Vélo Paris – Morrow+Lorraine Architects and Cyclists
On 28th September 2012, 28 riders from the Architecture firm Morrow+Lorraine, decided to ride from London to Paris. This event was named Vélo Paris and was a great team building exercise for creative office workers who are not new to cycling at all: there were some well known legs and smiley faces from The Cycle 2 Cannes event in March!
We (TheTriTouch) have decided that Morrow+Lorraine could probably win an award for the fittest workforce in London. They all look great in cycling kit for a start (which is not an easy feat…) and they are truly some of the nicest people we have looked after.
Our therapist Loic Lefevre was the team’s soigneur during the 3 days it took to ride to La Capitale de la France. As Loic speaks fluent French he could also help to order baguettes from various boulangeries en route. Most importantly, he was in high demand to massage, stretch and tape various body parts: quads, lower backs and necks in particular:
“This year I worked at quite a few cycling events as part of TheTriTouch, such as The L2P and The Alpine Challenge; but working on a event like Vélo Paris with « only » 28 riders was a fun and different experience. The atmosphere was really friendly, everyone knew each other or was a friend of a friend.
My typical day consisted of travelling in the lead car, calling for pot holes, objects in the road and various hazards through the radio to make sure the ride captains informed every riders so that everyone stayed safe. I also handed out water bottles and snacks during breaks. And of course, treating the riders at every opportunity.
At this kind of event, the first day is always really quiet for the therapist (“I’m tough, I don’t need a massage”) but by day two, aches and pains encourage riders to line up at the massage table (“HEAL ME”).
Treatments were given mainly at the hotels or outside of the restaurant at dinner. Riders tried Kinesio taping for the first time; for example Christian who, after a little crash, said “look, the bruise is gone, this stuff is magic, you’re like a wizard”.
Nothing dramatic happened over thoses 3 days. Except for a couple of crashes, bruises and falls it was business as usual!
After 500 km of riding, rolling into to Paris was probably the best therapy those 28 riders could get. And just like any nice story, it ended up with a warm down/stretching session by the Eiffel Tower, which was enjoyed by all.“
Well done to all the riders from Morrow+Lorraine and to the organisers of Cycle 2 Cannes. See you all again soon!
Photos by Richard Hanmer
