confident with riding in a bunch. Partners/supporters are welcome to join the ride, even if they’re not female.

Hope you can join us. ... See MoreSee Less

Northern Sydney Cycling Club

1 week ago

Katch Me Says Kate

At the Amy Gillett Grand Fondo on the weekend we saw Kate Olgers blitz her competition and win her age group by over 4 minutes. She was also 3rd fastest female overall.

On a day of bleak weather Kate bounced back from her fairly recent injury to show her class. Here is Kate’s own experience from the race in her own words:

“I’m wrapped to have won WM5 at the 2018 Amy’s Gran Fondo. A welcome return to racing after a year disrupted by injury.

Its an awesome race: well organised and an amazing course - from the hilly rainforest of the Ottways to the rolling, rugged coast of the Great Ocean Road.

The weather was challenging - wet and very cold, with snow on the ground at the summit! My strategy was to be first over the top of the initial 10km climb then do whatever it takes to get on, and stay on, a bunch of strong men (you know what I mean!). It worked to perfection. Not being one to sponge, I took all my turns on the front. It was great to have Mike Israel in the bunch for most of the race, and young pup Jason Stephens for the last ~30km.”

Fantastic work Kate ... See MoreSee Less