Étienne Hubert: Paris by Night

Adventure is around every corner on a bike, even in Paris in winter. And so, I took two old kayaking veterans with me to cross the capital at night. I encouraged them with the promise of over a hundred kilometres, lots of climbing and plenty of paths that many would never normally cross in daytime Paris.

The pair both held the title of world kayaking champion in past years and spent hours, summer and winter, in the cold water of rivers, in sometimes daunting conditions and have long been fans of big efforts and heavy training loads. Adventure is their bread and butter. Despite their advanced age, I know that they still have fire under their feet and that they just have to sit on a saddle for the desire to fight to burn bright.

Departure at 8pm and heading south-east of Paris. At the rate at which we ride the first 15kms, the loop will quickly be completed. There is no escaping this ritual at the start of a ride, a little tester to judge each other’s form. But the fast food slows the pace before entering the forest of Notre Dame Sucy en Brie. We all left work without eating, putting us at that well-known risk of eating anything when we're hungry, and that's exactly what we do: Hamburger, fries, coke. But the next kilometres eliminate all that.

Usually in this forest, the single-track is fun, the small bumps a formality, the descents playful. But with nightfall and the rain that has poured over Paris in recent days, the scenario turns out to be very different. Quickly mud gets lodged everywhere, loading the cranks and tyres, rendering us almost useless. You must push, unclog, try to get back on for a few metres further, and stop to unclog again. Our feet are now soaked in mud, I hear them cursing me. It's 11 p.m. and our speedometers show just 25kms. The night will be long.

Returning towards Paris central via the Château de Vincennes, I suggest a quick stop with my friend Bertrand (Judo Olympic medallist in Barcelona) at the Olympe Sports Café to fill bidons...

“We are not lingering; we still have a long way to go.”

The trap is pointing its nose as I leave the bar, pints of beer have replaced bidons of water. The trap finally closes in on us when the boss serves us three shots of rum... “Now there will be a moment of euphoria, then a drop in speed…”

At this time of the evening, around midnight, normal people would gladly go to bed. We are not normal people, however, especially this eve. There are still more than 50 km to go but the visit of classic Parisian spots is not negotiable: Baltard, Château de Vincennes, Pigalle, Montmartre, Madeleine, Champs Élysée, Place de l'Etoile.

Even with wheels full of mud, at night, on a bike, everything takes on a new dimension, a more mythical quality. Contrasting with the daytime Paris that we know off by heart, this darker quieter city is fascinating.

"You’re closed? You don't have enough left to make us three kebabs?" I have just negotiated the supply of a delicacy which will see us to the end of our ride.

We get back on track, the crossing of the Bois de Boulogne is done at high speed, wheel to wheel. Roads and streets belong to us at this time of night. The coast of St Cloud will allow us to check what energy we have left 30 km from the finish. What awaits us next is a frantic return with the wind at our backs, along the banks of the Seine. Most people don't want to hang around anymore, we let ourselves be carried away by the speed and the noise of our big tyres on the macadam.

The Eiffel Tower and the waterways in the heart of Paris make us however spontaneously reduce the pace, we feel privileged to taste these places at an undue hour. We linger around the Louvre Pyramid.

It is 3am when we reach our quarters. The call of the bed is the strongest, we will take care of the bikes tomorrow. But it's already tomorrow... in four short hours the alarm clock will ring to bring us back to reality, our aching legs will then be able to remind us that this crossing of Paris was neither a dream, nor a nightmare, but something altogether different.

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Étienne Hubert As a World Champion sprint canoeist, cycling has always been a key part of my training routine but also a great way to socialise and explore hidden routes.

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