Pat & Pat

For the 10th edition of the Rallye de Monte Carlo Historique, I start again with my friend since more than 30 years, Pat Poncin, and we started a common blog Pat2Pat which will also be the support for our sponsors. You will follow live our preparation, our ideas, ...
Go and visit it and come back with your comments!

Long time no news ...

Here I am again ... Injuries are common for sportsmen and women but when you have one, it's always a shock! It's now more than a year that I didn't scull or row - soooooooooo hard. A surgery in April was supposed to allow my shoulder to work again but no, it's not the case and a new surgery is needed. But the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique 2007 is approaching and has priority! I know, it can sound a little bit stupid but I've put my priorities and I really want to have fun!
So, you'll know more about it very soon ...
Nice to write to you again!

26/03/2006 - Spring Outing - Visite du pays de Chimay

First outing of the Classic Club in 2006, a rallye in Hainaut.
Some 52 participants and I'll find back the Porsche 356 which gave me that brilliant result at the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique and will have my best friend Pat as co-pilot!
An idea of our day: start at the Distillerie de Biercée, Val joli, Eppe Sauvage, forêt de Macquenoise, abbaye de Scourmont, Rièzes, Cul-des-Sarts, Vierves-sur-viroin, Lompret, étang de Virelles and the old track of Chimay. To finish that day, Château des Princes de Chimay where we will be welcomed by the Champagne Ruinart!
Another "beautiful day" would say Queen.
More info: website of The Classic Club

Torino 2006 - Paralympic Games

Thank you! Really an exciting experience for four main reasons:

• thank you IPC for inviting me to share the emotions of the games and the opening ceremony
• thank you Torino 2006 for enabling me to share the joy and excitment of kids and youngers at the different locations: paralympic village, Torino Esposizione, Sestrière and Pragelato
• thank you Britta and Bruce - and congratulations - for sharing some very emotional moments as a "South African Fan"
• thank you Olga (and Patrizia) for sharing evenings and conversations!

I really enjoyed every single minute.

An incredible Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique 2006

Incredible, in very many ways! Some examples:

• Weather: so cold the first night (and sorry Pippa, no heating in the car) and icy the last night (even thought the car had a problem as I could see anything but felt the rear slipping away when it wasn't foreseen). I really appreciated having followed the tip of two friends and great pilots (Gaby and Dirk) and go for some lessons at Philippe Ménages's school "Maîtrise du volant".
• Rallye conditions: a tourist deciding to have a trip on a snowy "route forestière" and turn just in front of our car ...
• Rallye conditions (2): the participants starting from Barcelona were not allowed to arrive at StEtienne by some "arrêté préfetoral" and couldn't take the first 4 zones de régularité.
• Rallye conditions (3): the first 25 cars of the rallye being stopped by a car and loosing a lot of time, which puts us in a 23rd position at the end!
• Radio follow-up: Classic21, who very kindly interviewed me during three weeks and gave the opportunity to share some moments with friends back at home.
• Sponsoring: thanks to Vredestein , we had great tyres which enabled us to tackle in a safe and efficient way the winter conditions.

I could go on like this but just to finish want to thank Jean and Jean-Pierre, our assistance for their reconforting presence!

Pippa, we made it: 23rd and the "Coupe des Dames"

Paralympic Games Torino 2006

The Winter Paralympic Games will take place in Torino from 10 to 18 March 2006. Thanks to the International Paralympic Committee I'll have the great honour to be a guest at the opening ceremony.
Furthermore, today I also received a very nice confirmation that I'll be a volunteer for TOROC in the educational twinning programme. It's really great to be part of these very intense moments and have the opportunity to be able to share it with youngers. If you ever have the possibility to enroll as a volunteer for great events like this, grasp your chance, you will certainly not regret it.

Happy, happy, happy New Year

2006 just started, and I really look forward to it. It's like this since I started participating in the Monte Carlo Historique. It makes such a great start for each year. No time to think after the Xmas period or wonder what to do in the next year: it so nice to already have a goal just after the busy end of year period.
It's also a little bit stressy as there is less than a month to go before the start but this is what makes life so fascinating: always give yourself new challenges to meet!
I hope that you also have set your goals for 2006 and wish you to make your dreams come true (but maybe make sure to keep some or make up some new ones for the years to come ;-)