(Long Distance) Ramblings

French RAAM Update via Babelfish

Even though my heritage is French-Canadian, I do not speak the French language. But, I have signed up to receive email updates about a Frenchman who is riding RAAM. Yes, they come to me in French. So, I am using Babelfish to translate into english, well sort of. Here is an example:
"Hello with all! And here, it left! The RAAM 2007 flew away this morning of Oceanside at 12 noon (9h standard time), Patrick at the head since it was on the first line. Alarm clock for everyone with 6h30, but Patrick was already awaked since 4h of the morning (hold hold odd...). After a copious breakfast, we joined the few 300 people who massed along the beach to attend the beginning, the "solos" at the head. The first 20 miles proceeded without us, since the riders were in "parade" in the streets of Oceanside. The junction was established after the official start which proceeded to a "signal departure" of the runners each thirty seconds. It is with a not dissimulated satisfaction (cries in the van, high speaker à.fond and music!) that we followed the first rise of the day when Patrick is taken for a "shirt with pea": it passed to the collar in the 7 first with a surprising ease and a great smile to the lips, undoubtedly, like us all, charmed capacity finally to unstitch some. After 57,4 miles, it reached the first "time station" (not of control), located at the edge of a superb lake, before penetrating front the arid earths of California. Rob, Estelle and myself trained the team of the following van, while Herve, Thierry, Christian and Fred joined a point of precise rallying between the first and the second "time station". Did you already see an immense roundabout filled with greenery in full medium of the desert? American prowess, it is on this splendid quay level that Patrick carried out its first true stop of the day (20 minutes) after an extraordinary descent of 8 miles to more than 7% of slope where it flirtait with the 50 m/p/h (75 km/h!). Pure happiness, for him without any doubt, and us also, music with "donf" (would say young people) to justify it with "releasing" the brakes, like one says in the jargon... It was 15h30 when it set out again, reinflated by excellent salad prepared by the "Master ès chef" whom we discovered, alias main Thierry! (I also acknowledge from of to have benefitted... pleasure from the papillae when you hold us...). Always it is that that requinqué our man who went himself from there drum beating to face the Californian desert with a "poulidoresque" aggressiveness (yes yes, that is said!) he allowing to border one 20 m.p.h. of average. It was so much with its ease that it was called Patrick the "scorpion", king of the desert! The "time station" 3 was thus a formality since it was presented there in form at 23h. Small 15 minutes halt to absorb the remainder of the salad (mâlin!) and here it is set out again in the heat harms American (26°) for, there still, to roll to an excellent average of 20 m.p.h. During this time, the teams turned, Christian and Herve taking the changing of the following van after we before subjected Fred then Thierry to the baptism of fire so that they can be accustomed to the "roadbook" (guide) in order not to lose as of their first harms our champion (euh, excuse me, you would not have seen French on a bicycle in the desert and two other French in a van following it by chance??). Lastly, per hour when I write to you, they are sleeping before taking their "quarter", Patrick pedals towards the "time station" 5 (it passed the n°4 to 3h15 of the morning) guided by Herve, Christian and Estelle (who met Morphée since already well a long time...). Rob as for him leads the other van of which I try to write to you in spite of the bumps met on the road... Here, thus advances one night in full desert, an end of adventure which is achieved in the friendship, serenity and the performance, one night when even far, one thinks Yours sincerely... Go Patrick, go Patrick!! Good night... Jerome"

Posted 10:58 AM by John Henry