Semaine Federale Verdun August 2010

[John Holiday]

Have attended & enjoyed CTC Birthday rides & have heard good reports of these similar events in France.
Have not been able to find an English version of their website.
Has any one been to recent events & any comments/advice?

[meic]

We went to St Omer this year and are booked on the ferry for next year.
Try doing a search on SF 2009 for more info. It was in Events and Rides section.
The On line booking for foreigners comes quite late in the year.

To say they are similar to CTC birthday rides would not be true I am pleased to say.
The French (despite being just foreigners) really put us to shame with this event.

The first thing to worry about is the ferry tickets (if you are using a car) as the cheaper ones start to disappear quickly.

[bikepacker]

A fantastic week of cycling. Pauline and I will be there.

The website is: http://www.sf2010-verdun.org/
There is not an English version. Booking usually start around Feb, the online form is in French but easily understood.

[John Holiday]

Thanks for replies, but could you provide a little more information?
Would probably cycle there, rather than use car (ferry).
Is B&B available or does everyone camp? What sort of daily rides are there?
Must try & remember my school French!

[bikepacker]

You can book different types of accomodation (camping, B&B, Hostal style, and hotels) through the Semaine booking site. There can be up to 8 different campsites around the area. If you are lightweight camping state velo only when booking your pitch. Most lightweights are kept together on a site fairly near the Permenance.

[meic]

You have (at least, see above) the choice of dormitories or very cheap camping.
You can just take the basic registration and camping (which was 120 Euros for our family of four) or pay for lots of extras like meals and trips on top. I think there is no problem on paying for the extras after you get there if you change your mind.
We did buy repatriation insurance, as they demanded on the entrance form, but nobody checked that we had it. Their rates were about 5 times what we paid.

I too didnt find the form too difficult but maybee I do have some residual French and a multi-lingual wife. I dont think you could get by with the form without any French.
I thought last years thread had most of the major translations on it.

Each day has an organised ride where you can choose your distance from four different distances around 50 to 200kms. Plus MTB (VTT) rides. The longer rides are made by sticking long diversions in the shorter rides, roughly speaking.
They will take over a town hall or village field for their control points/ lunch spots. With local produce and entertainment there too.

It is a large scale event with thousands of cyclists riding and camping.
There is an Event Centre called the Permenance which has all sorts of stalls for food and bikes, beer, dining halls, exhibitions etc.
One mistake that we made last year was to arrive at the registration after it closed for the evening, so we had to stick up the tent nearby untill they opened in the morning.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18048&start=30&hilit=SF+2009+SF+Semaine+Federal

[bikepacker]

There is a site with information in English. http://www.sf2010-verdun.org/images/sto ... 010_GB.pdf

[beachcomber]

Bikepacker

Thanks for the link to the English web site.
We have plans to go over for our first Semaine Fedral. This information was just what I needed.

Regards

Andy

[John Holiday]

Very helpful. Thanks for the input!
Will keep an eye on the website in the New Year.

[De Sisti]

Has anyone managed to book on-line yet?

[John Holiday]

Not yet, as there didn't appear to be any booking form.
Guess will need to keep an eye on the site for updates.
I did look up rail travel options(Man in Seat 61), & that appears a good possibility.

[bikepacker]

I don't think the online booking usually doesn't open until sometime in March. Normally I book after I return from Mallorca in late March.

[De Sisti]

The Semaine Federale website is now open for credit card payments for this year's event in Verdun.

[Rusty]

On looking through the information, it would seem that some days you have to ride many kilometres there and back to actually get to the start of the ride. Do most folk take their own vehicles - we were thinking of the Bike Bus, but some of the rides may be a bit long if we have to post 60kms plus to get us to/from the rides.

In terms of camping, do the sites offer static caravans for hire, or is it a case of a pitch only for your own tent or camper van? If so, roughly how much should we budget for?

Any help/info. would be greatly appreciated

[wulfric spott]

All road rides start at the permenance (event HQ) and with between 10,000 and 12,000 cyclist attending it is not a good idea to go to the start by car! Most years we have been to the semaine the campsite was no more than 10km out. Usually we meet the ride enroute if it is coming past our site or ride in with the locals if not - no neeed for a map!

The atmosphere of the campsites and the rides is very relaxed so just turn up and do your own thing, if you want to find the centre of the action follow the cyclist in front - and there will be a cyclist in front.

Camping is pitch only but tell them HOW you are going to camp - Motorhomes have hard standing and cycletourists get the lushest grass etc. Family tents and caravans often camp on stubble fields or sports fields with facilities tapped into the mains water, electricity and sewer. Showers are busy at popular times but relax and watch the flags fluttering above 200 tents and caravans.