(Some photos would be great to add here, but alas the memory card in my camera was pooched so we lost what photos we had)
Dreux
- Only go here on the way back
- Big sports hall, great food selection.
Mortagne-au-Perche
- Only a control on the way back.
- Large bar area as you enter (remember first control from '11).
- In '15 Just picked up water on the way out, stopped to snooze on the way back in the cafe are to the right of the bar.
Villaines-la-Juhel
- Major party town on the way back. Bike parking down either side of closed street in wooden wheel grabbers
- Kids help carry trays down the maze and slope to the eating area
- Best to park by the control Exit, walk up to control entrance, remember to fill bottle before controlling.
Fougères
- Control spread around school on a hill: enter at bottom, first you see restaurant, then pass dorms, control up top.
- Showers in the control building just off the snack bar area. (Gang showers)
Tinteniac
- Restaurant is upstairs, not best food choices.
- Snack bar up top of bike park area
- Slept here on way back in '11 - good beds in small dorm rooms. Had to be mentally massaged to life by Jo in the very poorly stocked restaurant.
Loudeac
- Enter via a big inflatable arch and little lump to climb to bike parking
- Big bike park area with dedicated velo-spécial down the end by BBQ, toilets and restaurant entrance
- Control up the top next to rapid service snack bar (missed this on way out '15) and restaurant, with infirmary in next building where Joth got gel put on knee.
- Met the chief controller both ways (in '15) chatted about his 7 PBPs, he asked how we were doing, gave him SFR lapel pin.
Saint-Nicholas-du-Pelem
- Water stop, small snack bar
- We both slept on benches in the cafe on the way out in '15
- Lots of surprise hills around here
Carhaix-Plouguer
- Big sports hall dorms - slept on way out in '11
- Cardboard on the floors everywhere
- Only a couple toilets with full-time attendant, told to use men or women's.
- Maze through 2 cafes to find the infirmary - found barely used snack bar on the way.
- In '11 this place was a refugee camp of soaked 84h riders
Brest
- Avoid - get a stamp and go.
- Limited toilets, need to hike to get to the poorly stocked restaurant. Bounce it and find a bakery in town e.g. Le Fournil de Guipavas or stop in Sizun on way out / back.
- Hotel ibis budget Brest Sud Plougastel is a cheap & quick sleep stop on the way into town.
