On Summer vacation, finally! I was sprinting strong the last weeks at work, getting tons of things done both on TopScore and NW’s JSP! On the train with Max’ heavy race bicycle on the back and a bunch of other stuff for the next two weeks in the beautiful South. My day is going to be intense: right now I’m TGVing from Paris to Avignon where I’ll fetch my Getarounded rental car to drive all the way to the Sea, or almost, to fetch our four rented race bikes at Natur’Evasion. Once they’re all loaded into the car I’m going to head up North through the Southern Alps to fetch Max at Embrun, where he spent his week with Myriam climbing at Freissinières. With Max in the back I’ll turn South again to join Adam & family in the remote Var-village Entrevaux.

It is just past ten in the morning and I hope that the hardest part is already done with carrying all the bags to and through the Métro and RER to get to Gare de Lyon in Paris. Now 2 more hours on the train, then 2 hours of driving South, then 3 hours driving North, and finally 3 more hours South again. Should be done by midnight, just in time to get some rest for two exciting days ahead on the Tour, the final climbs of stage 19 and 20 are waiting for us.

It’s (still) summer, less rainy and finally hotter. The kids have left for their first summer adventures and only the baby’s at home. Adam made his way to Europe, and the Tour is rolling. The Euro as well, with some exciting games and a rather decent German team that lacked some luck to beat future champion Spain in the Quarterfinals. Paris is getting ready for the Games, it’s getting every more tricky to commute to work, and temporary arenas and stands are popping up everywhere along the river. Can’t wait to see the entire scenery in action.

It’s summer, and right at this very moment there’s a massive thunderstorm running over Pantin. Again. The last week’s haven’t been too sunny, but nature is surely relieved by getting some regular extra drops of H2O. Almost weekend again, the one after my epic three-day ride with Victor and Édouard through the French Italian Alps, climbing 7 mountain passes of 2,000m+ with the fancy name of Les 7 Majeurs: Col d’Izoard (2360 m), Col d’Agnel (2744 m), Colle di Sampeyre (2284 m), Colle Fauniera (2481m), Col de la Lombarde (2350 m), Col de la Bonette (2715 m), Col de Vars (2108 m). The Euro is on, the Tour de France to start, and the Olympics are just around the corner. Good times ahead.

First vote in ten years, and once again for the EU Parliament elections. And just like ten years ago, from France. Pantin this time. My week with the baby and the week-end with both kids finally went by fast and smooth, it’s been only a matter of matching habits. Done.

Three weekends in a row in Maupertuis, with my entire family (mum, dad and both sisters with their families) being around last weekend. Weather was awful, but nephew and drone pilot Clemens took got some impressive shots and scared me a fair bit when my Macbook stopped booting following the image transfer from his drone to my laptop. Les Petits Génies in Paris not only saved my laptop (plus all my data, which I obviously didn’t backup for a while) but also did it for free. Lucky me. Currently I’m at home with both of my kids, baby Effi and long-haired Max. Mathilde is out of town for a work trip to Slovenia, it’s a nice place she said. I’m also back in my home-trainer since next week I’ll be cycling les 7 majeurs with Victor and Édouard (only Charly will be missing from the 2021-Pyrénées-crossing-from-West-to-East crew) after some long weeks of little to know workouts.