https://www.journal.leblanq.com/about daily 0.75 2021-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615426518182-61HBEMY2ZEKTXB43ZPEE/Intro_Cut_Q90_800_v3.jpg About - Led by Legends. Delivered by Experts. How do we create the ultimate joyriding weekend? Simple. Our team picks a stunning destination, pairs a legendary cyclist with an iconic chef, and lets them lead the way across three days of world-class riding and dining. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615255247765-DHZSHWQSNELAAQUC40RI/Eddy-%2526-Wiggins13300_v2.jpg About - Celebrating cycling’s greatest We offer unrivalled access to the characters that make cycling great because life’s hard work deserves unforgettable moments of joy. For us, joy is fully guided rides across stunning landscapes, pro-standard ride curation and servicing, and intimate fireside chats between legends of the sport. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1630663873790-4CIF2D83QFRJRJ6TPOTJ/Horatiki.jpg About - More than Just Fuelling Jus, not gels. That's our philosophy. We let the world's best chefs create every menu for you. Whether it's pre-ride fuelling or post-ride feasting, it deserves to be just as delicious as the ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615256141378-7VSLRZW9XO8LS7C44Y35/LC_18_055481-Photo-by-Leif-Carlsson_Q60_900.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615256427667-41TSXG601Q5GJKX2XZUC/Freshwater%2B2.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615256772753-P9GNR3Q5VM7O4Q7HFT6G/St%2BCatherines.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615256915642-A2XYV7B9XV3L7CI0XVCI/Royal-Champagne-7395-1024x768.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615161013015-YR6RTT6UKWSRKJ7XP8FF/Bosi-Carousel9-2_Q80_1200.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615252980742-0BI4QQ3PHR6AS507SEOJ/LeBlanq+Still+Life_10+2.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615254950051-DA41CJNPBR4F2X7DC084/AdobeStock_267989472_v2.jpg About https://www.journal.leblanq.com/our-team daily 0.75 2021-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593527023464-2LZFWRL6NX94XKU7KLGH/LB-Collage-Team-Open-05.png Team - IT’s ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY. We’re more interested in the stories behind the stars. The tales of the jersey. Drawing back the curtain on the characters that make cycling and gastronomy great, and letting you really get to know them. Because the awards and titles only paint half the picture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592263274997-RHGDO06H1267DIP46MZP/Raymond-Blanc-1-High-Res.jpg Team - Lead Chef Raymond Blanc Obe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592263208355-7CG6OCH27UFYNIUVHYVS/WATSON_00004706-119.jpg Team - Lead Rider Sir Bradley Wiggins https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592264850649-L5XUKJA37V7ALBMG6URG/IMG_4361.jpg Team - Director Culinaire Ashley Palmer-Watts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592264827038-8R8O6LBXKZ2MO3OT2DRK/Yates%2B-%2BTDF%2B94c.jpg Team - Directeur Sportif Sean Yates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597267510525-KJ5L9XVYZQQLIPQLJDUY/IMAGE-050.jpg Team https://www.journal.leblanq.com/sean-yates daily 0.75 2021-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593701379101-HTBGOSK6OCPT32T9CDFS/Sean%252B1987%252BTDF.jpg Sean Yates - The meaning of the word “legendary” has changed in recent years. It is certainly used much more gratuitously than in past decades, but it tends to be another adjective for greatness now. In days where hyperbole was in less demand, “legendary” had a more specific place in our collective vocabulary. Yes, greatness was there, along with an acknowledgement of deeds bordering the miraculous, and an implied sense of decency and equanimity. But the key quality of people we described as legendary was that we weren’t really sure whether they really existed, or if they did, it must have been in some more prosaic corporeal form. A genuine hero, or a fairy tale? The stuff of legend? In late July 2012, arriving at London Bridge station from deepest Sussex and grabbing a Boris Bike without any real notion on where he was meant to be headed, Sean Yates cast off into the seething mass of humanity, narrowly avoiding a Paul Smith-suited hedge fund manager on his own agenda and mission. Holding up a hand in forgiveness, the most Yates hoped for was understanding and steeled himself for some ribald abuse that those less accustomed to life in The Smoke can receive from time to time. Instead, the man from high finance momentarily took his mobile from his ear, his face breaking into a huge spontaneous grin, and shouted just one word at the cyclist disappearing into the crowd: “LEGEND!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593701417070-4NDDAO03T44916UA5EMH/Yates+-+TDF+94c.jpg Sean Yates In that snapshot moment, that commentator and visionary who will forever remain unnamed and unknown managed to encapsulate the man who has consistently defied efforts to pin him down from friend, fan and foe alike. The mist of myths cleared for a second and a photograph could momentarily replace scraps of yellowing newspaper articles, a figure in the background of a rescued fuzzy newsreel clip and the peculiarly long thigh bone excavated by archaeologists. Perhaps it’s the breadth of the achievements in Yates’s tale that make him difficult to grasp? The teenager with the V’s-flicking victory salute bullying men twice his age in a sport he knew nothing about surely belongs to a different story than the character who oversaw the defining moment of the world’s most scientifically prepared organisation in the history of organised sport. Feral hedge-hopper to cyborg puppetmaster doesn’t have the ring of a marginal gain. Maybe it’s his perennial presence at the top table without the banquet ever being in his honour? Olympian from the boycott-stricken Cold War Games of Moscow ’80, retinue courtier from the garlanded and feted Tours de France of 1986 and 1989, roommate of Lance Armstrong (or *Rider formerly known as Lance Armstrong as anybody born in this century assumes his name is spelt). From being the first “gun” hired to be Stephen Roche’s rainbow jersey bodyguard after the Irishman’s annus mirabilis to the hand on the throne when Wiggo received the tributes of the empire at Hampton Court, Yates has a scrapbook that Forrest Gump would bow to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593700069102-ORL3PALLXKKI8G6ACUD7/WATSON_00002909-033.jpg Sean Yates - We at LeBlanq have our own view on it. To be fair, if all you do all day is talk about cycling while doing what you should be doing becomes the sideline (work, bike riding, cooking…) you tend to have your own view on pretty much everything. And that’s another piece of our jigsaw slotted home. Talking about stuff, sharing your personal camera angle of well-known footage, debating what the key moments were, who the man-of-the-match should have been. The fact is that you can’t surmise Yates’s career, psyche or appeal from a list of his results or his Wikipedia page in the way great title gobblers such as Chris Froome, Pete Sampras or Michael Johnson’s achievements demand our respect. His fame – his legend, if you like – isn’t told in numbers or measured by weight of results. If he played golf, he wouldn’t register on any money list or “Race to Dubai” rankings, let alone on Royal & Ancient scrolls of major tournament winners. But there would be plenty of stories about how far he could hit the ball, the sort of unlikely places it ended up, and what acts of heroism or humiliation he cast about himself to get it back on the fairway. That‘s what we think. LeBlanq isn’t too bothered about record books or the number of views. Given the choice, we’d rather not hear about the things we love via 140 condensed characters, and doubling that to 280 will merely deepen our worry lines. We want our stories delivered directly by a friend we like spending time with, preferably with a long-sought drink in hand, after a very long day riding the high country in the most favourable of lights, as the most memorable meal either of us has put away in years gently goes down. If he needs to check anything, he won’t look at his phone or consult a list. He’ll look in a big dusty book, hopefully bearing the names of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593701829398-BIUGE8CS2IN3L9K7SKHJ/WATSON_00002091-329.jpg Sean Yates The sort of stories and yarns that unfurl with the shadows as that sun begins to sink over the Solent would test our belief if this was court. But we’re not here to try cases like a courtroom, this the Court of King Arthur, in the Hall of the Mountain King, the faerie host paying tribute to Oberon and Titania. We’ll start you off: did you hear about the Saturday morning when Sean Yates beat the National 10-mile Time Trial record? He was 19. It was only a couple of years since he’d got his first racing bike. He still had the Winfield tracksuit top that he’d sat up at night with, sewing on the letters of the club he’d hoped would have him as a member, EGCC. It was a bit too tight to wear anymore though, as he’d grown like a Captain America experiment since then. Yes, that was on the A3 at Ripley, must have been about 1979. Imagine racing on that now! Anyway, after knocking off an Early Starter in the Little Chef with his dad – what? Olympic Breakfast? Don’t be silly, the Early Starter was always the serious athlete’s choice – after the Little Chef breakfast they drove back into Sussex and down to Tonbridge, because there was another 10-mile TT there later on. Yes, he really did ride two in the same day. How did he get on? Oh, not bad. He broke the British record again, the second time he’d done it that day. What? No of course they didn’t go round the M25, it was 1979. They probably would have been at home watching Rising Damp or Porridge if the family had ever owned a television. Is that all really true, you ask? Yes. But that’s not the point. You’re not asking the right questions. It’s not about the record books (although the record books of the Road and Time Trials Council clearly shows S Yates of East Grinstead riding times of 20 minutes 18 seconds and 20 minutes 7 seconds on the same day in different events), it’s about the story. For instance… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593702535594-4ZNB2L69KJMWLRTNRQ04/Sean%2BRoadside.jpg Sean Yates You know the cycling photographer, Graham Watson? Legend, absolute legend. Long before it was ever on telly much of his photos got us hooked on the sport: gritty, dark celluloids of filthy, bewildered men who seemed at first to be miners miraculously returning to the surface after spending uncountable days and nights trapped in a collapsed gallery, but turned out to be finishers at Paris-Roubaix. Well, at one of these weekends last year, Graham told me that his best ever time trial as a rider was a 55’56” 25-miler on the E72. That’s the A12 out Chelmsford way to you and me, all the courses had code names back then on account of time trialling being outlawed in the day. Oh yeah, codes. I tell you, Alan Turing, Bletchley Park CC, he was a decent rouleur that kid. Anyway, Graham’s pulling his tracksuit trousers on in a haze of Deep Heat or Radian B at the village hall in Galleywood or Margaretting or somewhere like that, when there’s a bit of a commotion. It’s the timekeeper. Apparently some kid that he’s never heard of with his first pair of toeclips has come in claiming he’s done a 51 minute ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593707934902-FJE0RRKZIS3FRV46J3C9/Sean%2BYates%2B-%2BChris%2BBoardman.jpg Sean Yates - “He’s clearly either gone the wrong way, got his start time wrong or is just cheating, right?” His voice is rising throughout the options, finishing in something approaching the rage of John Knox if kept waiting outside the privy by the slow movement of a selfish catholic. The race organiser, mystified, looks at the start sheet, also nonplussed by the unknown youngster’s name. “You’re right, Bill. S Yates, East Grinstead. 19. Never heard of him. East Grinstead! As if! Let’s see what else he’s done, shall we? Silly little sod… ah. Yes. Ok, Bill. Apparently he was a medallist at the National 25-Mile Championships last week. Bill? Bill!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593708198440-IHRYDJ7FXL5ON8VMROAW/Yates.jpg Sean Yates Some find this image of the maverick individual at odds with his image of one the greatest domestiques that sport has produced; the water carrier’s water carrier. The team time trial expert revered so greatly that Motorola cancelled his retirement and extended his contract for a year when the Tour de France route was announced and revealed a return of the TTT stage to the format. Which reminds us that during a TTT in a Spanish race Motorola had entered in Tour prep, after a massive pull on the front, the Sussex lad drifted back along the line of teammates looking at their faces. Mejia, calling for his mum… Hampsten, crying… ah, there he is in his World Champion’s jersey, coughing blood, sweat and vomit in an effort to cling on to the back of the train: “Any chance of some sort of fucking turn on the front, Lance?” Or that it somehow reduces his role in the victories of Froome, Wiggins, Cavendish, Contador, Thomas, Savoldelli etc to lucky mascot. Not only does that just bolster the reputration of those in the Sky, Tinkov and Astana set-ups who like to talk about their own parts in team wins, to us, it embroiders our man’s story. After personally taking weeks in June to ride himself over each of the mountain stages of 2012’s Tour and complete a 2-man recce of the critical final time trial with Wiggins, Yates prepared a meticulous game plan for each day, that riders followed with military precision, fully aware of the martial punishment they’d be subject to otherwise. As a part of a documentary where Dave Brailsford, Rod Ellingworth, Shane Sutton, Tim Kerrison, mechanics, soigneurs and even the occasional chef were able to expand on their parts in Sky’s Wiggins and Froome’s 1-2 and Cavendish’s stage win haul, the man behind the wheel said even less that usual. “I turn up, I drive the car, I go home.” by John Deering Image Credit - Graham Watson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593703294414-VCLSUSHH8EOTDXJAEZ98/Yates%2B-%2BVuelta%2B88.jpg Sean Yates - What stories do you know about Sean then? HEre’s one for you… The manager at Fagor was so fed up with Yates wearing unauthorised crappy clothing, like Tesco Home’n’Ware tube socks, grey with the myths of legend and 180 machine washes, or never changing his one stinky vests, gave the Englishman a fistful of Francs at one of the Tour warm-ups like the Dauphine or the Midi Libre. “Buy some new undervests and socks, Yates. You’re a disgrace.” It was always Yates’s contention that if they wanted him to wear it, they should provide it, and this seemed fair, so off he slouched to the only place open in the out-of-season ski-station these races invariably finish. They didn’t have any performance underwear. But they did have 3-for-2 on surf tshirts, so the bargain lover picked up a few of them. Which is why, next time you see our all-time favourite cycling picture, Yates on his way to setting the fastest time trial without tri-bars in the long history of the World’s Largest Annual Sporting Event, Wasquehal, July 1988, tongue out, no glasses, no lid, no gloves, zip undone, you should take a close look at that undone zip. It shows just enough of the undergarment for us to be in no doubt that it is most probably a crumpled and sweaty blue/grey Quiksilver tshirt that one imagines smells like a wet labrador. “They wanted me to get some new undervests,” he’ll explain, hands spread open in innocent bewilderment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593707376655-HDHLGBZ9EWV64CYQNC17/Yates+-+TDF+92+%281%29.jpg Sean Yates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593708486466-V0NXB4X1VGW1DGBRJYY0/Sean+Yates+5.jpg Sean Yates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593708820171-X8GF6EP2S5W28NIM21RD/Sky+in+Paris.jpg Sean Yates https://www.journal.leblanq.com/itinerary-scotland daily 0.75 2022-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1630922386553-HRW1KPDVA9L3VOL601ZB/Horatiki.jpg Itinerary Scotland - YoUR WEEKEND, STAGE by STAGe Michelin-standard attention to detail applied to a luxury weekend of joyriding. Here’s how the stages unfold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1625765199239-CNA2TLCMQPE23UB7CCTL/Screenshot+2021-07-08+at+18.24.57.png Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639062842242-HCRP4PRFSE3AH03ZU5B9/Lango.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639062858175-96Q34ST5T8UPVF4J2LA6/_DSF2860.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/edbd1402-862f-45dd-9e5f-14cd003eb7d3/_DSF1524.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/f7e277a7-7d39-463c-975a-6ab05200056b/swim_and_yoga_066.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639055542511-BE77KCBUBZD5HQD7TABU/Tom_Kitchin_July_2016_010.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639055852092-WUUVXGSRHLVHM25UPJHX/Tom-Kitchin-070615-Oily-Fish-040.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639055567065-NHZUQQC5OEQ7B4M63OWC/_DSF2782.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639055518175-PKNDMAYYRA0O6KQUMLHB/TheKitchin-Edinburgh-Scotland-02.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594940873885-4JENG965YO4MVRD05YTA/Lp-White.png Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1601029190335-7C4OAIKBDQTW9BCBA7FP/DTS_Fine_Dining_Patrick_Chin_949.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/5dccd90d-1582-4c0b-80fd-abb7b930c919/_DSF3346.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617744162819-J9DLF01X3HW31BI05BRG/Dinner+GBC+Spring-9456.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639062842242-HCRP4PRFSE3AH03ZU5B9/Lango.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639062858175-96Q34ST5T8UPVF4J2LA6/_DSF2860.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/5dccd90d-1582-4c0b-80fd-abb7b930c919/_DSF3346.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/f7e277a7-7d39-463c-975a-6ab05200056b/swim_and_yoga_066.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/37942cf8-88d6-477b-a359-08fddc0395c9/TheKitchin-Edinburgh-Scotland-02.jpeg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594941091616-D9Z162425XTJOM6KRDU8/Lp-White.png Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617743607569-BZ6YGH2MYZ1A2XXJX4HY/sartoria-breakfast-eggs-2018-web.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/edbd1402-862f-45dd-9e5f-14cd003eb7d3/_DSF1524.jpg Itinerary Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617730255267-7ZJIVTDQU0LXL4E5MM7B/jeanie_lazenby_004.jpeg Itinerary Scotland https://www.journal.leblanq.com/packages daily 0.75 2022-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/c1fb5587-80db-471b-851c-92a3dea841b6/Specialized-Aethos-2021-Test-Review-101.jpg Packages A team of mechanics are on hand to tune-up your bike when you arrive, and we’ll also have a fleet of Specialized Aethos bikes available for test rides across the whole weekend. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615154041959-PZ4AGZ80OOFC3TGIVZHF/_DSF4105.jpg Packages Limited edition kit by Rapha will be included in the package, featuring Team LeBlanq jersey, gilet, and cap. We offer a laundry service each night so you have fresh kit every morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615257753814-SP6WXUVPFZUZI77G9MTC/Royal%2BChampagne%2BPlate.jpg Packages A Michelin standard dining and drinks programme, with every meal created by some of the world’s finest chefs. All your meals are included, with a comprehensive drinks list of wine, beer and soft drinks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615329078738-I4L3SHJ5Y6A9UT0CTJSO/Bibendum_v1.jpg Packages Book on any weekend and you’ll also become an annual member of our club, with access to monthly joyrides and dining experiences at some of UK’s best restaurants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615153834723-PLDK0K05PE9YX5UOPSTZ/id-p-20181026-royalchampagne-03_Q68_1200.jpg Packages The experience starts the minute you book, with our concierge taking care of everything. Whether you’re riding or relaxing, you’ll have personally tailored hospitality from our team, with massages from soigneurs and access to all hotel facilities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615148405722-E1GJ3ACNRIOQFVETLW2E/Isle-of-Wight-Cycling-The-Needles-Tim-Wiggins_Q60_1200.jpg Packages A place on all 4 of our rides across the weekend - an around island joyride, a TT, and a Sunday cafe ride. Fully guided by motor-vehicles , and tailored perfectly to a broad range of abilities by our team. To find out more about each riding stage, click here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639674468780-9WOJJPDVDSH3LPLKVP8A/NDC06086_12+copy.jpg Packages https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615145401573-O2UR3011D2NRKRIOY7F2/9550380072_7cec3b1b07_k_Q65_1200.jpg Packages - ISLE OF WIGHT 13-15 MAY 2022 ON SALE NOW BOOK NOW https://www.journal.leblanq.com/home daily 0.75 2022-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616288855688-KHGE5TNT0HB1KSPO9R3R/Home_Hero_Graphic_v3.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1628089861740-7NOZ5J1SZ6Y2K5FHV4VL/dual_masthead_white-01.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609871610856-AATYV6IBP4VDSH7ML8CC/_DSF3519.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615327367699-6EKB10RWB86FXSQVU4UY/LeBlanq+Still+Life_10+2.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629982895372-45NZ7HF4SL7GE9FNQ9MP/Joyride+Guide+Header.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615062555892-6W6WUN944ZOIU4Y2GCT9/Screen+Shot+2021-01-21+at+3.15.33+PM.png Home - ISLE OF WIGHT SIR BRADLEY WIGGINS JOHAN MUSEEUW ANGELA HARTNETT 13-15 MAY 2022 Learn More https://www.journal.leblanq.com/stages-gallery daily 0.75 2020-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593441579450-ZIIDBIX393A9HORW6O26/image-asset.jpeg Stages Gallery - JOYRIDE: 01 SEE STAGE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593441579450-ZIIDBIX393A9HORW6O26/image-asset.jpeg Stages Gallery - JOYRIDE: 01 SEE STAGE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593438503952-QMCYIOJ05T1DFETRYYK0/IMAGE-012.jpg Stages Gallery - JOYRIDE:01 Read More https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593438634961-MI3DTX6RQ9CPHSBVEV31/WATSON_00003041-024.jpg Stages Gallery - THE 1988 TT SEE STAGE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593442180953-0DE5GQM574MFHIN3ZPZG/Leblanq10.jpg Stages Gallery - CAFE CULTURA SEE STAGE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592674349975-AB1MUL75YY6CKHWELJLZ/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg Stages Gallery - TIME & PLACE SEE STAGES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593439481808-I9RUS9WIASVRVZAD2LZS/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9685.jpg Stages Gallery - TOUR DE FEAST SEE STAGES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593871970324-YSGOUXBIQFW21O0814WD/IMG_4361.JPG Stages Gallery - STAGE 22 SEE STAGES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593871756518-AU2GDZ6MIJF2OEG4FX1D/Francesco_334_0916.jpg Stages Gallery - FINE FUEL SEE STAGES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593438948025-6GFLO7WTETMN9TIY1B8X/Raymond+Blanc+on+the+pass.jpg Stages Gallery - TALES OF A YELLOW JERSEY COMING SOON https://www.journal.leblanq.com/bio-gallery daily 0.75 2022-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597697048893-3VNUMM8B98B9MVO977WQ/Wiggins+TT.jpg Bio Gallery - Joanna Rowsell Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597697048893-3VNUMM8B98B9MVO977WQ/Wiggins+TT.jpg Bio Gallery - Joanna Rowsell Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643650017404-RLTTGD3X1U92HHKNEDXM/3.jpg Bio Gallery - Adam Blythe Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597693506473-DX6C53SJF8OOC1802JHO/Raymond+Blanc+on+the+pass.jpg Bio Gallery - Francesco Mazzei Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643650050505-YB7UT5PB25D2QGTGC8ZY/image-asset.jpeg Bio Gallery - Matt Stephens Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649906480-1A88RXMBV9TGQS5DVMCV/_DSF1587.jpg Bio Gallery - Annie Emmerson Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643669013014-TJUGZR90TXTKKMCHF57E/Yates+-+TDF+94c.jpg Bio Gallery - Chris Lillywhite Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592786565166-YJ8XGFIBBREPQUYZ0VRZ/WATSON_00003899-001.jpg Bio Gallery - Another Longname Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592786566141-MCHXZT1VW0U2WAC3AS59/Sean+Yates+5.jpg Bio Gallery - Areallylong Name Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592786568177-8XIRUA1V196XXPTFK8J6/Sky+in+Paris.jpg Bio Gallery - Superextralong Name Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643709371982-V1BDHGCQNFY6Y38F0EL7/IMG_4361.JPG Bio Gallery - Ashley Palmer-Watts Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592786756771-856M0LFICDU11RVE67S7/3.jpg Bio Gallery - Another Name Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592786757474-FGIHSNMPUNPP0MRJ5MLB/IMAGE-012.jpg Bio Gallery - Another Name Read Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649952575-AF57WMHWYD1EYYCMIZJJ/27527642762_fb969ff334_b.jpeg Bio Gallery - Monica Dew Read Bio https://www.journal.leblanq.com/ashley-palmerwatts daily 0.75 2021-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594754689370-R8AKOSCSY59L8X7L2NAW/Ashley+Dish+2.jpg Ashley Palmer-Watts - A “harmless obsession” is what he calls it. I’m sure a lot of us out there would describe our riding and dining habits in this way. Why else would you crawl out of bed at the crack of dawn on a weekend seeking the meditative quiet of empty roads? Or travel the world searching for the most authentic representation of a single dish? It’s what makes us tick at LeBlanq. But in characteristically polite and understated fashion, that’s exactly how Ash described what drove him from pot-wash to the top - his beautiful addiction to feeding people. “Watching other people enjoy something you’ve created. There’s no better feeling. That’s the drug”. That’s what keeps him going. Because as he attests, you need an obsessive tunnel vision towards your end goal to graft your way to the top. A laser focus on that distant spot on the horizon you’re aiming for. The ‘harmless obsession’ is what turns it from just something you enjoy, to a way of life. Going that extra mile is exactly what got him in at a little place called the The Fat Duck. Heard of it? In his words, it required “calculated sacrifice” to get to where he wanted. He worked for free in his holidays to get his foot in the door, and took a job farming watercress while he waited for a job to open up. He had a single minded obsession after tasting Heston’s food, that he knew exactly where he wanted to be. But like London buses, two jobs came at once. The other one? A friend of ours called Raymond. It takes some minerals to turn down a job at Le Manoir, but there was something special going on down in Bray. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594754515252-U59ZOKH0BLOCXK2JCEVN/Ash%2B2.jpg Ashley Palmer-Watts - Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time. He was originally set on joining the Army, you know? I’m sure he would have made a bloody good armourer with his attention to detail, but my oh my, what a loss to creativity and the culinary world that would have been. For all our sakes, thank the Lord he took that pot-wash job at Le Petit Canard aged 13. Serendipity is a funny old thing. He takes a job at an unassuming restaurant in rural Dorset, and behind those doors lay a cosmopolitan world of food & drink that opens his eyes beyond village life. Here’s a kid getting schooled in the ways modern American cuisine, from Alice Waters to Charlie Trotter, in a small West Country village. Taken on eating trips to France, Sweden and the US. Quite the education. He moved from pot-wash to the stove, and in the process fell well and truly down the rabbit hole. Of course the day he left school, he started full-time. Still though it wasn’t all right place, right time. Being ‘into food’ was a lot tougher in those days. There was no social media back then. No Chef’s Table. No bottomless well of recipes and tutorials on the internet to hone your skills. If you wanted to understand the upper echelon of Michelin chefs, you either read the cookbook or ate at their restaurant. So that’s what he did, voraciously. While Sir Brad was watching Sean smash out TT’s in the Tour, Ash would have been nose-deep in Larousse Gastronomique or cutting out recipes from Food Illustrated. The young lad saved up his pennies to dine with his heroes - Pierre Koffmann at La Tante Claire, Marco Pierre White at The Restaurant, Michael Caines at Gidley Park. “I’ve always been the type of person, that I when I get into something, I really go for it”. Evidently. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594759784561-AFC0Q3YPHJL0MAC9J7ZP/Ash+Dish+6.jpg Ashley Palmer-Watts - As much as we rightly put greats on a pedestal, they rarely do it alone. Messi probably wouldn’t have broken Gurd Muller’s calendar year goal record without all those assists from Xavi and Iniesta. Serena might not have won all those Grand Slams without Venus snapping at her heels from childhood. And Sir Brad certainly had a good supporting cast with Cav and Froome in 2012. Heston rightly casts a large shadow, but eventually it came time for Ash to step out from it. Like Froome, his years as the Fat Duck’s domestique-in-waiting were done, but when he took the lead, instead of looking forward to overtake, he looked back. When asked what dish sums his up philosophy towards food best, he tells us: “There is a no one dish. More a group of ideas. A movement. One that makes me very proud, and in a way, patriotic”. Redefining British cooking in as literal a way as Ash did at Dinner, takes a deeply curious and talented mind. Delving through the history books to find antiquated recipes at the foundations of British cooking, and executing it to a 2 Michelin Star level is no walk in the park. But the notion of finding the genesis of idea, and applying modernity to it is what has come to define him. Looking to the past, in order to create the future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594759618238-8MOG1HWQ18PEMO6BISKG/IMG_1499.JPG Ashley Palmer-Watts - “For the First 5 Years I lIterally had nothing to do with the outside world” Double shift after double shift. 6 days on. 1 day off to rest. With a biblical work ethic like that, you’ll rack up your 10,000hrs pretty quickly. But you do these things when there’s a palpable sense of creating magic, whether it’s in a kitchen or on the bike. Not everyone has it in them, and Ash says “not many could hack it”, but that’s how things were back then. When you think about it, the world of molecular gastronomy it isn’t so different from marginal gains. Swap milliseconds for milligrams. Change your power meters and wattage, for refractometers and sugar %. The purists disparage both for a lack of intuitive flair. “You're taking all the heart out of it” they moan. But we all know both are better for it. Elevating the disciplines to new heights through fine-tuned precision and fractional betterment, all in the team pursuit of perfection. At the cutting edge of the movement is where Ash cut his teeth, taking the helm as Head Chef in 2003. The intersection of flavour driven science and storytelling creativity manifesting itself as something astoundingly innovative. Creating something theatrical we’d not yet seen here on this Island known for pork pies and pasties. Acknowledgment followed. 3 Michelin Stars. World’s Best Restaurant by World’s 50 Best. Not that he shouts about it though. A humble chap is our Ash, quietly shaping British gastronomy forever at the right hand of Heston. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594933897870-GT2F6ODQL8133UEITODL/WhatsApp+Image+2020-07-16+at+14.38.25.jpeg Ashley Palmer-Watts - But if there were one dish he’s ATTACHED TO, the people would say “Meat Fruit” Which does tend to sum his style up quite nicely. Complexity in technique, simplicity on the plate, and rich layers of storytelling that bring a smile to your face and leave you thinking. It takes 3 cooks 2 days to tell the story of a medieval recipe called “pomme dorres”: a silky rich chicken liver and foie gras parfait, dressed in Mandarin’s clothing. It’s a cheeky moment of joy for the diner, that takes 15 hrs of work to get to the punchline, and it’s pure genius. So when you’ve got someone like Ashley on your team, it’s no wonder that a penchant for precision and storytelling seeps into how we do things round here. For him it’s never just about delivering a delicious plate of food and saying, “bon appetit”. It’s about letting the diner understand how what sits in front of them came to be. And it’s those added layers of depth and meaning that take it from just a nice dinner to an unforgettable experience. And we’re most definitely in the business of unforgettable experiences. We’re glad to have you on board, Ash. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594755136845-07LD8EEXODDFIDDJKCI0/IMG_4361.JPG Ashley Palmer-Watts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594760250584-73DMHOWQZE98JGL8JI28/Ashley%2BPalmer%2BWatts%2B2.jpg Ashley Palmer-Watts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1630922386553-HRW1KPDVA9L3VOL601ZB/Horatiki.jpg Ashley Palmer-Watts https://www.journal.leblanq.com/bradleywiggins daily 0.75 2020-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594829987502-QZ6REBG2BLNTWQ3PQJZ0/Bradley-Wiggins-Stage-Fifteen-2007-Tour-de-France.jpg Bradley Wiggins - If you were a follower of cycling, you probably loved Bradley Wiggins. You’d have to have been something of a reactionary not to. The type who only likes a band until they sell any records, or who loved The Cuckoo’s Calling before realising Robert Galbraith was actually the pseudonym of J K Rowling. Not only did he display all the traits listed above – lifted on angels’ wings to exalted levels according to us fans, naturally – he was a genuine grafter made good. This lad with the long levers, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist at 18, had been earmarked by us as a man destined for a career as a distinguished rouleur, a much-cherished teammate, a superdomestique with his own occasional day in the sun. A Sean Yates for the 21st Century. We’d love him, cheer ourselves hoarse for him, drink to his Olympic track medals and dream of the day he hit the Roubaix Velodrome in the front group with Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen. He was the Real Thing, too. Awarded an OBE at 24 after bringing home three medals from the 2004 Olympics for his country. Becoming a true continental road warrior after Athens, determined to earn a career on hard tarmac rather than the more niche boarding of a velodrome. Going on a 190km lone break in the Tour de France on the 40th anniversary of Tom Simpson’s tragic death. Perhaps what struck the loudest note was his actions upon being one of the Cofidis riders removed from the Tour thanks to a teammate’s unveiling as a drug cheat: he stuffed his team kit in a bin at Pau Airport and flew home disgusted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594822439093-9JTV7SDNADHR0MWPNKH5/DSC_7260.jpg Bradley Wiggins - Who can forget that sun-drenched, golden summer of 2012? The Mobot. The Queen jumping out of a helicopter. Boris’s awkward abseiling. The Pirlo Panenka. Gold post boxes. Considering the heavyweight rivals to the crown, there is an undisputed monarch. The Sun King. The King of London on his throne at London 2012. To be fair to Bradley Wiggins, he had a head start that Mo Farah, Boris Johnson, Danny Boyle or Clare Balding couldn’t even dream of. Even before the year started to defrost, “Wiggo” was a character readily recognised on the streets of Britain. In an era where our Premier League stars are coached to deliberately speak in controversy-avoidance clichés (We knew they’d be well organised. My difficulties in front of goal have been well documented. That was the first I’d heard about it), he was the guy who had the sideburns, who loved that bloke out of The Jam, who made Piers Morgan look a bit stupid, allegedly. Oh yeah… and he had six medals from three Olympics. We knew who he was even if we weren’t that bothered about two-wheeled-human-powered sport. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594828747207-2BVIG50E96JHGHG4RUUA/Brad%2B7.jpg Bradley Wiggins - And so it was that by the time the Olympics began… On the 27th of July 2012, despite the glittering array of stars available and willing to take part in the mesmerising opening ceremony at the London Stadium, the choice for the man to stroll out and ring the bell to kick off proceedings was a simple one. Because just five days earlier, Bradley Wiggins had become the first Briton to win the Tour de France. What? Is that right? A man destined for greatness in a discipline where the steepest obstacles are the banks of a wooden track had conquered the highest mountains in sport? A Londoner, in a sport beatified for its craggy-faced man-of-the-land stout country-stock rulers? A Briton, in a race where none of his ilk had even made it on to the podium in Paris in 98 previous editions? Some pieces need filling in here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594828505929-D86JUH0MNYLQPIJI7C6K/Brad+6.jpg Bradley Wiggins - But then something happened that few – if any - can have predicted In 2009, he moved to the more communicative atmosphere of the US Garmin-Slipstream squad and dropped a stone somewhere along the way. After a time trial-heavy first week at the Tour de France, the former trackie’s legs had put him in a rarefied position near the top of the rankings; a placing that the mountains would surely shake him free of. Except they didn’t. The Pyrenees came and went. A weekend in Switzerland failed to shift him. He left the Alps behind without taking any big hits, then rode a great time trial around Lake Annecy to confirm his credentials. All that remained was an ascent of the mountain so feared by all pros, but especially British Tour pretenders: Tom Simpson’s nemesis, the bald mountain, Mont Ventoux. Just for fun, the organisers had matched the peak’s geographical status as an outlier by putting it as the race’s final meaningful stage, with just the ceremonial roll up and down the Champs Elysees to follow. If anyone doubted the Londoner’s “ticker” beforehand, Ventoux won over the most recalcitrant cynic. The 6’3” track rider crossed the line on top of cycling’s most revered summit in a scarcely believable 8th place, confirming that he would finish 4th in Paris. He was a contender. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594829043581-1JWMHQJSDZKSXA9RW19I/BRad%2B8.jpg Bradley Wiggins - 2012 was perfect for Wiggins. As the jewel in the crown of the carefully constructed British super squad, Team Sky, his build up had been imperious, with wins in races huge in their own right: Paris-Nice, the Tour of Romandie, the Critérium du Dauphiné. Looking at the bare results, you could be forgiven for thinking that the event itself was a waltz for Sky, taking both first and second place with the addition of Chris Froome, and a glut of stage wins driven by an energised Mark Cavendish. The results hid the truth of an emotional whirlwind, with our emotional, devotional hero at the heart of it. A LeBlanq man, steeped in the story. From leaning on the Champs Elysees barriers as a lanky junior schoolboy, taken by his Mum as one of a handful of British daytrippers to cheer on their hero Sean Yates. To leading out Mark Cavendish for a blistering finish on that same bit of road: Cav the stage winner, Wiggo the race winner. And the man behind the wheel of the Team Sky Jaguar following them, calmly congratulating the man in yellow, the man in the rainbow jersey and the others in the Sky train via their earpieces? Sean Yates. We love a story. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594829547095-D1OEV2XWKD383EIICA7G/Brad%2B10.jpg Bradley Wiggins - Though of course, Brad’s story raced on There would be the incredible Hour Record, the fifth Olympic Games. Sponsoring his own team and establishing a foundation to encourage boys and girls to follow in his footsteps. And more recently, his commitment to qualifying as a social worker. But we would like to pause this short honey-tinted film a few days after it began in the Olympic Stadium. The man who rang the bell in a yellow Fred Perry is now in a Team GB skinsuit and aero helmet, complete with a Mod Roundel on its crown, and he is chasing the multiple time trial world champion, Germany’s Tony Martin, all the way to Henry VIII’s glorious palace on the Thames, Hampton Court. We’re sorry Tony, but there can only be one winner of the London 2012 Olympic Time Trial. The King of London. Bradley Wiggins. by John Deering Image credit - Graham Watson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594829127023-XFMYB38MG84AIUVNSEIF/Brad+5+.jpg Bradley Wiggins https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594829378929-5A25FSK3A28ZKJLMSYXH/Brad%2B9.jpg Bradley Wiggins https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594906124185-LPPX6SMCGX2Z04MCV91Q/26.jpg Bradley Wiggins https://www.journal.leblanq.com/joanna-rowsell daily 0.75 2020-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595001106162-Y8NRZORLXVEL1S6BJGCZ/Joanna+2.jpg Joanna Rowsell - A well-worn thread of discussion regarding pretty much every elite sporting title One fought over since that fellow ran home after the Battle of Marathon to be first with the breaking news is the classic: is it harder to win the title the first time, or to retain it?* If this is a question that has ever occupied your mind, fret no longer, as you can simply ask Joanna Rowsell, as she is a member of a very elite club. As a member of that incredible London 2012 GB team pursuit trio that set a new standard for the humans-as-sublime-performance-machinery analogies that have always accompanied the most aesthetically pleasing of all sporting disciplines, Joanna’s place in the pantheon of greats was assured. The World Record was broken in the quarter-final, again in the semi-final and once more as the gold medals were secured. To return four years later to retain that Olympic Champions tag in Rio - despite the reaction from a pack of wounded rivals that such a landmark result provokes - places Joanna and her teammates on an ever-shrinking podium of the greatest champions. *The runner returning from Marathon, by the way, is a strong piece of evidence for the camp who believe retaining the trophy is more difficult than the first visit to the top step of the podium. Dying within seconds of achieving your target for the first time makes a repeat performance a big ask. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595001147905-EOZJB9K6YA86MMKWLHYL/Joanna+5.jpg Joanna Rowsell - It won’t come as a massive shock to anyone to discover that everyone at LeBlanq rides a bike. Nor that we enjoy a (carefully spaced out) social gathering, or take on an expectant look when they hear the most glorious instruction in the English language drift from the kitchen: “Service!”. It’s sometimes easy to overlook that we’re all massive cycling fans too, no matter if we’ve spent our individually lengthy associations with the sport yelling at people from the proletariat side of the barriers or whistling by in that tunnel of sound. In fact, with Sean and Brad, we have the very personification of the superstar/superfan who doesn’t care which side of the barriers he’s on, as long he’s close to the barriers. That’s why our line up brings nothing more to mind than a fantasy football selection, the ultimate expression of fan involvement (“Just looking at the talent they’ve got warming the bench is enough to frighten opposing managers, Geoff.”) Which is a long-winded way of building up to the breathlessly excited announcement we’ve been bursting to blurt out since we began this Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman at the top of the page: LeBlanq has a reigning Olympic Champion at the heart of our starting XI. Wait: a double reigning Olympic Champion. Hang on: a double reigning World Record holder. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595001664121-I20G4O5XRIVMH84H541O/Joanna+6.jpg Joanna Rowsell When someone has been a hero for her country and all of us who call it home on so many occasions, it seems fitting that she goes into battle every day under the banner of St George. More and more the MBE she received in 2013 for services to cycling seems to us to be a little short of the mark. by John Deering Image Credit - Graham Watson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595001734024-YJ42HOKRVPNLXUGTMNEK/Joanna+3.jpg Joanna Rowsell - Her personal medal and trophy haul from a career that began and ended at the top would make Ali Baba jealous. But among those umpteen World, National, Olympic, European and Commonwealth medals for her peerless achievements as a team pursuit rider, there’s a World Championship rainbow jersey for the individual pursuit too. Proof, if needed, that she’s not only a respected and revered teammate, but a champion who leads by example. Lockdown has been busier for Joanna than many of us. She is quick to apologise when it has taken her hours to respond to a call or email. She is more reserved about explaining the reasons for the delay, but we have no such need to stay quiet and we’ll shout it from the rooftops if anybody asks us. In the midst of her training to become a doctor - for which she’s just received a First Class Honours in Human Biology - Joanna has been working non-stop at her local hospital in Shrewsbury in the frontline of the fight against Covid-19. And she’ll be starting her full degree in medicine this September at St George’s hospital in Tooting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594999702081-PPCAIJRJI9W7XYBDCPB5/Joanna+1.jpg Joanna Rowsell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595000562082-ULXC04MSTYZ0PWO2Z2PZ/Joanna+4.jpg Joanna Rowsell https://www.journal.leblanq.com/faqs daily 0.75 2022-02-02 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/package-tcs daily 0.75 2021-10-21 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/joyride-01 daily 0.75 2020-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596661382995-DP48IOYAJXZMC6YLFIL4/Pinarello-Website.png Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596550845918-U7P135EZ6FSQDE8I4PJZ/St+Catherines.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596550879991-QXCPAT7E93N05DLH3ZW3/Freshwater.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596474108825-5AHTEP5NPESZKVY8CIP6/LB001_Ride_Maps_100.png Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596550781056-UGUHS74EM3YH7VR4S0XG/27776402872_a4e15a5cc3_k.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596550704894-UU1N1FX3R9EP6CHU5907/Bembridge.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596548925982-4P6WL30YDC60RZR4GY8Z/LB001_Ride_Maps_80.png Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596549280769-F8DJNERHS3VDUY1TEAIM/Blackgang.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596549580936-BXES61281DK6IU2LAZOA/Leblanq10.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596548880894-5MJD45NSTFCTOP2FHA4M/LB001_Ride_Maps_45.png Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596548904699-7T431KZ50HPMI4WHIHA5/LB001_Ride_Maps_60.png Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596550294821-R2I1AAEZLGI5GM01E01F/Alum+2.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596550644446-GQICURL2SR1ZMWKJBKZE/Leblanq8.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596481606370-OGTX5G9J1PYOBZMDATGQ/Joyride+Header.jpg Joyride 01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596666059854-1JLBN5SNMNA9XTCL4WJL/Alum+Bay.jpg Joyride 01 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/1988-tt daily 0.75 2020-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596554598824-V968HTA943TF7F26RNCH/2015+Aston+Martin+Logo+White+2.png 1988 TT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596561593711-P7CZF90ZWCO7RRQTZS19/14727472830_f00aa68fa9_k.jpg 1988 TT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596561613648-ZBOX2PQL9CXYHMXTSX38/Leblanq8.jpg 1988 TT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596563589901-DSOFB4YSBLK4NZH7VOED/Aston+Martin.jpg 1988 TT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596558846500-1Z8L9AGPC208YHS801VN/LB001_Ride_Maps_19.88.png 1988 TT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596554702902-RMTTJXZUGDOMPNV1BJ1G/26431107897_65086f9ad1_k.jpg 1988 TT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596565178547-XXPP9R864MGAQHSPI6HB/Alum+Bay.jpg 1988 TT https://www.journal.leblanq.com/cafe-cultura daily 0.75 2020-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596564834952-KNR5B0Q7R5KQP4RN3CHX/WS_Vertical-Logo_White.png Cafe Cultura https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596567230928-VX90QWHRR2YEC4B97INX/Leblanq10.jpg Cafe Cultura https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596567256156-VT8E4I0FSWUIS261P39D/8383384270_aabe8d278f_k.jpg Cafe Cultura https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596567323656-1TYL12FUU7LWXGMB694N/Screen+Shot+2020-07-21+at+9.37.04+AM.png Cafe Cultura https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596565764568-ZDHSG5PUP54LEKXN4TTH/LB001_Ride_Maps_TT_Squadron.png Cafe Cultura https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596565600251-XSGCCN3L2D4MY1LCX2Z5/Birghstone+-+Start+of+Cafe+.jpg Cafe Cultura https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1596567545682-CL0W17OH69K8AV1SKII8/9209797818_9860b56fb5_k.jpg Cafe Cultura https://www.journal.leblanq.com/raymond-blanc daily 0.75 2021-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597247787455-VDG0U4JCQ3VV2ENC6JXO/Raymond+Blanc+in+kitchen.jpg Raymond Blanc - Reflecting on A Lifetime of Masterpieces, MichelAngelo supposedly remarked, “I’m still learning”. Raymond Blanc sits at the helm of a restaurant that has consistently held 2 Michelin stars for over 37 years. Ask any chef, and they’ll tell you that what Raymond has built within the manor house and walled gardens of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is a timeless masterpiece. A vision of a truly beautiful and sustainable restaurant brought to life in the rolling hills of Oxfordshire, serving as a living, breathing testament to all of Raymond’s beliefs. A respect for the nobility and purity of ingredients, a painstaking attention to detail, and a heartfelt dedication to creating those surprise and delight moments that guests remember for a lifetime. In his own words, “the good doesn’t excite me, the sublime does”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597247872687-CXZ1KPBKY7AOJFJWNYLQ/Raymond+Blanc+-+Confit+Salmon+Cucumber+Horseradish3_David+Griffen.jpg Raymond Blanc As a feat unto its own right, the kind of continual betterment required to maintain 2 Michelin stars for 37 years is astoundingly difficult. Gastronomy is a physically and mentally taxing endeavour. But for us that’s not even the most impressive achievement. Passing through Le Manoir’s kitchens have been 38 chefs who have gone on to attain Michelin stars for themselves. 38. That’s a breeding ground of world-class talent comparable in the sporting world to that of La Masia, Eden Park, or the NCC of late. An academy for success. Great leaders create more leaders. It’s a simple fact. But how? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597251714165-QUZGSSCMWW2BKWS2TA6G/Raymond+Blanc+-+GJ012-gbcs-gray-jones_david-griffen-1556-5349.jpg Raymond Blanc - "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." John Quincy Adams. Enter the gates at Le Manoir and you’ll still find a chef who is just as generous with his time, hospitality, and infectious enthusiasm for gastronomy as the day he opened its doors. A certain joie de vivre that translates into genuine human leadership, where time and respect is given to every single individual who puts effort into making Le Manoir a truly memorable experience. But where does that come from? Maybe it’s because Raymond has himself held almost every role in a restaurant at one point. From cleaner, to pot-wash, to waiter, to head chef. He believes that even the seemingly unimportant jobs at a restaurant combine to create the many layers of beauty and theatre that is a complete dining experience. Or maybe it’s just him as a person. Probably both. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597251792168-UP2VWFQLKNIXOHSRAFJA/Raymond%2BBlanc%2B1%2BLow%2BRes.jpg Raymond Blanc - So how did the man for all seasons find himself at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons? The unconventional way. It actually follows the classic greek “Hero’s Journey” arc quite well when we think about it. Hero finds his calling, meets adversity, overcomes challenges, and changes British gastronomy forever. Remember that one? He tried his hand as a draughtsman first, and then a nurse, before the entrancing ballet of waiters flambéeing Crêpes Suzette at the Michelin starred Le Palais de la Bière finally lured him into the world of restaurants. But alas, the hero found himself exiled across the channel, after his curious nature earned him an acrimonious dismissal and a broken jaw from the head chef at his first job. Arriving in the culinary winter of discontent that was the beige British food scene of the late 70’s, this French waiter - with a bruised ego and no formal culinary training - finally took up his mantle at the stove only after the chef at the pub he was waiting at called in sick. The stars had aligned and the rest, as they say, is history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597252306523-P7SAPK4G50DNZFOUQVSA/Ray+Low.jpg Raymond Blanc - And history is what Raymond made. From his tiny first restaurant in Summertown - Les Quat’Saisons - which earned him his first Michelin stars, to what we now know as Le Manoir Quat’Saisons. A culinary haven of flavour and tranquility, with 11 stunning gardens. A modern classic. Such was his impact on both his native and adopted lands, that he is the only chef to have been honoured with both an honorary OBE and the equivalent of a knighthood from France. And in that fated summer of 2012, when the King of London was bringing home the yellow jersey in Paris, the Lord of Le Manoir was proudly carrying the Olympic torch through Oxfordshire, passed down the line back to our Brad for the opening ceremony. Ah, the beautiful symmetry of it all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597252358447-3SWMYNDMMVU58ZCF8OUH/Raymond+Blanc+-+GJ001-gbcs-gray-jones_david-griffen-1556-5229.jpg Raymond Blanc There’s something about taking the unconventional route to the top that we love here at LeBlanq. Sometimes the incline’s a little steeper, and it winds a little longer from home, but in the end, those extra miles are what you remember. There’s no such thing as going the “wrong” way in our mind, as long as you keep moving. Because the journey is the thing we love the most. Like Raymond, sometimes taking a different route takes you exactly where you wanted to go. You just didn’t know it yet. by Jack Cliffe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597247507259-V4CDXTVNB7O0NAKRKAVK/Raymond-Blanc-on-the-pass-2.jpg Raymond Blanc https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597248036901-TGK1X4XB2GROBS535AVV/Raymond+Blanc+180413RBCY_0488.JPG Raymond Blanc https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597252000107-SUSP6PSPKG53CIL8VTC6/Raymond+Blanc+-+GJ002-gbcs-gray-jones_david-griffen-1556-5087.jpg Raymond Blanc https://www.journal.leblanq.com/adamblythe daily 0.75 2022-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597698684963-LRHOL53D81DN7BR9FCOO/WATSON_00003899-001.jpg Adam Blythe - To think of Adam Blythe as retired is a bitter blow to us. Ok, there’s a massive knock-on benefit for LeBlanq as we can now count the finest English rider of his generation as one of our road captains and benefit from his expertise, huge character and universally acknowledged reputation as best-coffee-and-cake companion in the bunch. But there’s a sense of loss that we won’t be roaring him home when he flicks on the burners against the world’s best in the home straight anymore. And yes, ok, damn you, we’re just pissed off because if Adam has retired we must be really, really old. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597698812660-861B5U5U412HH1UJ7QSO/Adam2.jpg Adam Blythe This will be the third time that Sean Yates will be overseeing the Derbyshire quick finisher’s programme, after driving the car behind him at both NFTO and at Peter Sagan’s Tinkoff galacticos. They can at least be confident of more coffee and cake miles at LeBlanq, and plenty of time to discuss their respective merits over the cobbles of the Northern Classics that have meant so much to each of them. Adam was earmarked as a pavé specialist at 17, when he tasted glory in Flanders Fields by snatching the Junior’s Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne from under the noses of the locals, leading to a change of tack. He departed the warm bosom of the Team GB Performance Plan to learn his trade on the unforgiving roads of Belgium in a rugged apprenticeship. It served him well, as protected rider status was afforded him at the likes of Omega Pharma, BMC, Orica GreenEDGE and Lotto-Soudal in a sparkling ten-year professional waltz through the rarified atmosphere of the higher reaches of cycling. As well as a couple of coveted red-and- blue banded white National Champion’s jerseys, he used the trampet of his fearsome mentor Philippe Gilbert’s attack to bring home the London-Surrey Classic. Four Grand Tour appearances establish his credentials as a rider with true class who will no doubt gleefully extend the occasional toe into the rump of his Saga-qualified LeBlanq elders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597699319975-Z34P6DG9H0LH1YT8CFTZ/Adam4.jpg Adam Blythe Adam’s 2020 post-lockdown will be a thrilling new adventure in plenty of ways, as he follows once more in Yates’s footsteps and takes his place behind the wheel of a team car for the first time. Appointing a 30-year old DS shows the way that the Skoda DSI Cycling Academy intend to play things and their roster of promising young women will all be names to look out for as this decade begins to unfold. And if that wasn’t enough to be going on with, “The Captain’s” Eurosport and podcast work have opened up more opportunities for the ambitious father of three. In another one of of those satisfying LeBlanq synergy moments, “Captain” opened his burgeoning YouTube Channel with a cooking extravaganza that is bound to have Ashley Palmer-Watts scrambling for the here’s-one-I-made-earlier defence. We await the Saturday Kitchen face-off that is bound to follow with the sort of excitement and suspense not seen amongst the viewing millions since Dirty Den ended up in the canal. by John Deering Image Credit - Graham Watson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597698019074-FSQPMDINRFEH0OQ47M51/Adam-1.jpg Adam Blythe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597698969385-GJ1BBC92YNHDTWXEGSCU/Adam3.jpg Adam Blythe https://www.journal.leblanq.com/matt-stephens daily 0.75 2021-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597773987136-2G4LAUDR54LKD0JKUFJU/WATSON_00001867-280.jpg Matt Stephens - It may seem more of a slight than a complement to define a man by his failings, but bear with us on this one. No cyclist has everything. Peter Sagan will tend to be found with the other denser-muscled guys when the passes get long and the altitude gets thin. Sean Kelly won every monument more than once, save the glaring anomaly of not one win at Flanders – the one that should have been meat and drink to him. And Matt Stephens would be the first to admit that when it came to sprinting, he was more Agatha Christie than Linford. But that’s the key to the man: if you picked up the paper on a Monday morning and saw Matt had won at the weekend – which was very often – you would know just by the bare result that it had been a great race, won in the grand style. The only style he knew. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597773756988-A5O1E8WVF7CZUD27ZE8V/Stephens.jpg Matt Stephens That adventurous style – attacking when nobody wants to attack or climbing at a tempo where nobody is comfortable – brought Matt some notable results, not least of all his quite brilliant ride to become National Road Race Champion. On a sweltering day in June 1998, he simply rode away from the cream of British cycling to take a magnificent solo victory in Solihull, the nation’s cycling glitterati powerless to catch him despite their combined might against his lean frame. That ability to dig deeper than the others was well known to anybody who’d shared a road with the engaging, self-deprecating, friendly character who was such a popular member of the bunch. In 1995, he’d come 8th in the last ever World Amateur Road Race Championships high in the Columbian alto, again in the blistering heat that was anathema to his fair complexion. The following afternoon it was as different as mountain weather can be, as Abraham Olano dramatically held off Marco Pantani and Miguel Indurain despite finishing with a flat back tyre in black sheets of rain: the best podium at a Worlds ever? That was the company Matt was keeping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597773843937-J4U84L8K1PMZ2WKT9AFU/Matt1.jpg Matt Stephens He earned himself a ride at the 2000 Giro d’Italia, but the luck he often deserved but rarely received stayed true to form and injury and illness forced him out at the midway point, despite a rousing battle to stay in the race after a heavy fall in apocalyptic weather on the very first stage. And luck brought his illustrious career to a premature end when a smashed kneecap was all he was given for leading the previously humble Sigma Sport team to a prestigious appearance at Paris-Troyes. Fortunately for us, he was only lost to the saddle, not the sport, and his modest, knowledgeable and enthusiastic commentary has enlightened many a dull day on Eurosport and GCN. Most recently he has carved himself a niche as the presenter of Sigma Sport’s innovative podcast, Matt Stephens Unplugged. Impossible not to like. Perhaps you’re not desperate enough for Friday to come round already? Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Oh, and we haven’t even got on to the subject of Matt’s alter-ego, Flemish cycling’s legendary no-hoper, Kenny Van Vlaminck. If you meet Matt at a LeBlanq gathering, it’s two for the price of one. He’s all about value. How many other National Champions can say they spent the first half of their cycling career as a supermarket manager and the second half as a member of Her Majesty’s Constabulary? In these days of British Tour winners and Lottery funding it seems incredible, but Matt clocked up his training miles by riding to the shop and later the cop shop. And that, as far as we’re concerned, is all you need to know about him. A national treasure. by John Deering Image Credit - Graham Watson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598461375446-V9CBFTK6CUUG4RY8ZDDY/WATSON_00003143-402.jpg Matt Stephens https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1607062735411-H2K1O1WAQMKW5U0NDAAY/Matt1.jpg Matt Stephens https://www.journal.leblanq.com/annie-emmerson daily 0.75 2020-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597774838937-57VX1BCDXYLGPD78ZYQG/emmerson-annie1109130099ps.jpg Annie Emmerson - We’ve all wanted to shout: “Stop the world! I want to get off!” Few of us have ever managed to do it. Not in a Christopher Reeve-era Superman kind of way by actually stopping the planet spinning – that did happen though, right? – but by taking control of our own future. Even fewer of us have taken it a step further and shouted: “Stop the world! I want to start living!” then done it to the degree that Annie Emmerson did. A party girl / wage slave with a whirlwind lifestyle of work, deals, lunches, dinners, cigarettes and G&T’s decided to say “yes” when some pals suggested joining them for a triathlon weekend. Within months she was picking up a bronze medal at the embryonic sport’s National Championships and seriously enjoying her new discovery. Taking a leaf out of Ferris Bueller’s textbook, she stepped off the conveyor belt. But rather than taking a roadtrip, she stepped on to a different conveyor belt: this one was attached to a running machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597774877312-35Q6UM3WYWZCTE949ATS/anniebike.JPG Annie Emmerson For every step she has taken from that first weekend to her position as a National Treasure, Annie’s story is as aspirational as any version of the American Dream, Rocky, or Cinderella you’ve ever suspended your disbelief for. More than 20 years in triathlon, retiring Bradman-like as the World’s No.1 duathlete, only to become the most motivational of coaches, and now the reassuring face of triathlon on the BBC: knowledgeable, insightful, but never ever anything other than “one of us.” A Team GB stalwart in three sports – triathlon, duathlon and running - more somebody that speaks movingly about motivation rather than a routine motivational speaker, still fitter than the proverbial Dewhurst’s weimerana, and mum to two happy human beings. Inspirational is just the ground floor. by John Deering https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1607062781720-EQB3P7K60057GGN62904/anniebike.jpg Annie Emmerson https://www.journal.leblanq.com/francesco-mazzei daily 0.75 2021-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597779561082-1LULERYZO2PYO13UVGQT/Sartoria_169_1037.jpg Francesco Mazzei After finishing his culinary training, in 1992 he moved from Calabria to Rome and joined The Grand Hotel. Inspired by the international vibe, he took the leap and left for London to learn English where he landed a job at The Dorchester in Mayfair, working under the respected Willi Elsener and Henry Brosi before returning to Rome to take up a position at Michelin-starred La Terrazza dell’Eden. Ever since then, staying still hasn’t been his forte. He opened the Santini restaurants in Edinburgh and Milan, the Royal Sporting Club in Bangkok, Franco’s on Jermyn Street and St Alban in London, as well as venues across the world alongside restaurateur Alan Yau, a good friend and a mentor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597779198951-WY4OUYNPKP3CNMUZ5P7K/Fran1+.jpg Francesco Mazzei Born and raised in Calabria, the toe on Italy’s boot and the region noted for producing n’duja, as a child, Francesco was adamant he didn’t want to be a chef. Mainly concerned with how much time he could spend playing football, it was only his desire to buy a pair of Levi’s that saw him enter the kitchen. But like all great chefs, fell in love with it when he did. He started work in his uncle’s gelateria, mastering the art of Italian cakes and gelatos by the age of nine. At fourteen, he met renowned Italian chef Angelo Sabetta who, amazed by his Mangia e Bevi creation (a combo of sorbet and fresh fruit), encouraged him to nurture his talent and study to become a chef. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597780874068-0MR7RVR5SEUQX9R475SC/Fiume_062_8124.jpg Francesco Mazzei At the age of 34, he made his name in London at L’Anima where dishes from Calabria, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia took centre stage. A proud ambassador of all things southern Italian, he began advising the Calabrian government on how to promote their artisan goods in the UK, including citrus fruit bergamot and the spicy sausage n’duja. After a 7 year adventure at L’Anima, in June 2015, he joined Sartoria in Mayfair as chef patron, with plans to create a ‘temple of Italian cuisine’. With his first cookbook Mezzogiorno: Southern Italian cooking, published in Autumn of the same year. In the past few years, he has appeared on BBC shows including Saturday Kitchen, MasterChef and on the Italian edition of Hell’s Kitchen with chef extraordinaire Carlo Cracco. A Taste of London devoted veteran, he was appointed ‘Master of Taste’ for the 2016 edition of House of Peroni. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597779052487-F3WQCQNGKOVRPD80N7SD/Copy%2Bof%2B1.jpg Francesco Mazzei https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597779890475-A808VLARC1D0DLDDT1QP/Fiume_110_4439.jpg Francesco Mazzei https://www.journal.leblanq.com/chris-lillywhite daily 0.75 2022-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597784471386-689KC4OD4AXM6YBC7YL1/ERPmS89XUAgYwWs.jpg Chris Lillywhite - One of cycling’s great intangibles is the idea of craft. How do you quantify or even recognise what it means to be someone who “does” bike racing better than other people? We’re not talking results here – although there’s no question that someone who has mastered his craft has a better chance of chalking up a few palmarès than one yet to be totally at home in his chosen milieu. Is it the way you sit on a bike, the way you turn the pedals? Not really, no. We’re looking for the brain, the nose, the guy who has a constant picture in his head of what’s unfolding and knows where he wants to be at every moment as the drama unfolds. He’s like Ronnie O’Sullivan, knowing where the cue ball will need to be in five reds’ time. And not via a radio link to his team car. It’s probably easier to look at a rider and say: has he got it? It’s no disrespect to NOT have the craft, and a guileless character can be very likeable and successful. Chris Froome wouldn’t get the badge but it never did him any harm. Jalabert? Yes. Museeuw? Naturally. Kelly? Of course. You can add to that number a British rider who passes under the radar these days, but has been regarded as The Man by figures such as Bradley Wiggins and Dave Brailsford, both of whom sought him out to occupy pivotal roles in their respective projects. Oh, and it helps if you’re chiselled out of the very road surface itself. We’re talking about Chris Lillywhite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/eb6e78c6-00eb-4569-a89c-e8553a9b0e96/CL-01.jpg Chris Lillywhite - Stories of him abound, some acknowledged, some myth. Did London traffic really grind to a standstill one day because he relieved an aggressive truck driver on Vauxhall Bridge of his keys as he rode between the traffic, before sending them sailing into the Thames? Did he really dislocate his shoulder by punching a German rider who was meddling with the team chase at the end of a big race? Did he have a tug of war at the Giro d’Italia with two ambulance drivers when they were of the mind that Matt Stephens’s injuries would necessitate abandonment when Cel wanted him back on his bike? (Matt’s portrayal of the rope is still talked about in thespian circles to this day.) What we do know is he is in the history books as winner of the last Milk Race, a proud achievement for someone not designed to be a stage race rider. Last seen hollering instructions from behind the wheel of a GB team car or a Wiggins Skoda, much like his dad behind the wheel of his London cab, we are proud to have him among us. Thinking about it, maybe that’s where The Map thing comes from… by John Deering https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/6e2c7ac3-4ea3-49eb-95de-a9cce8e61753/_DSF2612+%281%29.jpg Chris Lillywhite - Turning pro at just 20, Chris’s career was spent as one of the bosses of the home cycling scene. From a cheeky raw talent, fired like a cannonball out of the Roehampton estates of SW15, through his golden years as a patrôn not to be messed with, to his reinvention as a Mr Miyake for a thousand Karate Kids with eyes on the prize. 2020 marks the beginning of his fifth decade shaping the sport. And he’s only 54. He is known to everyone at LeBlanq – and in cycling as a whole - as Cel, short for Celery*, a nod to a dedication to another sporting Valhalla. If you added up all the hours he’s spent on a bike, they’re probably only matched by the hours he’s spent at Stamford Bridge where he has watched his beloved Chelsea since he could walk. Actually, our favourite nickname for him is one we first heard when riding out round the Surrey Hills with him back in the 90’s: The Map. Cel is a living road atlas. At times, like when he’s skirting some back gardens, under a disused railway arch, ducking down an alley and popping out in a patch of woodland before riding down the runway of an abandoned aerodrome, he’s more the embodiment of the Ordnance Survey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597782847233-SCF2F5X3AZX8EUOWM26V/Chris+LilyWhite.jpg Chris Lillywhite https://www.journal.leblanq.com/tour-de-feast daily 0.75 2020-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597852935437-YSIW2OVSNN962QXC1P9D/LP-Website.png Tour de Feast https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597928180400-69C1KNMMYW82A2JYFU81/Ray%2BBW.jpg Tour de Feast https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597855127224-Z5EALVQTLBLS5D2C5A6S/IMG_1499.jpg Tour de Feast https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597857376683-MOQWPSELXZCVUHJ5WHJM/Raymond+Blanc+-+GJ012-gbcs-gray-jones_david-griffen-1556-5349.jpg Tour de Feast https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597857551505-V8B4XB9039YXUPU1NIYI/Ashley%2BDish%2B1.jpg Tour de Feast https://www.journal.leblanq.com/time-place daily 0.75 2020-08-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598481330897-8GI1R1COGAIR4ORR0MRL/Lobster.jpg Time & Place https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598481283333-ZHLY6GMGJ05XX6FQZEOP/IMG_9812.jpg Time & Place https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598471505963-BNQMKLD9X5XIFOZRR9ST/Main-Mermaid-Logo.png Time & Place https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598480748709-6MYJILRKO15W97CA4DWA/Beef.jpg Time & Place https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598481746310-346YZ632GUMK9ILSEXMN/Mermaid.jpg Time & Place https://www.journal.leblanq.com/brand-community-manager daily 0.75 2022-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/e8125bb9-c36c-4f4d-972a-51fb459f798c/Screenshot+2022-02-07+at+19.01.25.jpg Brand Community Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg Brand Community Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg Brand Community Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg Brand Community Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg Brand Community Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1645800113091-187JKKDVTGF690SJWPRQ/_DSF1532%2B%25281%2529.jpg Brand Community Manager https://www.journal.leblanq.com/ashley-adams-christmas-cocktails daily 0.75 2020-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608828698481-VUF6XNYLWZD8X4ROUDUD/PHOTO-2020-12-24-16-47-34.jpg Ashley & Adams Christmas Cocktails - Christmas martini Ingredients: • 35ml Gin infused with Christmas tree tips for 12hrs • 30ml Vermouth Method: Build-in shaker, over ice. Stir 25 times to chill and double strain into a Martini Coupe. Add a long twist of lemon and 1 olive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608820685848-CGOC0LZ2UF7VK3S02KF3/PHOTO-2020-12-22-23-05-48%2B3.jpg Ashley & Adams Christmas Cocktails - Clementine gimlet Ingredients: • 40ml Gin • 20ml Clementine Juice • 15ml Clementine Syrup Method: Build-in shaker, over ice. Stir 20 times to chill and double strain into a Martini Coupe. Add a twist of clementine zest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608816485674-UWGHVZCXOS6EM7995RDH/PHOTO-2020-12-22-23-05-47+2.jpg Ashley & Adams Christmas Cocktails https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608828862782-PK1AO92SZO46HWV25WAR/_DSF1752.jpg Ashley & Adams Christmas Cocktails https://www.journal.leblanq.com/rory-townsend-tokyo-2021 daily 0.75 2021-01-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609086284628-RBA3QGA11N7NRMXEY7FP/_DSF3361-2.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609086149849-5DCYAE27B1GVQL49P22N/_DSF3369.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609086520319-E8DWOZCCXXJWDLFANFBO/_DSF3466-2.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609086423310-OP5LGPKT4KPWL8BA4H1T/_DSF3646-2+copy.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609086715225-142489IDQTQ36ZCMZXFM/_DSF3477.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609088440157-GV0MNJBNNFMYFREYC55K/_DSF3490.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608995543772-E7JHTK6KLW2IH0UV0MLF/_DSF3608-2.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608996017997-ENAE103J1K3KP60UPSXB/_DSF3519.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608996519620-ME0JC2HHH3Y7U8QUWBWE/_DSF3552.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1608997686748-90EZL7AO7KLLW1U6I3O9/_DSF3587+copy.jpg Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/uova-purgatorio daily 0.75 2021-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615011420065-FKP8LQWA6BOPJPIW6HTG/Eggs.jpg Uova Purgatorio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615011701691-8S0M7S4HQGKWJ2QB0LRK/Radici_Fiume_Sartoria_215_3181%2B%25281%2529.jpg Uova Purgatorio https://www.journal.leblanq.com/joanna-rowsell-mbe daily 0.75 2021-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609427459487-7MEH112ODCTZAV5YP7UP/Screenshot+2020-12-30+at+10.37.23.png Joanna Rowsell MBE - LEBLANQ’s HERO 0f 2020 As we look back over 2020, we are immensely proud of our Joyride leaders and Chefs, who have all accomplished great things despite challenging circumstances. But this year, Joanna Rowsell MBE stands out as LeBlanq's Hero of 2020, due to her endless commitment to helping and inspiring others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1610622883931-OE39BPCHB732LZ8UDG9I/IMG_5796.jpg Joanna Rowsell MBE As if winning Olympic gold medals, World Championships and breaking World Records wasn't enough... Joanna is now training to become a Doctor at St. George's Hospital Medical School and worked non-stop as a Healthcare Assistant over the summer - which involved working in a COVID-19 ward. Thank you, Joanna. You are a much-needed force for good in this world, and you make us feel like anything achievable. Watch our full conversation below. Stick it on while you're on the home trainer, or just watch it with a nice cup of coffee or glass of wine if you prefer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595000562082-ULXC04MSTYZ0PWO2Z2PZ/Joanna+4.jpg Joanna Rowsell MBE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609427270306-9PF231HIM3HY58L2VAPD/WATSON_00003683-012.jpg Joanna Rowsell MBE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1610622713311-6KI03NQCAC06KSDHI7TZ/_DSF4105.jpg Joanna Rowsell MBE https://www.journal.leblanq.com/gran-premi-valncia daily 0.75 2021-01-24 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new daily 0.75 2021-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615744826416-JA0BLIM8T2EBS5PGHLHQ/9550380072_7cec3b1b07_k.jpg Journal - New https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/rory-townsend-tokyo-2021 monthly 0.5 2021-03-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612638430181-E039D0PHE98QCRNPHL8A/_DSF3369.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612638350943-D3UYE9LLFVE71DRQHLTV/_DSF3477.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612637785006-MVGR0LKFDALE6W5G8FIO/_DSF3466-2.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612637131479-96RILTFTZU3TJ6WTEK4D/_DSF3361-2.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612639364081-Z395XVFWBU3628YQIPH0/_DSF3369.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612638950499-YCH9R75FI0I9QW8SIZXG/_DSF3490.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612635643824-U5GD4UFW0J4EYSCK0CXW/_DSF3369.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612637435751-8NIXT14XG46HOZ3OOI3P/_DSF3646-2%2Bcopy.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612637959350-FBFVS8VTO0DUQ3UITK2I/_DSF3369.jpg Journal - New - Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/joanna-rowsell-mbe-hero-of-2020 monthly 0.5 2021-03-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612643992147-6U5JVMIGCJF0H41SXVFI/PHOTO-2020-12-22-23-05-48%252B3.jpg Journal - New - Christmas Cocktails CLEMENTINE GIMLET https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1612644094255-5V7DCD2V2QU5G4E1KEB3/PHOTO-2020-12-24-16-47-34.jpg Journal - New - Christmas Cocktails CHRISTMAS MARTINI https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/uova-purgatorio-1 monthly 0.5 2021-03-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615745725047-86Q6W8PJMGZKOSDACTAL/Radici_Fiume_Sartoria_215_3181-%25281%2529_v1.jpg Journal - New - Uova Purgatorio https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/merckx-moments-seans-bike monthly 0.5 2021-03-18 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/category/Recipes monthly 0.5 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/category/Dining monthly 0.5 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/category/Joyride+Leader monthly 0.5 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal-new/category/Rides monthly 0.5 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/leblanq-isle-of-wight daily 0.75 2021-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1634048995017-8T4UYLJKJTOOJ4PQ46Y4/_DSF1609.jpg Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615055428300-F3MTJ7SN2I0GZIEFD1VU/chicken-with-lemon-and-spicy-spring-onions.jpg Isle of Wight - STAGES Learn More https://www.journal.leblanq.com/experiences daily 0.75 2022-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615148235259-GH2HI25FSSXT5IX79GJX/Isle-of-Wight-Cycling-The-Needles-Tim-Wiggins_Q60_1200.jpg Experiences https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615412370238-U5TOZXURP586SSMGKRD4/_DSF3646-2%2Bcopy.jpg Experiences - ISLE OF WIGHT SIR BRADLEY WIGGINS JOHAN MUSEEUW ANGELA HARTNETT 13-15 MAY 2022 Learn More https://www.journal.leblanq.com/leblanq-champagne-booking daily 0.75 2021-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg LeBlanq Champagne - Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg LeBlanq Champagne - Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg LeBlanq Champagne - Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg LeBlanq Champagne - Booking https://www.journal.leblanq.com/leblanq-isle-of-wight-booking daily 0.75 2022-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg LeBlanq Isle of Wight - Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg LeBlanq Isle of Wight - Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg LeBlanq Isle of Wight - Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg LeBlanq Isle of Wight - Booking https://www.journal.leblanq.com/leblanq-champagne daily 0.75 2021-10-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615060808304-CWN3XM99YKAEXUNII4CK/LC_17_56472_Q60_1200.jpg Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615061750013-D7WPE2EZE95472TK2UUB/Raymond-Blanc---Almond-Clafautis-with-Apricot1_David-Griffen_Q70_1200.jpg Champagne - STAGES Learn More https://www.journal.leblanq.com/destination-champagne daily 0.75 2021-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615345239909-CWU0BVRVKIEKXPXQ55CW/LC_18_055774-Photo-by-Leif-Carlsson_Q60_1200.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615345690133-BBA7Z1O3GF36YZM97UQ9/LC_17_79362_v2.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621585953866-9B2PTDYOMB9SMEDZHPS5/Terrace+-+View+%286%29.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615347611607-WYPL9XV39MZ5B580F2WZ/royal-champagne-hotel.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621585958831-YRW9ZSE8G6R9OP06Q1ZP/Swimming+pool+and+exterior+view+%282%29.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621587011048-NWAWBO0WSYBT3SXOS98S/STORY_10_HOME_01_6480_B_v2.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621587019456-UF9448QQR3881715NEQV/LC_17_59038_v2.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621587034254-K8OEU4HR0CHJX8PV08IN/Lp%2BStone%2BResize.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621587000880-BR2P1SEIS1YI51KUHYR2/Royal%2BChampagne%2BPlate%2Bcopy.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615083711991-0SY7RP2E3EELCE0KDU95/4440396-1377141_0_269_2500_1362_2200_1200.rc_Q60_1200.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615258701648-RF8W4EF6AQ4DOABGBUK3/LC_17_74982-Photo-by-Leif-Carlsson_v2.jpg Destination Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615085997863-NDLQ6EIJKSTKL0MKM7ZZ/4442218-1376859_0_175_2500_1362_2200_1200.rc_Q70_1200.jpg Destination Champagne https://www.journal.leblanq.com/destination-isle-of-wight daily 0.75 2021-09-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632839188510-Z6B6REY3IUEDDIBPBHCA/_DSF1237.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632839217254-OKVRWU7ZZ0VFNKEYGQ89/_DSF0477.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632839198024-SM1QIL06LFJ29LA7XUHV/_DSF1139.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615143660974-0W3BGAB4BPK9B8X1BC19/IMAGE-097_Q60_900.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615348216617-4EJAVRVBIKGYXK071VK0/The-Royal_DSC_1209-Pano_Q60_1200.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615349476623-CQ1UAWRZ96CF6GTADSLX/Appuldurcombe-Restaurant_v2.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615349521245-KVO6HR77QXLCQSIQMZ3Q/Swimming-Pool_v2.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615348845157-5X0VWBPX66YRF5E697HN/Raymond-Blanc---GJ001-gbcs-gray-jones_david-griffen-1556-5229_v2.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615348982746-BPFP34NR9QPGSN4LW0GU/Leblanq7.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615349259410-ZWPD89PASNWP4RAMOE4W/IOW%2BTomatoes%2B2%2B%25281%2529.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615140773731-WJLXLXG1UHMGPINH28OY/Leblanq5_Q60_1200.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615144513826-Q069FYHV4VVHCFD4S2D7/andrew-from-website-%281%29_Q78_1200.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615155194720-D3BXCVCH2GT83E2QOCM3/Premier-Room_Q60_1200.jpg Destination Isle of Wight https://www.journal.leblanq.com/itinerary-champagne daily 0.75 2022-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1630663745001-KPOO94OWKY5A08VMKAIO/Raymond+Blanc+-+Confit+Salmon+Cucumber+Horseradish3_David+Griffen+%281%29.jpg Itinerary Champagne - YoUR WEEKEND, STAGE by STAGe Michelin-standard attention to detail applied to a weekend with Eddy, curated by our two Directeurs, with a combined 50 years at the top of cycling and gastronomy. Here’s how the stages unfold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615400953386-6TZJEA201AWWTESASESE/T%26P-5.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615415326023-9QXNOTNET5XM4MKGXV6L/T%26P-5.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1601028572210-230EAY70P3200S58H33X/Sartoria_110_0828-1400x933.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598995113767-C5IRROD39I1MJ98NQO7B/Michelin+Website-01.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615371370039-0RWPNMXZDG33WF6CH6FV/Champagne+Website+Reszed.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615371492321-ZOY8SUYYV6K89GOYAG3J/Champagne+hotel.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615415721687-PO2RVV6R6SNUF09068S5/Champagne+Website+Reszed.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615416022048-RRDNXO6SRTVD72LJJ59A/Champagne+hotel.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594940873885-4JENG965YO4MVRD05YTA/Lp-White.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615402280134-4AF7R25KIEFVZ9YS1IHD/TDF.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615416341674-37UQJQNZQ30NM06LJ0PW/TDF.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594941091616-D9Z162425XTJOM6KRDU8/Lp-White.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1601029190335-7C4OAIKBDQTW9BCBA7FP/DTS_Fine_Dining_Patrick_Chin_949.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615403143017-6M1D05B5435D6H28UWHN/champagnefrancegetty.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1598995171003-VXPR6K29YKQC8AFBDB5D/Michelin+Website-01.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595113904668-767GDTCT41WGAFSVT0HW/Aston-Martin-Black-Stages.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615416831599-JBI3BO31573M8Q1CSV7A/sartoria-breakfast-eggs-2018-web.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615416935093-H9O5D2HIQ4763NOBXO9S/champagnefrancegetty.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615404075434-HCBIKJB8MUQGDNGTJCP6/LP+Web.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593523182774-CPVKENZMTOA2ZJ260SYA/Workshop.png Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615417466868-9FO6KR20FLR76ODJ16AD/LP+Web.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621587181473-2W6XZI8926GLUWU7GNZ1/Royal+Champagne+Plate+copy.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615411727751-08JQHO2JV1EXSSSGW66Z/Itinerary+resize.jpg Itinerary Champagne https://www.journal.leblanq.com/itinerary-isle-of-wight daily 0.75 2021-10-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632838510793-O64TTX69B9YB0KTIVEX7/LeBlanq+IOW-3062.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight - YoUR WEEKEND, STAGE by STAGe Michelin-standard attention to detail applied to your weekend with Sir Brad on the Isle. Here’s how the stages unfold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595877582277-GXE6BNYWTW7HIMVD0Y5Z/Partner.png Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632838581796-GJNWAZ5WZYP31V0MUR90/LeBlanq%2BIOW-2505.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633704271439-SIGF0TJI0IBZRZO0E1YJ/NDC00982.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632838596032-JHR0YBYMM6G9PRIYQLUK/LeBlanq%2BIOW-2474.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633754798297-T1D51GNKCQ559LOPEG26/LeBlanq%2BIOW-2505.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633754741190-E683TNDMCC6BY73UTH4K/NDC00982.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633704317585-DB7YBPTMPUY5TMNL4A8J/LeBlanq+IOW-3279.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633704318468-PX52MT5XYHY2OQE5A68T/LeBlanq+IOW-2540.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633754577072-2PMXIFQC21TE2H1L2JYY/Food+1+Email.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633754576982-9FNVV5TCBJQJ8N6LGVQD/Claude+1+Email.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594941091616-D9Z162425XTJOM6KRDU8/Lp-White.png Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632832830900-E0CWZWRIPE45UM2ZBJCQ/LeBlanq+IOW-3075.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633755300935-H33HSN28RKHXVG5RVBA3/sartoria-breakfast-eggs-2018-web.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633755240794-23S2UINHFHCJV9Q9XT35/LeBlanq+IOW-3075.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593621788112-9Q976C6LMGIVTRKU1ZH5/Cafe-Cultura-2.png Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593621858199-E2KZJR24U4WB107UTXZM/Cafe-Cultura-2.png Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1593523182774-CPVKENZMTOA2ZJ260SYA/Workshop.png Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632838190209-YL2BAENZWA8KMZ53O8N1/LeBlanq+IOW-4028.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632838227639-HP0CI747F90ZUH40KUBV/_DSF2336%2B%25281%2529.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632838270250-3TNZI7AEG84A253RZHLD/LeBlanq%2BIOW-2684.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632826400556-6EZN1VE7J0UMC19VJ7B0/_DSF1149.jpg Itinerary Isle of Wight https://www.journal.leblanq.com/team-champagne daily 0.75 2021-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592264827038-8R8O6LBXKZ2MO3OT2DRK/Yates%2B-%2BTDF%2B94c.jpg Team Champagne - Directeur Sportif Sean Yates https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592264850649-L5XUKJA37V7ALBMG6URG/IMG_4361.jpg Team Champagne - Director Culinaire Ashley Palmer-Watts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592263274997-RHGDO06H1267DIP46MZP/Raymond-Blanc-1-High-Res.jpg Team Champagne - Lead Chef Raymond Blanc https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615406056859-2ZM21ESGPPST4V7PD43T/Eddy%25252B_%25252BWiggins13450.jpg Team Champagne - Lead Rider Eddy MErckx https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615408545232-MSSHHPI3D7IFH7734JPA/Raymond.jpg Team Champagne https://www.journal.leblanq.com/team-isle-of-wight daily 0.75 2021-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615414635773-SR4XUEHFO19AB3JQ8C6Z/Brad.jpg Team Isle of Wight - Lead Rider Sir Bradley Wiggins https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/f82d8d36-380e-44b7-894a-75ca09591e26/NDC04060.jpg Team Isle of Wight - LEAD RIDER JOHAN MUSEEUW https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/d678a66a-12d3-4a1d-9a98-faffdc453a38/Angela+Head+shot.jpg Team Isle of Wight - LEAD CHEF ANGELA HARTNETT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1597267510525-KJ5L9XVYZQQLIPQLJDUY/IMAGE-050.jpg Team Isle of Wight https://www.journal.leblanq.com/eddy-merckx daily 0.75 2021-03-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615460995657-AG9NZY0BEGDJC6XG3WWK/eddiemerx-051163.jpg Eddy Merckx As I walked like John Wayne across the lobby, of course, there he was by the lift: the mythical “Cannibal”, who previously had only existed to me in cycling history books and monochrome photographs. I spluttered my debonair first words: “Oh, you’re Eddy Merckx.” He gave a sympathetic smile to this sweating creature. I probably looked even more knackered than most of his adversaries after taking another trouncing. To his credit, he cheerfully obliged my wheezy small talk for a few minutes before I slunk up to my hotel room. Merckx. Like meeting him, that staccato name stops you in your tracks when mentioned. He is the man who won 525 races and bestrode cycling. Between 1970 and 1974, he ludicrously averaged two Grand Tours and three Classics wins a year. His voracious attitude and unprecedented success shook up cycling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615460815295-KDTW6DAKCDGX1LP4S69V/Eddie+Merckx.jpg Eddy Merckx - You don’t forget the first time you meet Eddy Merckx. For any fan of sport, let alone cycling, it is a momentous occasion. He is a hero, a living legend, the greatest. I got the opportunity at the Tour of Qatar in 2011. I wanted to be suave and offer witty conversation or clever questions. It didn’t work out quite like that. I returned to the hotel one evening from the most savage run of my life, taking a beating from a colleague far quicker than me. My legs were in agony, I was panting like a St. Bernard in a heatwave and sweating onto the marble floor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615461349127-GQIYXNG2FXQ58ZYA63DJ/Eddy-Merckx-Tour-1969-1.jpg Eddy Merckx Yet Eddy remains a down-to-earth, shy man who performed otherworldly feats on a bicycle. He must sometimes still wonder why is everyone so interested in me? Merckx’s unprecedented cycling achievements often obscure the depth of his appeal. A cold, ruthless Cannibal off the bike wouldn’t have retained quite as much admiration. The sporting feats made him a legend, but his character helps to sustain it. One last piece of advice: if you have the possibility of meeting Mr. Merckx, don’t go for a long run beforehand. Andy McGrath, Editor of Rouleur Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615461238778-I6TRS9BRLE4WRBOI4IBJ/OFS_Eddy_Merckx_1966_08_1024x1024.jpg Eddy Merckx - From the Moon landing to civil rights and Woodstock, his heyday coincided with the awakening of a generation. Sport enjoyed a thriving period too. It can’t be mere coincidence that several other epochal figures ruled their disciplines at the same time as Merckx, such as boxer Muhammad Ali, tennis player Rod Laver, golfer Jack Nicklaus and footballer Pelé. Beneath the myth and the predatory mindset, there is mystery to unravel; he was a serial doubter and a man motivated by fear of defeat. The camera always loved Eddy, even if rivals or French fans did not. He had the handsome intensity of a young Clint Eastwood. He was far more than a sportsman. The son of a Brussels greengrocer’s son became a symbol of unity and avuncular national treasure in divided Belgium. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615460641242-77LFUH077GORR2BDJK2V/OFS_Eddy_Merckx_04_190376_1024x1024.jpg Eddy Merckx https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615461160836-N7E55LJOISV4U2KQBUDN/merckx72-e1535647731189.jpg Eddy Merckx https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615461451732-ST5X160PX41730AB67RL/merckx_eddie_740720_ofs.jpg Eddy Merckx https://www.journal.leblanq.com/claude-bosi daily 0.75 2021-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621003654555-4BOFSJKRZXBCWG46TRBM/Screenshot+2021-02-17+at+15.29.24.png Claude Bosi - The UK has a lot to thank France for. As the birthplace of classical cooking, it has influenced and shaped our own cuisine in all sorts of ways. We should be especially grateful for Claude Bosi, who after earning his stripes in the kitchens of Paris and Lyon, decided to come to the UK to develop his style and further his career. It’s hard to tell whether he knew just how successful he’d be when he arrived on our shores seventeen years ago. Growing up in central Lyon meant there were plenty of good restaurants for Claude to choose from, but it was his parents’ bistro that gave him his first taste of cooking. “My mother cooked while my father worked front of house. It was a plat du jour setup, with two starters, two mains, two desserts and some cheese on the menu – all very simple. I was very, very lucky to be able to avoid school dinners and go home to have a proper lunch every day instead.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615462653701-LDIM56OPX19OUDGF621D/Screenshot+2021-02-04+at+16.32.02.png Claude Bosi But this didn’t mean he knew he was going to be a chef from day one. Claude came to the point in his life when he needed to decide what to do and simply chose chef because he’d seen what it was like for himself. “I was never that good at school – I kept out of trouble but never really excelled. So when I was in a position where I needed to decide what I wanted to do, I chose to be a chef and go to catering college when I was fourteen.” He obviously had natural talent, however, as he completed his apprenticeship at Leon de Lyon, a two Michelin-starred restaurant, before going back and forth between Paris and Lyon (as well as six months in the Caribbean) to work in some of the country’s best kitchens. These included L’Arpège, where he worked under Alain Passard and helped the restaurant gain its third Michelin star, and the legendary Restaurant Alain Ducasse, where he worked for a year. Claude soon felt the need to spread his wings and set his sights on England. “I wanted to travel and to start learning the language. Also, England isn’t very far away from France – if it all went wrong I could always get the train home.” He made the move to England in 1998 at the age of twenty-four to work as a sous chef at Overton Grange, a small restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire. He was promoted to head chef within months, and in January 1999 the restaurant received a Michelin star. In 2000, Claude left to open his own restaurant, Hibiscus, in the same town and won a Michelin star just nine months later. In 2004 it won its second star, and Claude was well on the way to culinary stardom. However, he felt the need to move somewhere bigger than the sleepy market town of Ludlow but didn’t want to lose Hibiscus, something he’d worked so hard for. So in 2007, instead of opening somewhere new, he decided to relocate the restaurant to the capital – despite risking his hard-earned stars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615463035486-HYP0ROP0TUKRBUDJRERX/INTERVIEW-ClaudeBosi01.jpg Claude Bosi It took Claude another two years until he was completely satisfied with his cooking style. “It’s only in the past five years I’ve really become happy with what I’m doing and know exactly what I want to do. I’ve had Hibiscus for fifteen years; for the first eleven I was cooking good food but I can’t say it truly represented my style. It’s only now that I have it the way I wanted it to be.” “My style these days is very similar to what it’s always been like, but before there was a lot of complicated things on the plate which I’ve now taken off. I went to Japan in 2008 and it was only there that I truly understood how important produce is. You always think you know, but in Japan, it really hits you in the face. Ever since then I have had a new approach to cooking; get the finest produce and cook it as best you can.” In 2012, Claude changed the look and feel of Hibiscus - “It used to be a bit stuffy and traditional, and I wanted somewhere for people to relax and where the service is friendly.” To better reflect his approach to food, he built a development kitchen in the basement - “so we no longer have to treat the diners as guinea pigs for some of our dishes”. The menu was also given a revamp. “We began focusing on two or three ingredients and made sure they were the best quality and absolutely bursting with flavour. It might have looked simple – someone might see a piece of fish and some puree and wonder why it is worthy of two stars, but to hell with them; it’s what we do. If it’s the best fish you can get and you make sure the flavours go together, then it will be perfect. I want people to see the simplicity in my cooking.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615463075757-8HRIESN5JJJ6Y9GWVTUV/bosipass%2B%25281%2529.jpg Claude Bosi - “I wanted a new challenge.” “London is one of the great cities of the world and I’d always dreamed of owning a restaurant there. I never really thought about losing the stars until I’d already moved the restaurant, but if I’d have thought it was a risk I would never have done it. You shouldn’t base things on stars, but I thought if we were good enough to get them in Ludlow then there was no reason we wouldn’t get them here. We just had to work very hard.” The move was stressful and the Michelin inspectors only had two weeks after the restaurant opened to reassess Hibiscus, which meant the rating dropped down to one star in 2008. However, it regained its second star in 2009, an incredible feat and a testament to how talented and hardworking Claude and his team are. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615463652204-5MA2HAL2A2IBDV9Q4FIR/image-3.jpg Claude Bosi - In 2016, THE NEXT CHALLENGE PRESENTED ITSELF. Breathing new life into the iconic Bibendum, a beautiful airy restaurant housed in the old Michelin headquarters in central London. Almost exactly a year later he was awarded two Michelin stars, a rare feat for any chef. It's here that Claude seems to have finally found his home, serving the food he always wanted to cook that's full of classical influences but still showcases his inimitable style. The dining room is flooded with natural light, making it one of the most beautiful places to enjoy a top-quality meal in the capital. Many of Claude’s contemporaries believe he deserves a third Michelin star, and it can’t be too far from his mind when the results are released every year. But Claude says he is focused on other things. “I’m hoping for all sorts, but keeping busy is my main goal. It’s that humble sense of focus which means a third star can’t be far away. Here’s to 2021, a year on the up.” Written by Great British Chefs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615462268131-GGD92A4D41RTJUMD6I2M/img52929.1423x711.jpg Claude Bosi https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615462689581-0GW28RN06T28JBJIYZ2M/image.jpg Claude Bosi https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615463110470-NH05AD6WPVX9C2LWX15A/claude-bosi-dish2-squarer.jpg Claude Bosi https://www.journal.leblanq.com/journal daily 1.0 2023-06-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615012510188-SC6GC4JZPZI51NCED1UR/Eggs.jpg Journal - RECIPE UOVA PURGATORIO https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609475426385-8G5JT2BDK3F1GCB2BLVO/PHOTO-2020-12-23-14-37-52.jpg Journal - Ashley Palmer-Watts Christmas cocktails https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618333273149-32UVP8H3WDU8Y7HGGN6A/1975_B_W_Gent_Track_Eddy_MERCKX_%2528B%2529_Patrick_SERCU_%2528B%2529_PhSpt.jpg Journal - MERCKX MOMENTS EPISODE 4: Gent 6 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609475110692-SR1FO97494NEHV0VEPOX/WATSON_00003683-012.jpg Journal - joyride leader Joanna Rowsell MBE - Hero of 2020 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1630402613050-HM20KL9XHEEZ39DHOIMN/_DSF1516.jpg Journal - JOYRIDE Guide: Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619410782337-0Q0PTGPVEYVG6Q19K7H1/OFS_Eddy_Merckx_03_120470.jpg Journal - Merckx Moments Episode 6: Paris-Roubaix https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616942839744-47M7VV0ETMK3BJ5LNJ2B/Merckx_1972_OFS.jpg Journal - Merckx Moments Episode 2: Hour Record https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617613662800-OK749WM39YWTXP67R40K/Thevenet_04_1975_OFS.jpg Journal - MERCKX MOMENTS EPISODE 3: 1975 Tour de France https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616090244143-RPOC19EFUII9Q0MBSDE8/LeBlanq%252BStill%252BLife_04.jpg Journal - MERCKX MOMENTS EPISODE 1: SEAN’s BIKE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623312261737-07YD8M925KHEROO4LBU1/_DSF9782.jpg Journal - JOYRIDE GUIDE: SURREY HILLS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609475615054-FPWQYBLDE7BR3K9YK9QY/_DSF3608-2.jpg Journal - Joyride Leader Rory Townsend Tokyo 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621965949271-TPZ4CVV31133MXL91TZK/_DSF8776.jpg Journal - SORREL TASTE TEST RIDE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618768605105-U7HLJB0C857LNDG5OMP0/OFS_Eddy_Merckx_1969_10.jpg Journal - MERCKX MOMENTS EPISODE 5: 1969 TOUR DE FRANCE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1687937897596-77KFF2K2NEQLDSYW1TL4/RYELAWWW-2.png Journal https://www.journal.leblanq.com/seans-bike daily 0.75 2021-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616077338282-TLW4X0P51HSARCVKFW1Q/LeBlanq+Still+Life_04.jpg Seans Bike https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616089657995-PQAT7YHQOBJRUVK77Y5S/LeBlanq+Still+Life_07.jpg Seans Bike https://www.journal.leblanq.com/hour-record daily 0.75 2021-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616077338282-TLW4X0P51HSARCVKFW1Q/LeBlanq+Still+Life_04.jpg Hour Record https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616163068704-EBFFKM3FEKOTEELTGX8M/merckx72-e1535647731189.jpg Hour Record https://www.journal.leblanq.com/workshop daily 0.75 2021-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616333405270-JQJUG7NXAE87FJ3R81R5/8.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616332519825-FLQ1OKWYWO0MBFOREP5I/1.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616332671101-XH31HWK91N5MP150YUCI/3.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616332697396-ZJ8S7TVU53553V79FMXI/4.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616332727874-SE9K0COH0J0KL9EJD3KN/5.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616333423565-257R0AZBOJBQ2T2DW4H1/9.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616404672000-VJZ6OD9Y8XYGMXC0DEZ3/LB%2BStep%2B3.jpg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616333366202-E281DYQJOLZ7JUALX5DT/7.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616333348872-N32ADM01654SYUZ7A25J/66.jpeg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616332464403-XHPLTIK476LLCFNKJFE6/_DSF0312.jpg Workshop Brewalong https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616334982613-T9V47OW7W03OQLVD7YIV/upload-606b25f0-e40e-11e8-898d-6fdc646529aa.jpg Workshop Brewalong https://www.journal.leblanq.com/harvey-nichols daily 0.75 2021-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/be284f95-a681-4ac0-a1ed-45b2626c28e2/HarveyNichols_logo_Bristol+correct+logo+with+vectors+-01.png Harvey Nichols https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616288855688-KHGE5TNT0HB1KSPO9R3R/Home_Hero_Graphic_v3.png Harvey Nichols https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1609871610856-AATYV6IBP4VDSH7ML8CC/_DSF3519.jpg Harvey Nichols https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615327367699-6EKB10RWB86FXSQVU4UY/LeBlanq+Still+Life_10+2.jpg Harvey Nichols https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623057292062-PC8JDEHC7VJL4HXWOXUK/Surrey+Hills+Header.jpg Harvey Nichols https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617886263530-8ZZMJ3IMHIFK14G8Q1DQ/AdobeStock_267989472.jpg Harvey Nichols - 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Waiting List https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg IOW - Waiting List https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg IOW - Waiting List https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg IOW - Waiting List https://www.journal.leblanq.com/sorrel-waitlist daily 0.75 2021-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg Sorrel Waitlist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg Sorrel Waitlist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg Sorrel Waitlist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg Sorrel Waitlist https://www.journal.leblanq.com/1975-tour-de-france daily 0.75 2021-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616077338282-TLW4X0P51HSARCVKFW1Q/LeBlanq+Still+Life_04.jpg 1975 Tour de France https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617612379612-F5FLYV61G0A02TTDWPL1/Thevenet_04_1975_OFS.jpg 1975 Tour de France https://www.journal.leblanq.com/team-scotland daily 0.75 2022-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1592264850649-L5XUKJA37V7ALBMG6URG/IMG_4361.jpg Team Scotland - DIRECTEUR CULINAIRE Ashley Palmer-Watts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/5ce649c4-2e4e-46fb-8f42-e57bd53f9df5/Tom_Kitchin_July_2016_010.jpg Team Scotland - LEAD CHEF Tom Kitchin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617745934099-59F4QZXDS1YGBKQ2PBLZ/DSC_7003.jpg Team Scotland - LEAD RIDER Sir CHRIS HOY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617746668752-OX47DX74ZUX2H035AIBT/craig_mcdearmid_001.jpeg Team Scotland https://www.journal.leblanq.com/destination-scotland daily 0.75 2022-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556205425-Z3XAID44BEYRZ5HGR486/aimeeadam002.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556099916-O8SUO4VH6DGITHOUYNZP/drawing%2Broom%2B2.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556115585-OTFC886H6U5XR2SPQ37M/aimeeadam006.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556142964-0UZY12ZKQXQC5SRA36FT/mt%2B439.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556193918-EDY8AX34RRRB3269SF87/IMG_2255%2B-%2BCopy.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556176171-WE1IF6IVNCFPO13SVVFV/dusnkey%2B111.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556223068-RRT7JY8OY04GTY3PULRI/IMG_2242%2B-%2BCopy.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556512545-QJWKT7LN4JTY1W790ABC/_methode_sundaytimes_prod_web_bin_deb5de38-05c0-11ec-ab20-2ce30c912e38.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556529510-T6MST09CIZDUN8Q7YVK2/dunskey%2B30.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556543412-CCWSL6G7ML6XJY8WOYNM/Dunskey%2BDecember%2B15.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556554081-Z95HQ1LISQYWWTVAHLGO/anneandali016.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556567492-OK5JHFEOP0GL52LPICOX/IMG_20200503_204712.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556829544-FH6UZLJTQQA7VW0D6KL7/food_078.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617789097794-5SX9BP2PABBEQ4ZEVK9B/Langoustines.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556840900-TQ2XBZ61GM0VMZCL7TLF/dunskey%2Bfood%2B33.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556854211-ZHN9AKMREE8ZJ7EWFKML/dunskey%2Bfood%2B64.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638555794976-S0V80TNGAS39POXWSV9Y/Drone+4.jpg Destination Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1638556360455-3A9XDDXSW7B7FBEU6G05/dusnkey+319.jpg Destination Scotland https://www.journal.leblanq.com/booking-scotland daily 0.75 2022-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617793592162-0L3GNBB6FOXRBFU7OG2E/DSC_7003.jpg Booking - Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617793566139-2H1A3TNVIZHKBH71OWWG/FRANMART_DunAluinn130.jpeg Booking - Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617793576296-QAQOJIXGFUL8D6IY3MUF/Dinner+GBC+Spring-9456.jpg Booking - Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617793662320-SZA13ARD4TDU9LZ7KXD5/Praying+Hands.jpeg Booking - Scotland https://www.journal.leblanq.com/scotland daily 0.75 2022-02-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639070712404-0LRXLS3R4G0NRNA9LGWT/COMP_DSF3450+%281%29.jpg Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1639071311859-07BM3PNFIY1CRU393NM3/TheKitchin-Edinburgh-Scotland-02.jpg Scotland - STAGES Learn More https://www.journal.leblanq.com/club-perthshire daily 0.75 2021-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617801939065-CRZ9FG6IXC4LK59O5ZFA/Dinner+GBC+Spring-9937R+esizedjpg.jpg Club Perthshire - STAGES Learn More https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617721559556-HO2APGYP9FIVE0A8GZK0/Screenshot+2021-04-06+at+16.04.47.jpg Club Perthshire https://www.journal.leblanq.com/steve-drake-bio daily 0.75 2021-04-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617978332136-JQ4RF29LFYNNIB2O2GRA/JF_2018_Mar_07_Telegraph%2BDeacon%2BSorrel_0118_beetroot.jpg Steve Drake Bio - Steve Drake Aged 17, Steve left home in Essex for London to become an apprentice at The Ritz. Thereafter he worked in some of the best kitchens in the country for Chefs such as Marco Pierre White and Nico Ladenis. Age 28, Steve won the Roux Scholarship – widely considered the most prestigious, and technically challenging, cooking competition in the UK – and shortly after he gained a Michelin Star in his first position as Head Chef at Drake’s on the Pond in Surrey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617978464396-OMMMHOPU0NVQN4TYJ07E/107-Paul-Judd-Food-Photography-PRINTREADY-sorrel-JULY2018-difference-coffee.jpg Steve Drake Bio Sorrel is the third restaurant to have earned Steve a Michelin Star. Opened in 2017, it won the AA Restaurant of the Year Award the following year. Sorrel has also been shortlisted for GQ Restaurant of the Year, long-listed for the World Restaurant Awards and received its fourth AA Rosette recognising it as ‘among the top restaurants in the UK, where the cooking demands national recognition’. Sorrel also features in ‘50 Best Discovery’ following its nominations in ‘World’s 50 Best’, one of the most prestigious global, expert-recommended guides to restaurants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617978638690-3SEI3QU3PP779UL2MVFD/Photo%2B29-03-2021%252C%2B09%2B33%2B12.jpg Steve Drake Bio “Steve Drake’s restaurant Sorrel in Dorking (a market town with chocolate-box charm) is currently the county’s hottest restaurant with the most exciting ‘discovery’ menu” CondeNast Traveller January 2021 “Don’t be fooled by the simple descriptions as these belie the complexity of the techniques used in his creative modern dishes, where flavours, textures and temperatures come together in perfect harmony.” Michelin Guide 2021 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617978698387-I1KGBJYZG6LPCGR297NG/Photo%2B29-03-2021%252C%2B09%2B40%2B17.jpg Steve Drake Bio Steve immediately understood our ‘mise en place’ meets ‘marginal gains’ philosophy. Sorrel is conveniently nestled between Leith Hill and Box Hill, the perfect spot for London and Surrey’s cyclo-foodies, and the obvious choice for our Surrey Joyride in May with Joanna Rowsell and Adam Blythe. “In the kitchen, we aim to constantly develop our ideas, inspired by the best produce on offer.” - Steve Drake https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617978243166-JTZXM6IOOPPWO138R6FZ/Sorrel-VALENTINE%27SDAY-29.jpg Steve Drake Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617978521450-KOQ4DEGGJZMIHMWJZMVQ/JF_2018_Mar_07_Telegraph+Deacon+Sorrel_0133_blackberry.jpg Steve Drake Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1617979308757-BSP2UWLGUU5LZ7KG7773/SORREL+Chefs+at+Work.jpg Steve Drake Bio https://www.journal.leblanq.com/sir-chris-hoy-bio daily 0.75 2021-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618161934905-XTMOH5OKCBC6QFXSHFH5/Briton-Chris-Hoy.jpg Sir Chris Hoy Bio In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Chris took his first gold medal in the Kilo time trial - which was dropped from the Beijing Olympics and forced him to switch and adapt for the Sprint, Team Sprint and Keirin. I'd call this a blessing in disguise, as this transformed him from a one-dimensional kilo specialist into a sprint and keirin legend. The GB track cycling team dominated Beijing, winning 7 out of 10 gold medals on offer. 3 of which were won by Chris. Cycling covered the front pages, which kick-started a golden era for the sport in the UK. After Beijing, Chris became BBC Sports Personality of the year and was awarded a Knighthood in 2009. His mother received an MBE on the same day for services to nursing (a special family, indeed). 2012 capped off his professional cycling career. The opportunity to compete at a home Olympics is something not many athletes are lucky enough to experience. In 2012, Chris led Team GB into the stadium for the Opening Ceremony. A few days later, he won his record-breaking 5th and 6th gold medals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618161742117-OOHJ76GICTTJVHXZC7E6/Olympics-Day-6-Cycling-Track.jpg Sir Chris Hoy Bio Sir Chris Hoy MBE is a ruthless competitor of the highest level. However, he has a unique ability to neutralise his status and make you feel like his equal, which sounds ridiculous, seeing as he is the most decorated track cyclist in the world. Between 2013-2019 I worked within Sky's cycling sponsorship team. During this period, I had the honour to work with Britain's greatest. Meeting my heroes was never a letdown. Sir Bradley Wiggins carries the ora of a rock star, Geraint Thomas has cheeky charm, Joanna Rowsell has thought-provoking intelligence. I'm not trying to brag, I'm just trying to demonstrate how special it feels to be in the company of Sir Chris Hoy. Perhaps this is due to his humble upbringing? Sir Chris started on a secondhand kids bike that his parents bought at a jumble sale for a fiver. He started racing BMX at the age of 7 - hooked on speed, adrenaline, and competition. Chris had his first taste of Olympic success at Sydney in 2000, with a silver medal in the Team Sprint. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618161977393-EYFHP3AWDO90RUR4NT8U/Chris-Hoy.jpg Sir Chris Hoy Bio Chris is the most elite, non-elitist person I have ever encountered. You always turn up with a bit of stage fright when you meet your heroes. For example, I once took a ride in the Team Wiggins car during the 2015 Tour of Britain. DS, Simon Cope handed me a bottle to pass out the window to Brad. My hands were shaking so much that Brad had to catch the bloody thing with all the skill of a Jonny Wilkinson receiving the ball before his 2003 World Cup Winning drop-kick. However, within 30 seconds of meeting Chris, I felt at complete ease. I could be myself without nervously stumbling over my words or saying something ridiculous. We shook hands and shared a flapjack in a car park before riding and filming together. Chris had just got back from a trip to Mallorca, so we chatted about one of our mutual favourite climbs on the island, Sa Calobra. I felt like I was talking to an old friend. Sir Chris is not just the most successful track cyclist - ever, or Great Britain's joint-most successful Olympic athlete of all time. He is a family man and a mental health advocate. To me, this is how a real champion conducts themselves. They give back more than they put in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618149812645-OLDI1X3A0J7SROPR761D/FRANMART_DunAluinn208.jpg Sir Chris Hoy Bio I can't wait for our guests to meet Chris and experience what I’m talking about, to share conversations, listen to his fascinating stories, break bread, and ride side-by-side in the stunning Perthshire Highlands. On a personal level, I cannot wait to meet him again. This time, we won't be sharing flapjacks in a car park. We'll be dining on the world-class wares of Ashley Palmer-Watts in the award-winning contemporary manor house, Dunn Aluinn. The coming together of Sir Chris Hoy and Ashley Palmer-Watts is a genuine world-class combination. With this level of intimacy. It's going to be unforgettable. Gareth Winter, LeBlanq Digital Content Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618149592686-YW4HYSN3NDB481401OP5/HOY-BANNER.jpg Sir Chris Hoy Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618162165867-JG25L5YYEB7YQ5C0GH7I/chris-hoy3.jpeg Sir Chris Hoy Bio https://www.journal.leblanq.com/gent-6 daily 0.75 2021-04-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616077338282-TLW4X0P51HSARCVKFW1Q/LeBlanq+Still+Life_04.jpg GENT 6 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618332854468-PWJ8JQBQYKX0N6V2IN7I/1975_B_W_Gent_Track_Eddy_MERCKX_%28B%29_Patrick_SERCU_%28B%29_PhSpt.jpeg GENT 6 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/scotland-wait-list daily 0.75 2021-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618391109922-HGHEGHTQERYUZ6T48Q2B/8628349140_9b37980e25_c.jpg Scotland Wait list https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618391116460-62O93NOEH3U7UKNRF98R/Dinner+GBC+Spring-9456.jpg Scotland Wait list https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618391132377-VB4PANVXWD5SGMFF8ZZV/FRANMART_DunAluinn130.jpeg Scotland Wait list https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618391173788-IKDOZC41VMS5INU23M04/Dining-at-Dun-Aluinn-with-Ballintaggart-Farm.jpeg Scotland Wait list https://www.journal.leblanq.com/1969-tour-de-france daily 0.75 2021-04-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616077338282-TLW4X0P51HSARCVKFW1Q/LeBlanq+Still+Life_04.jpg 1969 Tour de France https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1618768020518-W9O602V0W8M0D6TRP5HY/OFS_Eddy_Merckx_1969_10.jpg 1969 Tour de France https://www.journal.leblanq.com/preparation-plans daily 0.75 2022-02-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619354108218-8ZTI9S9PUSSUM6U7C26P/02_TEMPO.jpg Preparation Plans - Improve efficiency 75-82% of Max HR Sweat on your brow, but everything is under control. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619354322037-8NSKJCTM646YVLN60RTC/04_LACTATE+ACID.jpg Preparation Plans - Push Threshold Up 82-89% of Max HR You know that slight burning feeling? Yes, that’s just lactic acid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619353874617-TLMRY77KHGEODK5PABUX/00_RECOVERY.jpg Preparation Plans - Regeneration & Recovery <65% of Your Max Heart Rate “Piano, piano.” Think of recovery as sunbathing on two wheels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619354739270-UKDBQT7DW2YARJQEUKTZ/06_ANAEROBIC.jpg Preparation Plans - Increase maximum power output >94% of Max HR This is more like doing leg-press in the gym than cycling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619353992267-H6TQWRQFL704MASGOW82/01_ENDURANCE.jpg Preparation Plans - Establish base endurance 65-75% of Max HR Optimum joyride pace. You can chat along and ride like this all day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619354203117-CC40U1HIBAUAN27U7BBG/03_SWEET+SPOT.jpg Preparation Plans - Improve sustainable power 82-85% of Max HR Perhaps bitter-sweet would be a better description? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619354470020-4CSLVZQZAQYPXBXJLJ50/05_VO2.jpg Preparation Plans - Sustain a high percentage of maximal aerobic power 89-94% of Max HR Everything hurts. But it’s a good hurt. You know it’s making you stronger. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619354850341-ANA8P0WZULMZQ0VE7JUF/07_SUPRA+MAXIMAL.jpg Preparation Plans - Increase sprint power output N/A We like to call this the ‘Hoy’ zone. Full gas. Empty the afterburners. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649952575-AF57WMHWYD1EYYCMIZJJ/MD-01.jpg Preparation Plans https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1644509558348-4QXRHBJQFVUQ1N3P6GJ1/NDC06092-12+%282%29.png Preparation Plans - Terminology guide: WU: Warm Up CD: Cool Down RPE: Rate of Perceived Exertion - how hard you are working based on a basic scale of effort from 1 – 10, (see below). Cad: Cadence expressed in Revolutions Per Minute (rpm). This will vary depending on the session objective and your natural rhythm. Strength would be typically below 75rpm. Zone: Progressive Preparation zone based on effort/heart rate percentage is a guide to develop the body’s energy systems and tolerance to different preparation intensities. SS: Sweet Spot. This sits between zones 3 & 4 and provides the optimal point of effort to create adaptation without overly fatiguing the body. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619185006008-V2GSJPHORF2I89N2HJI4/Sean+Yates+-+Chris+Boardman.jpeg Preparation Plans https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1645459596307-AWIOOCJI0KU87JVYSWKM/_DSF1532-01.jpg Preparation Plans https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1645459681910-RPB256ZM26BL0W998ZP5/MONANNIE-01.jpg Preparation Plans https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/b5fbc8c3-99be-4537-9304-9f55094eeb05/_DSF1284.jpg Preparation Plans https://www.journal.leblanq.com/paris-roubaix daily 0.75 2021-04-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1616077338282-TLW4X0P51HSARCVKFW1Q/LeBlanq+Still+Life_04.jpg Paris Roubaix https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1619410110243-QWU4W52OXMDIKQ5F0CFV/OFS_Eddy_Merckx_03_120470.jpg Paris Roubaix https://www.journal.leblanq.com/sorrel-taste-test-ride daily 0.75 2021-05-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621244447294-JR071S5TZAEZVS1Z6S36/_DSF9148.jpg Sorrel Menu We got drenched cycling to Dorking, but nothing could dampen our spirits on the way to see Steve Drake and his team at Sorrel Restaurant - to run through our Surrey Hills Joyride menu on the 30th of May. The warm reception we received erased all memory of the sopping wet descent from Ranmore Common into the town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621245062679-61TTK0KA7RBTMUB9V0K4/_DSF8327.jpg Sorrel Menu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621245164693-FDPBA4R4RRW3JUA9X8P4/_DSF8457.jpg Sorrel Menu Steve introduced us to Head Chef Ashley Chapman and Sous Chef Tom Cane, who shared the process and story behind each dish in our menu. "Mise en place meets marginal gains." - a phrase we like to throw around at LeBlanq. The team had prepared an astonishing number of components, green coffee bean oil, smoked egg yolk, black garlic gel, dried scallops, confit San Marzano tomatoes, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621245833404-T1QJAJ90UC5LNLWO3I7Y/_DSF8493.jpg Sorrel Menu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621245491376-X0V6Y6O7CSEM8I6PJE6E/_DSF8437.jpg Sorrel Menu I could live off tomtoes, panzanella salads, chunks of bread dipped in marinara, arrabbiata, parmigiana, bruscetta. However, since visiting Tuscany last year to ride the Strade Bianche, I haven't tasted anything close to the quality of the tomatoes picked each day from the land we stayed on... until now. Firstly, the San Marzano tomatoes are slowly cooked at a low temperature in the oven, then covered in oil, icing sugar, salt, garlic and thyme. I won't give away all of their secrets, but the result forms a kind of tapenade for one of Sorrel's asparagus dishes and is also strained to create a 'tomato tea', served with crusty dark sourdough and fresh Irish butter with salt flakes. Heaven. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621246526952-52RIR4J7EENC8LXJC1JM/_DSF8632.jpg Sorrel Menu Steve Drake fills the kitchen with contagious energy. There's absolutely no pretentiousness inside the walls of Sorrel. Everyone is treated as equals. The importance of each role is understood, valued, and this recognition keeps the plates spinning. Today was a menu run-through before our Surrey Joyride, so there was an element of experimentation. Steve and Ash plated a few dishes in different ways to see which one was most pleasing to the eye. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621265925513-R88IH1O6L05WHSG4PJ7H/_DSF8776.jpg Sorrel Menu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621265833640-NUXAQ91J8GSRYX85WVX7/_DSF8709.jpg Sorrel Menu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621246376426-FWZ7WIDQ6MM3RWSI79XM/_DSF9023.jpg Sorrel Menu If I could, I'd take this entire container home with me and dig until my spoon hit bottom, then I'd mop the sides with sourdough. It's that good. Sous Chef, Tom, talked us through the process of each dish - from source, preparation, method, to plate. His passion and articulation was a joy to receive. Tom, please get yourself on TV. I could watch and listen to you all day. Head Chef, Ashley, took control of the kitchen by carefully coaching and explaining to the younger or newer members of the team. He kept the morale high and the ship steering on course. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621263168996-9625GG97D2WIL3X5VEWR/_DSF8934.jpg Sorrel Menu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621263122115-MXQBASJU9ZDO3QDR8NJ7/_DSF8903.jpg Sorrel Menu The flavour journey of this dish was spectacular. The umami taste of the dark 'Lie du vin' sauce, the earthy sweetness of the smoked broccoli, the buttery soft turbot and the salty crunch of the nori. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621264864446-4WAKMSACQI3QV8TWN9M8/_DSF8944.jpg Sorrel Menu - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621264661353-Q4EOF33YQC09365CZ10H/_DSF8948.jpg Sorrel Menu Our first joyride of the year is going to be unforgettable. Now to cycle back home in the rain. After such a great experience, I'm not even bothered. Bring it on. Gareth Winter LeBlanq Digital Content Manager https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621244298836-ULQQ6MBCH1CPOGPX87N9/_DSF8436.jpg Sorrel Menu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621245397590-J1EX7IGWOO71JVNROY6J/_DSF8467.jpg Sorrel Menu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621246193925-4VLBF7JJCHW3YZLJLIH4/_DSF8866.jpg Sorrel Menu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621246805220-RAKHPL7PZ2613RAM5CXV/_DSF8915.jpg Sorrel Menu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1621264968332-TMXPETWXDIL1MINFGQQB/_DSF9105.jpg Sorrel Menu https://www.journal.leblanq.com/joyride-guide-surrey-hills daily 0.75 2021-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622275237274-4J7AAVT0ZDEPD4JI5WI5/DevelopmentRide21-3.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622275173835-NMNAW7HCHNNBVZLSXYVN/December+Cafe-20.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills Giro Cycles in Esher has long been the caffeinating hub for Surrey and London cyclists, who are escaping to the Hills. Their expert baristas pull perfect shots of Workshop Coffee all day long and swirl graceful latte art with smother technique than Sir Brad Wiggins pedal stroke. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622275626496-CJH8X4IJ298HN0TBRMY4/Reopening-13.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills Giro's cakes, porridge and pastries are perfect for carb-loading or as a post-ride reward. If you're looking for something more substantial, their Avo toast is creamy, zesty and sits on a bed of artisan sourdough. There is something for everyone, but more importantly, it's a place where all cyclists are welcome and celebrated. Cycling is a social affair. Giro organises regular shop rides to connect like-minded people in the local community. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622281463660-15CTLJ3GA6O85DOZUX6F/_DSF3646-2+copy.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622281437606-Y0QUF4L57I3MM54SROSQ/unnamed.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills Nest is a quintessentially English café nestled in the village of Ripley, with charming teapots and chinaware. Nest became the café of choice for the 2012 Olympic Road Cycling team while staying in the Olympic holding camp in neighbouring Foxhills. Sir Brad, Cav, Ian Stannard, David Millar, Froomie, Lizzie Deignan, Emma Pooley, etc., all sipped cappuccinos on the terrace on training rides, before the race came through the village. There's even a picture of Cav hanging in the toilet. Lovely. Our friend, pro cyclist Rory Townsend can often be found at Nest and highly recommends their brownies. To plan a ride around a brownie is a perfectly ordinary thing to do, right? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622465784290-20F5PY9CDU547R22J2QZ/_DSF0151.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills With Workshop Coffee to kick start the day, Veloforte nutrition to power everyone forward, the sun on our faces and gentle breeze on our backs - it was a day we won’t forget easily. Everyone enjoyed racing Adam Blythe up the climbs, the poor man had no rest and certainly earned a Michelin-starred feast at Sorrel Restaurant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622465499518-X1VNYRTUPA6D01ZX53EF/_DSF0083.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622465621396-K9YGNIQSNHJMY54VOGUI/_DSF9970.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622735291103-0KF28Z149L2ZPS1THR0T/LEBLANQ+X+MICHELIN.png Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622465435006-JFJ17V78MJAQ30RMVGD0/_DSF0039.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Surrey Joyride We’ve had the coldest May in 25 years, but we timed our Surrey Joyride perfectly for the delayed British Summer. The sun was shining, and Surrey looked greener than ever. Joyride Leader Monica Dew couldn’t believe her eyes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622706816184-EZY7PHR3ZS39PN8EN588/FF3EE1A7-0D01-4482-9AFD-925E8EB496B5-1.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - DESCEND INTO DECADENCE Beaverbrook is nestled at the bottom of the descent from Box Hill to Leatherhead - a quintessentially English Country House estate imbued with a romance and style that pays tribute to its glamorous past. Whether you’re dressing up to celebrate or dressing down to unwind, the elegant surroundings have every indulgence to help you unwind: spa, bars, restaurants and grounded hot air balloon dining, cinema, wine discovery, masterclasses and tours, cooking school, gym, gardens, and even e-bikes if you haven’t quite had your fill of riding, but your legs are saying “no”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622706867333-S5VG0T7OE7IQJUURTU9S/1b5de893-d20f-4b2d-9434-fde5da5578ae.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622705497615-LYKAP8W4DIZAUC9EZTD4/Beaverbrook_Aug19_028.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622704149187-NF34MQVHP4A3L34LSQO7/7ae5a1a7-55d3-4dab-ab35-30970ea7480b.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Michelin Plate Beaverbrook is full of places to dine and drink. The Japanese Grill is our personal favourite. MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View: “Have a drink in the elegant bar of this historic country house before heading for the delightful dining room with its bold décor, impressive ceiling and huge windows overlooking the estate. Extensive Japanese menus mix the classic with the modern, and flavours are appealing.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622706384753-SJILGQ5G3O86CAEURV65/Screenshot+2021-06-03+at+05.48.07.png Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622695441933-0JJPOYXFUY3Z9M9XSGLE/1621248656616.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622485074566-RQ52ZMTQFZ5OF9CXD7HV/_DSF8915.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622302204787-LIVNLCKZ77DH5KY6XHDY/_DSF8934.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - 1 Michelin-star Steve Drake and his team at Sorrel Restaurant in Dorking played host to our Surrey Joyride. The 40-cover restaurant is situated in a 300-year-old building and focuses on seasonal modern British tasting menus - artisan cooking with multifaceted influences. Perhaps we are a little biased as it’s our favourite restaurant in the area, so here’s the Michelin Guide’s point of view: “Dorking is home to this delightful restaurant, named after the chef-owner’s favourite herb. Sit on the cosy ground floor or in the intimate upstairs room, where beams divide the area into three, and a glass-walled kitchen provides a modern contrast. Having worked in the area for many years, Steve Drake understands what the locals are looking for. He has also built great relationships with the local producers and suppliers, and their seasonal ingredients form the backbone of his menus. Don’t be fooled by the simple descriptions, as these belie the complexity of the techniques used in his creative modern dishes, where flavours, textures and temperatures come together in perfect harmony. If you want to know more about how each dish was crafted, ask one of the keen young team.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622518895477-SFRUNLDGXFZC4AEK7J3I/_DSF0464.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622302654647-V0MEK0YI4UEQ4MV120MV/_DSF8897.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622483828329-I8HELTPN9XPBEQ1K68XZ/_DSF0439.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills Quote by Joanna. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622779464483-YCMXJ162H6GAZ37JUSWD/_DSF0535.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622520569894-LTU77A3IU85FBDFQO50A/menu3.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622520682778-30N6FA5Y8U5NE8OJKT5H/menu2.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622520386671-JRK19D3TSHBQXAT7OLYW/event1.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Bib Gourmand Originally a 16th-century Almshouse (a charitable form of self-sufficient, low-cost community housing), The Anchor became a cycling ‘mecca’ in the 1870s as cycling became popular. Cyclists referred to the London to Portsmouth road as the ‘Ripley Road’. On Whit Sunday 1894, the police estimate 20,000 cyclists passed through Kingston on their way to Ripley. It’s no coincidence that such a fine, flavourful, filling and well-priced pub is still a second home to hungry cyclists. The Michelin Guide’s point of view: “Despite its name, this pub is nowhere near the water. At 400 years old, it retains an appealingly rustic feel, but it also has a modern edge and a friendly, laid-back vibe. Cooking is full of flavour, with enticing snacks on offer alongside good value modern dishes of local ingredients.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622520614339-LHSUKKV8P5S7F24SGP6E/LNR_SAH_310117TheAnchorRipley13.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622521195143-HKIKSEE12ST9K6E9O5AB/Queens%2BHead%2B_Image%2B005.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Michelin Plate The pub is named after Queen Anne, a pretty ordinary British monarch who ruled for a short period. Throughout her life she only had one hobby, eating and drinking - a fitting name. The Queen’s Head is a cosy, warm and quintessentially English pub with a leafy garden, that serves seasonal and wholesome British food using top-quality ingredients. Michelin Guide’s point of view: “Look out for the unusual steeply sloping, red-tiled mansard roof of this smartly refurbished 18C coaching inn. You’ll find drinkers in the front bar, tables spread about the place and, out the back, a decked terrace and garden. Classic pub dishes take on a refined style and cooking is fresh and unfussy.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622521342167-51QW0LW4I6BI1EDBJ7O0/Credit-Milly-Fletcher%2B15.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622465032702-2WKNWSDTQ9HMTDQCR3W2/_DSF9672-2.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills Is Destination Bike a café or a bike shop? Does it matter? Cycling and Café Cultura go hand in hand. Destination Bike sits atop Box Hill, Surrey’s most iconic climb, but certainly not the toughest. Run by James Dear, an old friend of our Directeur Sportif, Sean Yates. Purveyors of fine classic and modern bikes and handy mechanics, if you need a mid-ride tune-up, spare inner tube, coffee or some Veloforte pocket fuel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622732939563-VH9SOLQFMECRFKQ4U62J/_DSF9760.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622733069409-S7AXB4JMX5V9JP7BEC06/_DSF9772.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622733128378-CSZJP8T7PFW4QF5DO4EM/_DSF9762.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills Enjoy wine tastings, great food, long walks on Denbies many acres, guided tours, and the farm shop. The climb from Denbies to Ranmore Common starts on a white road among the vines, then twists and turns through a tunnel of trees before revealing a hillside suntrap with neat rows of vines basking in the light. It’s possibly Surrey’s most beautiful climb. The views are stunning and it’s hard to believe you are in the UK. The climb has two gates which are open on weekends, you just have to dismount and open them if closed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622732434354-92E3TMQ6TK7TKP7F8RRN/Screenshot+2021-06-03+at+15.56.30.png Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Vineyard vacation Denbies Vineyard Hotel is located in the heart of Denbies Wine Estate with outstanding views across the 265-acre estate and rolling hills. Offering 17 ensuite rooms with a new Vineyard Restaurant and bar area. The original Farmhouse, built in the 1850s, has been newly renovated as part of the expansion into a vineyard hotel. Inspiration for the signature vine wallpaper is drawn from the Jane Austen House Museum, which dates back to 1805. On a warm summers day, it almost feels like you are in Bordeaux or Champagne. It’s a great place for a cycling staycation - and the start of our Joyride routes, so you don’t have to think about a thing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622732026927-9237I3JASEOH4PF71H91/118070255_3118258881555792_8089678483983641357_o.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623518137099-4F065X2XW9EE9986HZ2G/_DSF0759.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623518104430-0N16HP6TFJT7RPNLVM7F/_DSF0756.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills We recommend you visit Decamps Maison Gourmand armed with a musette bag, as you’ll want to take home a fresh baguette, a boule of sourdough and as many pastries as you can manage. Vincent Decamps provides baked goods to Sorrel, so it must be good with Steve Drake’s seal of approval. Vincent has done the bakers ‘Tour de France’ - learning from the best bakers of each region before developing his own recipes; none of which have any additives or preservatives, and are composed of wheat grown exclusively in France and stored without any pesticides. The humble loaf is fine fuel, indeed. You’ll find Vincent at Squires Cobham Market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings or if you want to enjoy a pastry and coffee with your ride companions, head over to Vincents French Cafe & Bar Brasserie at Pachesham Golf Club, or simply order online. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622275941530-ZDRB3WZALEZ7QIRKUTM4/G%21ROSPRING-12.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622281740606-U9Q8X1JUL0KPJ85XXGBW/ripley-village-surrey-36.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622290642192-LNQG7QC8GZ8UJ8XSLMZ1/_DSF7788.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622464767736-VALWLXQSMDKNN6YGO3DX/_DSF0403.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622465861314-G4Z1LB7ZBITW6M2K58UZ/_DSF0015.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622519483938-3DH9L9C1Q9QJODUSIC4H/_DSF0409.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622520815864-7TSQH2E43TU5IZBWFJFX/15369981_1496270900401464_5126978388487677235_o.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622521295867-0A8DYLRSMDXCW04IEK68/QH_100320_1475_AW.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622705969489-Z0HQEGLUTBQSV517L5EP/Misc-11-1-scaled.jpeg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622741865098-93R9WGESV8Q9738XQX8Z/_DSF9791.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622805121706-1O18ZHSUJNJNHMB68HJX/HEADER_DSF9782.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623517479846-N9IYTHAEHC83BNXRFUAU/_DSF0764.jpg Joyride Guide Surrey Hills https://www.journal.leblanq.com/earn-your-crust daily 0.75 2021-06-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623415372962-K2CN2IXLJMSMUF5ZS3NY/DSCF4375.jpg Earn Your Crust - A Boulangerie Rouleur In the hands of a master baker, bread is an art form (get bready for some crumby puns). Between 2013 and 2019, I worked within the sponsorship team of Team Sky. In March 2019, I flew to Monaco to film with Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome and Wout Poels for one last time before we hand-slung our sponsorship to Ineos. It was the end of an era. After filming and interviewing the riders, I borrowed a Pinarello and headed for the Col de Braus, a beautiful mountain that keeps rising. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623416299777-EOZL27INAZ5R95VKFS2S/IMG_2895.jpg Earn Your Crust - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623418135923-L8D5GOCAZ40AOWRWQQL1/IMG_2925.JPG Earn Your Crust After a long and emotional day of filming and riding in the Alpes-Maritimes, I was toasted. On the way back to my hotel in Nice, I stopped off at renowned Boulangerie Jean Marc Bordonnat for a fresh baguette. Then, I grabbed a ripe avocado, cream cheese, smoked salmon and salt flakes from the market, took them back to my hotel and devoured the lot while gazing out at the endless blues of the Côte d'Azur. It was the best baguette I have ever tasted - soft and airy inside, with a light, crunchy crust. The flavour was sour, savoury and sweet - absolute heaven, the kind of baguette you want to eat with lashings of fresh butter and salt flakes, nothing else (my terrible phone picture of a messy hotel coffee table doesn’t do it justice). During our wrap-party, we ate lobster, oysters, seafood platters, crème brûlée, but this baguette is still my culinary highlight of Nice. (If you are in the area, you must also visit Chez Pipo for some traditional socca, a regional speciality.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623419301481-P01PUIKXN3HV2FXIIQC7/_DSF0769.jpg Earn Your Crust I pedalled home, sliced into the baguette, and smothered it with Glastonbury butter. It transported me back to Nice. I was no longer in my kitchen. I was on the seafront of the French Riviera sharing a nectarine with Geraint Thomas, after riding through the Alpes-Maritimes. That's the power of food. It recalls and creates memories. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623419193649-E68HSU89KKQW6BC1J8QI/_DSF0759.jpg Earn Your Crust - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623419152910-H95Q8ZLWA4K2DX4SPUUX/_DSF0756.jpg Earn Your Crust I struggled to find bread of this quality in and around London. Few have come close, such as Olivers in Kingston Market (who make the best almond croissants in my book), until by chance, I cycled past the Saturday market at Squires garden centre in Oxshott, on my way back from the Surrey Hills. The stack of bread at De Camps Maison Gourmande's market stall caught my eye. I had to investigate. Luckily, I had a musette bag in my pocket. Vincent Decamps greeted me with enthusiasm and gave me the story behind each loaf. A baguette is the benchmark of any boulangerie, so I sandwiched one inside my musette along with a Napoleon sourdough paillassou and a stick of Glastonbury Farmhouse Butter traditionally churned with whey cream. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623474614304-YFZGVEQRXJCZUQJ14IJV/_DSF8495.jpeg Earn Your Crust Now, onto the Napoleon 48hr sourdough - a darker bread made with a combination of white and rye flour exclusively grown in France. A bread with this much flavour deserves a simple pairing. I chose buttery soft-scrambled eggs - my go-to post-ride breakfast as it has a great balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates (most importantly, it tastes great). After a bit of research, I discovered that Decamps provides baked goods to Michelin-starred Sorrel Restaurant in Dorking, our Surrey Joyride dining destination. On my first visit to Sorrel, Steve Drake and the team prepared a ‘tomato tea’, served with fresh sourdough and Irish butter. This dish highlighted how exceptional bread kneads fewer accompaniments. Why is Decamps bread so good? Because he has done the bakers ‘Tour de France’ and put the miles in - learning from the best bakers of each region before developing his own recipes; none of which have any additives or preservatives, and are composed of wheat grown exclusively in France and stored without any pesticides. The humble loaf is fine fuel, indeed. If like me, you are a Boulangerie Rouleur and would like to taste the wares of Decamps Maison Gourmand, you’ll find Vincent at Squires Cobham Market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings or if you want to enjoy a pastry and coffee with your ride companions, head over to Vincents French Cafe & Bar Brasserie at Pachesham Golf Club, or simply order online. All can be found here: decampsmaisongourmande.com Gareth - LeBlanq https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623414910146-8GX56PC11KAFEY1A1CEV/_DSF0757.jpg Earn Your Crust https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623418679174-RYE2S8IRXE9CF01TF2KC/IMG_2830.JPG Earn Your Crust https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623419382181-MKSD1H2UDHUN32DWRUHT/_DSF0765.jpg Earn Your Crust https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1623474692132-E9L3078D001JJJ2QXYV0/_DSF0764.jpg Earn Your Crust https://www.journal.leblanq.com/joyride-guide-perthshire daily 0.75 2022-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629035711356-QTEWZP3SA1D0VV7PB6D1/_DSF1532.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire - PERTHSHIRE Joyride With Sir Chris leading from the front, we covered off all the best beauty spots that the rolling hills of Perthshire have to offer, and now you can too. Take in Loch Rannoch and Tummel Bridge, climb up to our ultimate coffee stop in the shadow of the region’s highest peak, Schehallion, and ride the banks of River Tay to sample Dunkeld’s stunning smoked salmon. Relive the trip and then find routes for all abilities below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1622735291103-0KF28Z149L2ZPS1THR0T/LEBLANQ+X+MICHELIN.png Joyride Guide Perthshire - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629036398969-WKBUVB46445M03ZOG14V/web_DSF2004.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629036204995-DSRKCOGYCCM0SWD4RYGP/_DSF1927.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire - MICHELIN PLATE When we needed help showcasing the flavours of Perthshire for our Friday evening “Time & Place” dinner, we knew who to ask. We may be shamelessly biased as we enjoyed working with their fantastic team, but don’t let that take anything away from this recommendation. Eat at Ballintaggart if you want an authentic farm to fork experience that won’t break the bank, created by a very talented young chef in Jordan Clark, who really does know how to make Perthshire’s best produce sing. Don’t just take our word for it, here’s what Michelin have to say: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629041973386-J0323V957M6F3WEEE2BX/86083e86-aadb-4caf-a407-41e910079f26.jpeg Joyride Guide Perthshire - 2 Michelin Stars If you’re looking for Perthshire’s destination restaurant, then look no further. It’s a little drive from our base in Aberfeldy, but very worth the trip. This is a Scottish culinary institution, with classic French flair. We think Michelin say it best: “Hidden away in the depths of the world-famous Gleneagles resort hotel is this intimate restaurant. It may be windowless but the room has an appealing classical elegance, courtesy of dark wood walls, clever lighting and colourful food-themed art. An oil painting of the late Andrew Fairlie takes pride of place on one wall and Head Chef Stephen McLaughlin and his team work to continue Andrew’s philosophy and keep his spirit alive. Refined cooking has a French heart and a Scottish soul and, while techniques are rooted in the classics, there are also touches of modernity. Superb quality produce guides the menu, with 95% of the vegetables coming from their walled Victorian garden and each dish focusing on one main ingredient which is then skilfully enhanced by its accompaniments. Service is formal but comes with plenty of personality.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629298105411-LJDD4HWV6T46JVD5JXT9/web_DSF3642.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire If you fancy something a little stronger than coffee, go all in and take a tour of Aberfeldy Distillery, where you’ll get to sample “The Golden Dram” - Aberfeldy single cask malt whisky - and discover how they craft such a beautifully balanced single malt scotch. Matthew Cordiner, the distillery’s global ambassador, is a keen triathlete and joined us for a ride before taking us on a tour of this beautiful example of Scottish produce and heritage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629298188438-FK17ZNLZFYKL608YD4IF/_DSF3169.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629451817134-XVU6UW31U7FUFJWK3M8I/_DSF3637.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire The secret bar is the perfect place to share a dram and debrief your ride. We’re not sure if scotch whisky is the best recovery drink, but Matthew is a great cyclist and triathlete, so it cant be all that bad. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629292890294-XE8CBG81ZQ0DA8G27UDD/77280193-a06d-431c-8021-5d8643f2be02.jpeg Joyride Guide Perthshire - MICHELIN PLATE Classic dishes with a modern twist, much like the wood-panelled restaurant interior. Dining inside Fonab Castle is a very special experience. Here’s Michelins take: “Named after the family who built the castle, this intimate wood-panelled hotel restaurant comprises just 9 tables and is the perfect place for celebrating an occasion. The tasting menu showcases top Scottish ingredients from mountain to coast, and cooking has an elaborate modern style.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629300854334-6POE5C3676WELDJJA1II/Screenshot+2021-08-18+at+16.33.01.png Joyride Guide Perthshire The Paper Boat is an idyllic mid-ride coffee stop, where you can enjoy stunning views across Loch Tay’s rustic landscape - with a great cup of coffee with pastries, cake or brunch created with local seasonal produce. After meeting in a small French ski resort in 2014, where they worked as chalet cooks, Alex & Bridget Martin worked and travelled the world together before opening The Paper Boat. All roads do lead back to Perthshire. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629302043826-B7TK54K4RBJZ8ZXQME3L/_DSF3718.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629904835724-55LT4QZJGC1D0H7WGEEO/DunAluinn_Living_RuthMaria_04.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire Dun Aluinn is an exclusive use venue that sleeps up to 18 guests in 9 sumptuous individually designed bedrooms. This was an idyllic location for hosting our guests, who could relax and enjoy the company of Sir Chris Hoy in an intimate and relaxing environment. Ash made good use of the kitchen facilities and the produce of the local area. The rear terrace has the most incredible view of the valley, which can be enjoyed from the comforts of a wood-fired natural cedar hot tub, large enough for 10-12 guests. Dun Aluinn is available for hire as an Exclusive Use venue with catering provided by our friends at Ballintaggart Farm, with full housekeeping, butler and concierge services. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629346254098-2LZHZ839SYPJMM07PJZ2/551171_sld.jpeg Joyride Guide Perthshire - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1630401791085-4OFTJSDTQM6T1V5XGVFH/_DSF1762.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire During our Sunday ride, we stopped for refreshments in the riverside garden of The Taybank. The sound of the babbling river and views across the valley are breathtaking. If you’re looking for a foodie base in one of Perthshire’s most beautiful towns, this your spot.Serving local ales, Scottish gin, pizza and tacos from the beer garden, it’s the perfect place to unwind. Be sure to request a room with a river view when you book. The bar and restaurant serve seasonal dishes and the menu changes weekly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629458104044-ODH7NY3RYFHHL8BQL8SK/Aran-Bakery-Dunkeld-3.jpeg Joyride Guide Perthshire Aran (Scottish Gaelic for bread) is owned by Flora Shedden, a 2016 Great British Bake-Off finalist, who won the nation's hearts with her baking and loveliness. She has lovingly breathed new life into what was a derelict 200-year-old building. Throughout the years, it has been everything from a lemonade factory to a dentist to a newsagent. It’s current iteration is one of our favourite coffee stops, and long may it stay that way. A beautiful open plan bakery kitchen that creates delicious patisserie, breakfast and lunch to be enjoyed in-house or on the banks of the River Tay just across the road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629041480707-IV8NK2IWPB0976CJNPNI/292313222.jpeg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629292930185-FKNFM9DCOZPJMW6L1CRQ/91d421e2-5565-42c6-8242-f7af70fa635f.jpeg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629297653401-KCLW87LD648B0ENQM9NM/_DSF3547.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629042599225-NP4W9DUM2DV3LOO4BPSO/_DSF3450.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629302198477-QREXGY0SLM6V0VEA6IA0/_DSF3777.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629347227031-3SLCU9C3AL7G4TN54P0W/Aran-Bakery-Dunkeld-16-940x627.jpeg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629798973382-K4IAZYRSGXOH3FD84PGI/Ballintaggart-Farm-image-tiles-food.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629883587622-2Z7YPBH1KQ3QVJJAI1AU/_DSF1516.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1629895801469-FJ03A7B3PC4PQL1Y5VUR/_DSF1681.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1654588712057-3K3OWIC8TCCRHD0XN9QR/Scotland+Header.jpg Joyride Guide Perthshire https://www.journal.leblanq.com/le-manoir-joyride daily 0.75 2021-08-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575864866-92NTZO2SDUD4CS7EQYDK/Joyride%2BGuide.jpg Le Manoir Joyride https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575107096-V1VUOD6NOHJLCC735TJ0/Aston+Shot+.jpg Le Manoir Joyride https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575133448-ZDQ84GJ9XVJJO26JWBLJ/PREVIEW-Centurion-Preview-National-Cookery-School-with-Raymond-Blanc-at-Belmond-Le-Manoir-Aux-Quat-Saisons-11-e1553083910812-956x540.jpeg Le Manoir Joyride https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575925202-JZEYT3NM9J8AKT1ZHIY5/le-manoir-aux-quatsaisons-2.jpeg Le Manoir Joyride https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627570861535-IMJY081U6RD81AB0PLPD/mqs-ext04_2580x1299.jpeg Le Manoir Joyride https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627573052864-L1VCT3JO7BFGW945IFHU/Raymond+Banner.jpg Le Manoir Joyride https://www.journal.leblanq.com/le-manoir-comp daily 0.75 2021-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575864866-92NTZO2SDUD4CS7EQYDK/Joyride%2BGuide.jpg Le Manoir Comp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575107096-V1VUOD6NOHJLCC735TJ0/Aston+Shot+.jpg Le Manoir Comp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575133448-ZDQ84GJ9XVJJO26JWBLJ/PREVIEW-Centurion-Preview-National-Cookery-School-with-Raymond-Blanc-at-Belmond-Le-Manoir-Aux-Quat-Saisons-11-e1553083910812-956x540.jpeg Le Manoir Comp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627575925202-JZEYT3NM9J8AKT1ZHIY5/le-manoir-aux-quatsaisons-2.jpeg Le Manoir Comp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627570861535-IMJY081U6RD81AB0PLPD/mqs-ext04_2580x1299.jpeg Le Manoir Comp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1627573052864-L1VCT3JO7BFGW945IFHU/Raymond+Banner.jpg Le Manoir Comp https://www.journal.leblanq.com/waitlist-sign-up-2 daily 0.75 2021-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg Landing Page Waitlist 2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg Landing Page Waitlist 2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg Landing Page Waitlist 2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg Landing Page Waitlist 2 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/membership-waiting-list daily 0.75 2021-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg Membership Waiting List https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg Membership Waiting List https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg Membership Waiting List https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg Membership Waiting List https://www.journal.leblanq.com/joyride-guide-isle-of-wight daily 0.75 2022-01-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/38c2f350-1ca5-4039-8f1b-c8e077d4f4f6/_DSF1284+%281%29.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - RIDING THE ISLE The Isle of Wight is one of the best-kept secrets in UK cycling. People assume that the Island is too small to be a cycling destination, but with its smooth-rolling roads, coastal views, sunshine and delicious home-grown produce, it makes for some of the best riding you’re likely to find in the South of England. Sold? Discover our routes and recommendations below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/27d7e73e-cdd8-4721-aff1-f6775ca409fe/Red_Funnel_Logo.png Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632749064008-WUW1JPTBE1TDK3ES6HDW/_DSF1399.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1634135529030-67N7KRU3PTKTKGUVOBLR/LeBlanq+IOW-2926.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight The George Hotel is a 17th Century townhouse enjoying a spectacular location nestling on the water’s edge between the castle and pier in the bustling harbour town of Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. The George is much more than a beautiful building with a seafront terrace, it’s an all encompassing sanctuary of relaxation, beauty and flavour. With Claude Bosi and his team running the kitchen throughout the summer months, you can expect his french flair applied to the freshest seafood you can get your hands, served to you as close as possible to where it was caught. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/4f1290d2-48d0-485f-9343-70c26d5470ce/Screenshot+2022-01-26+at+08.46.50.png Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/a8251a56-148f-4f21-9042-e6bbd90dba16/_DSF0659.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight Holding warmth from its southerly aspect and with chalk downs fending off the cold northerly winds, the Botanic Gardens boasts a climate more akin to the Mediterranean – enabling wild sprouting of subtropical plants usually considered too tender for mainland Britain. As a result, sun-loving herbs and Australian eucalyptus are fresh for picking, the latter used to add a punchy hit of citrus to complement the botanical rich Mermaid gin for our welcome drinks The Botanic Gardens is a beautiful setting to grab a drink all year round, whether that’s a coffee at their plantation room cafe, or a post-ride beer at the Hopyard & Microbrewery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1634566906030-E1G80T63NX0MC55YTEQL/LeBlanq+IOW-2635.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1634568181321-OIEEVBRKQI6E0N2HH4VV/LeBlanq+IOW-3216.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/a80f9b5e-7ae7-437d-b477-fc93ec012130/ROyal.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight Nestled into the seafront of beautiful Ventnor, the base for our joyriding weekend is one of only 30 establishments to be listed in every Michelin Guide since it was first published in 1911. Having hosted crowned heads of Europe, The Royal Hotel is steeped in tradition, yet offers every modern comfort you could ever wish for. Local sourced produce wrapped in fine dining, world-class hospitality and sumptuously decorated rooms fit for royals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/3dc0a6fe-7e4d-47b1-9015-7bc486325ec5/CHICKEN.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight Once our team of ride leaders, chefs and staff assembled on the Isle of Wight a few days ahead of our weekend, we dined alfresco at True Food Kitchen. A quaint shack perched on the southern tip of the Island’s diamond shaped coast in an idyllic fishing cove with its own micro-climate. The menu mirrors the stunning location, a flavour haven of locally caught seafood, mineral-packed plant-based dishes, with specials designed by a local lobster legend and award-winning chef, Adam Fendyke. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/3e10efaa-5dff-41db-83de-3d8b8be13675/4879_1662892175cda7f1a4fb40.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632749542839-8VLUMWJ21JMQ5GUDVKBK/8423-043.jpeg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1634484996086-KTKI8932EFQ5E1LG5LPZ/Screenshot+2021-10-17+at+16.31.15.png Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - MICHELIN PLATE "Simple yet delicious food, in a relaxed, beach-front location” is the mantra of this super-popular seaside venue. The Hut boasts wonderful views and an electric weekend atmosphere seven days of the week - particularly as the afternoon wears on. The smart set arrive by restaurant tender from their turbo-charged ribs, principally from Lymington or Southampton, and this combined with water’s edge dining or a berth on one of the first floor terraces adds to the febrile ambience. But it’s the kitchen’s understanding of seafood and their ability to combine the classic with the innovative that is the real success driver. Following half a dozen oysters, chilli-salted edamame or arancini, tuck into a crab & crayfish cocktail, grilled octopus or a zingy ceviche. For mains, the menu touts lobster spaghetti, sole or cod alongside risotto, lamb cutlets or grilled aubergine. All to a good standard. Copious quantities of rosé are, of course, de rigueur, but the short wine list offers a nice selection both at the quaffing and heavy-weight ends. If locals complain that success has gone to its head - "prices up, food standards down" - it hasn't stopped any of them going, or the fun from escalating. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633948089790-BU1HFQGHTMXZXAIJGX6K/LeBlanq+IOW-3184.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight Chefs often joke that British people are scared of garlic. However, the Islanders are obsessed with it, and rightly so. The Garlic Farm produce over 15 varieties, and infuse all kinds of products, such as mayonnaise, chutneys, beer and ice cream. A mid-ride meal isn’t out of the question either, with renowned Island Chef Charlie Bartlett and his team serving up dishes which celebrate the Island’s finest produce, including their very own reared Highland beef, which can be seen enjoying the open pastures around the farm. Beyond the pastures are handmade yurts situated in a secluded field boasting all the comforts of a luxurious country cottage, yet offering a ‘back to nature’ style escape. A perfect place to unwind, sample delicious homegrown produce and explore the hidden pathways leading to the Isle’s most spectacular vistas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/4263af62-acd2-482b-9b60-d6dee5b9f00b/649054_1200x1200.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632736089148-VZCRYIQNUTHDMSWBI1PA/_DSF0372.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632748507757-NAXNZSSAXKJ8BJSH39DQ/_DSF0157.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1632748894202-ENL6ZYORLGBS3M1Q4OMA/LeBlanq+IOW-2474.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633947139464-VY00ZG5WBTDE64PPLBRV/LeBlanq+IOW-2731.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633947871708-BK9W0MB3LPXVFM3O6XQZ/LeBlanq+IOW-3084.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1633956418882-6VYU96ROJKLK8BQZYQ1H/_DSF1145.jpg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1634484897777-CUDQALUU4YUBKT9WZ6FO/8390-029.jpeg Joyride Guide Isle of Wight https://www.journal.leblanq.com/champagne-waitlist daily 0.75 2021-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg Champagne Waitlist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg Champagne Waitlist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg Champagne Waitlist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg Champagne Waitlist https://www.journal.leblanq.com/harvey-nicks-signup daily 0.75 2021-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193712752-WZVZDCEM33OA49M3CK2S/Dinner-GBC-Spring-9942.jpg Harvey Nicks Sign-up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193723074-4DN54FKXHAK5ZUOF5QK0/Francesco+2.jpg Harvey Nicks Sign-up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193717666-MOKUGFCL8GP9FMOPX1L2/Bradley-Kissing-Trophy.jpg Harvey Nicks Sign-up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1595193902922-Q13TFQGZ0A4UE470XOG7/07.jpg Harvey Nicks Sign-up https://www.journal.leblanq.com/waitlist daily 0.75 2022-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/fe605c8b-35e6-4901-bdb9-ab3c41b5d20a/_DSF5869.jpg Waitlist Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1628089861740-7NOZ5J1SZ6Y2K5FHV4VL/dual_masthead_white-01.png Waitlist Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637609251422-ASJLL8S95IEABO5ECUCU/Brad+Hero.jpg Waitlist Sign Up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637843584278-0XXB5N6371AFN8Y4P7K8/COMP_DSF3450.jpg Waitlist Sign Up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637613568771-57GFSMJIYJKRN94XN4M3/image-asset.jpeg Waitlist Sign Up https://www.journal.leblanq.com/new-index daily 0.75 2022-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1628089861740-7NOZ5J1SZ6Y2K5FHV4VL/dual_masthead_white-01.png Spekk Test Page - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637609251422-ASJLL8S95IEABO5ECUCU/Brad+Hero.jpg Spekk Test Page https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637843584278-0XXB5N6371AFN8Y4P7K8/COMP_DSF3450.jpg Spekk Test Page https://www.journal.leblanq.com/waitlist-sign-up daily 0.75 2022-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/b5fbc8c3-99be-4537-9304-9f55094eeb05/_DSF1284.jpg Thanks For Signing Pp - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1615327367699-6EKB10RWB86FXSQVU4UY/LeBlanq+Still+Life_10+2.jpg Thanks For Signing Pp https://www.journal.leblanq.com/2022-waitlist-signup daily 0.75 2022-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1628089861740-7NOZ5J1SZ6Y2K5FHV4VL/dual_masthead_white-01.png European Joyride Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/fe605c8b-35e6-4901-bdb9-ab3c41b5d20a/_DSF5869.jpg European Joyride Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637609251422-ASJLL8S95IEABO5ECUCU/Brad+Hero.jpg European Joyride Sign Up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637843584278-0XXB5N6371AFN8Y4P7K8/COMP_DSF3450.jpg European Joyride Sign Up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637615426845-5QXEO4QJO2TCVTLBFJGG/9550380072_7cec3b1b07_k_Q65_1200.jpg European Joyride Sign Up - ISLE OF WIGHT SIR BRAD WIGGINS ANGELA HARTNETT JOHAN MUSEEUW MAY 13-15 £2295 LEARN MORE https://www.journal.leblanq.com/norway-rcc daily 0.75 2022-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642177571309-E8EMB68NEAZ0VC9DA909/doc_5760_12.jpeg Norway RCC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642435075729-U7GNHY3HISA9K2MG4BH1/trollstigen-i99348.jpeg Norway RCC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643639292665-Q4EX17W0B51I9SAIIIIO/image-asset.jpeg Norway RCC - STAGES LEARN MORE https://www.journal.leblanq.com/norway-itinerary daily 0.75 2022-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/20267357-4b76-4253-8aaa-25a9cad35c4b/PhotoCredit_TheIngalls_62%C2%B0NORD%2811%29.jpg Norway Itinerary - YoUR WEEKEND, STAGE by STAGe Let the ‘God of Thunder’ and ‘King of Fire’ lead the way on a tour of the wilds of Norway, with Michelin-standard attention to detail applied to every part of your weekend. Here’s how the four days unfold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642967204236-JVO2GX9T754V7MP0TTS4/Dinner+GBC+Spring-9937+%281%29.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642953875418-OUHD9PXIVKG1S86O34K7/NDC00982.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642967215483-NZ0H21VHUYYKTZFSE3NQ/62NORD_PhotoCredit_Vagafilm_593_hue.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642967987445-445XYG2XGNDHJC3Q9KHP/Dinner+GBC+Spring-9937+%281%29.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642953875418-OUHD9PXIVKG1S86O34K7/NDC00982.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642967996983-5PUIIF0S4FJY0166SBY2/62NORD_PhotoCredit_Vagafilm_593_hue.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/a7cc7863-a02b-4bca-9079-6b18001def0b/Day+2.jpg Norway Itinerary - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/85aeff94-72bb-4a21-b2e5-90b768db86a9/Hotel+Union+2.jpeg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642971118870-W57TGJHG64076IF2NIX0/food_078.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642970733100-3NI1A43LOZLXLHTSJXMM/Roundtrip%2Bcycling_PhotoCredit_Simon%2BSj%25C3%25B8kvist_cycling_00094%2B%25281%2529.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642971133979-MWFO8PCQC3YSB0A6QD00/food_125.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643797697605-QCZWKWPP50QMGPV6TPFI/David-Back_ekstedt_9-19_016-1800x1200.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/85aeff94-72bb-4a21-b2e5-90b768db86a9/Hotel+Union+2.jpeg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642971118870-W57TGJHG64076IF2NIX0/food_078.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642970733100-3NI1A43LOZLXLHTSJXMM/Roundtrip%2Bcycling_PhotoCredit_Simon%2BSj%25C3%25B8kvist_cycling_00094%2B%25281%2529.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643798365976-1ATT4S0FHFDR0I4FTW26/Ekstedt1200.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642971133979-MWFO8PCQC3YSB0A6QD00/food_125.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643798339685-K6WSLD4BSYPUU4S6UYKX/David-Back_ekstedt_9-19_016-1800x1200.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/74f4fe96-c0ae-451d-960d-6be7fa235ad7/DSC01296.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/d4b147fd-78e5-4985-ab22-8d357f06f5d2/LeBlanq+IOW-4031.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/d4b147fd-78e5-4985-ab22-8d357f06f5d2/LeBlanq+IOW-4031.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/8c3ad024-954f-4e95-96a8-acab9ce4d15d/DSC02637.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/361f9492-7180-4d7c-ad80-70ffdeafb7c4/Boat.png Norway Itinerary - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/b8725c8b-629f-4207-b2fe-7d030378a479/DSC01517.jpg Norway Itinerary - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642974174822-538OKPG0G42CT2X24NR6/Ekstedt%2BLobster.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642974315893-4XHMY1T1896EXZ9D4T09/Niklas%2BEkstedt.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643719696662-VR11J9AYIUJCRHPCSLJG/Ekstedt-2021-Emma-Johansson-Ra%25CC%258Adjur-1-3-1800x2700.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643719829916-B2XNWLM98V0Y235XQLSI/Oyster-cooked-Flambadou-preparation-%25C2%25A9-PA-Jorgenssen-1800x1200.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643719818911-UHGBTA46JK7GE2A1PAPI/EKSTEDT_489-1800x1200.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594940873885-4JENG965YO4MVRD05YTA/Lp-White.png Norway Itinerary - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/c09e7c67-4ec7-43f4-92b9-1082da341b90/Recharge.png Norway Itinerary - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/362c290c-48c2-4345-840b-832515bdce4c/Recharge.png Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1594940873885-4JENG965YO4MVRD05YTA/Lp-White.png Norway Itinerary - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642974174822-538OKPG0G42CT2X24NR6/Ekstedt%2BLobster.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642974315893-4XHMY1T1896EXZ9D4T09/Niklas%2BEkstedt.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643719696662-VR11J9AYIUJCRHPCSLJG/Ekstedt-2021-Emma-Johansson-Ra%25CC%258Adjur-1-3-1800x2700.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643798657372-PQ0P67BCGK0G5PFMCA3C/Oyster-cooked-Flambadou-preparation-%2525C2%2525A9-PA-Jorgenssen-1800x1200.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643719818911-UHGBTA46JK7GE2A1PAPI/EKSTEDT_489-1800x1200.jpg Norway Itinerary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642977443685-DHHT0YPAXTJLT7OSWTH8/Norway.png Norway Itinerary https://www.journal.leblanq.com/norway-destination daily 0.75 2022-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643580453861-U9HWFRKK0VQJEAP02J4Z/doc_212_15.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983459396-L3SIMSMG703CHF9318E9/PhotoCredit_MargaretMdeLange%25288%2529.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983480562-SVS2MQA1CE2GFCG84AUE/PhotoCredit_ChristiannKoepke_62%25C2%25B0NORD%252815%2529.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983467297-SNMMZPW1R1REW4HH5X2Y/PhotoCredit_MargaretMdeLange%25285%2529.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983418539-HB613ZB1Y6QW17NUHDXS/186508286_1943420555812954_5502634424866356274_n.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983409906-9TEDN4HNQW5OKQ24N14A/165235699_1906599886161688_4555332716724659977_n.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643580742391-ZBSIYH46PJL2BA63KA29/240143300_2016579611830381_632310557754135571_n.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983625457-GT9CY20ZS3KBWL01LM0J/DSC01296.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983661744-CZMBAOX5INV5JDW94NIO/DSC03170.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983633978-63JMUL2TRN2TCQADKOH2/DSC01517.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643580962226-2ZYTZNYHCM1X65Z0T6Z6/doc_5638_10.jpeg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643669687164-6314XSR18SGQ4SFD31X6/Ekstedt-2021-Emma-Johansson-Ekstedt-6-3-1800x2700.jpeg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643669800396-WJRASHKBLKWHQ7VUH1B9/NIKLAS.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642984007972-J1J4469B0ZMBK9AHNDKN/food_078.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642984002324-D7WL5D4B1RNVGSTSTHXO/Roundtrip%2Bcycling_PhotoCredit_Simon%2BSj%25C3%25B8kvist_cycling_00094.jpg Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983531780-GOWD8V2I0NUOLGJWNANM/Bronsundet.png Norway Destination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643717175726-F52GUGO98KLZ95R4D7A1/1591687024828.jpg Norway Destination https://www.journal.leblanq.com/norway-faqs daily 0.75 2022-02-01 https://www.journal.leblanq.com/norway-team daily 0.75 2022-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/32eed56e-0a1b-4c5b-88a8-b76b22dc15ad/17028_NIKLAS3255-1800x1200.jpg Norway Team - LEAD CHEF NIKLAS EKSTEDT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/cd05fa25-1974-4d67-b797-716696ceebb0/Thor+Image.jpg Norway Team - Lead Rider THOR HUSHOVD https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643710117582-8T20DXX37BKIANLP5JEP/DSC02838.jpg Norway Team https://www.journal.leblanq.com/norway-booking daily 0.75 2022-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642984007972-J1J4469B0ZMBK9AHNDKN/food_078.jpg Norway Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642984002324-D7WL5D4B1RNVGSTSTHXO/Roundtrip%2Bcycling_PhotoCredit_Simon%2BSj%25C3%25B8kvist_cycling_00094.jpg Norway Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983625457-GT9CY20ZS3KBWL01LM0J/DSC01296.jpg Norway Booking https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1642983418539-HB613ZB1Y6QW17NUHDXS/186508286_1943420555812954_5502634424866356274_n.jpg Norway Booking https://www.journal.leblanq.com/thor-hushovd daily 0.75 2022-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/56b74399-f617-45fb-ae7b-42ac640d0e9a/DSC_9483.jpeg Thor Hushovd - Some know him as ‘The God of Thunder’ Others, ‘The Bull from Grimstad’. However, he was born Thor Hushovd, and he is the 2010 world road race champion, has led the Tour de France numerous times, and is undisputedly the greatest Norwegian cyclist of all time. Thor is famed for his sprinting and time trialling abilities, but his personality is what made him popular in the peloton and on the tour. Credentials aside, Thor’s lightning character is why we chose him to lead our Norway trip. He is the perfect guide to show you the most beautiful roads his homeland has to offer. Just don't make any hammer jokes. Otherwise, he'll nail you on the climbs. Don’t believe us? Our fellow joyride leader, Adam Blythe, sums him up best… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/5edce1c4-29ab-41db-8dc9-1d72fd515bd4/Thor+Hushovd.jpeg Thor Hushovd "Thor is not only the most handsome teammate I ever had but also the kind of guy you can’t wait to get off the bike and grab a drink with. His greatness on the bike speaks for itself. He's the definition of professional - dedicated and the original man who did what we see new generation sprinters do now - he can CLIMB too. He was the O.G. Training as BMC teammates with Thor was always a pleasure. We did one big ride together. 3 hours into the ride, we both had to do sprints, so we did it together. Thor won the first one, and then I smoked him on the next two. It was my turn to pick up the coffee stop, but Thor decided to have a 3-course meal. Cheeky sod. From that day on, I wrote beating him on my CV. I got in a few teams because of it, I think. He’s one of the best, on and off the bike, and it’s a true pleasure call him my friend" Adam Blythe, Ride Leader and Former British Champion https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643647353075-CRS1XPQ248V3UC6OC50Z/THOR.jpeg Thor Hushovd https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643648243976-R52RGIOBHDIY0MC6NJMI/ThorHushovdTwo.jpeg Thor Hushovd https://www.journal.leblanq.com/niklas-ekstedt daily 0.75 2022-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649095751-Y66KF5QAM3WWF7X8N27N/Ekstedt-2021-Emma-Johansson-Ekstedt-6-3-1800x2700.jpeg Niklas Ekstedt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649095379-7U2PNXGE18KR63686XAN/Ekstedt-2021-Emma-Johansson-Ra%CC%8Adjur-1-3-1800x2700.jpeg Niklas Ekstedt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649099978-NC7PXU46PCRDNQDYDGHZ/instastories_ekstedt_190403_R9Q2266.jpeg Niklas Ekstedt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643667044732-1UPWT3GD7UHKN9N72KZC/ekstedt_552-1800x1001.jpg Niklas Ekstedt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/8c948543-b570-4b7c-aa35-ae698b0e0f3d/David-Back_ekstedt_9-19_016-1800x1200.jpeg Niklas Ekstedt - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649242350-BER5I90OFGH03C0SRWUU/17028_NIKLAS3255-1800x1200.jpeg Niklas Ekstedt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1643649506962-LNM0ZHEML9ADVUKFBITT/Oyster-cooked-Flambadou-preparation-%C2%A9-PA-Jorgenssen-1800x1200.jpeg Niklas Ekstedt https://www.journal.leblanq.com/us-waitlist daily 0.75 2022-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1628089861740-7NOZ5J1SZ6Y2K5FHV4VL/dual_masthead_white-01.png European Joyride Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/fe605c8b-35e6-4901-bdb9-ab3c41b5d20a/_DSF5869.jpg European Joyride Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637843584278-0XXB5N6371AFN8Y4P7K8/COMP_DSF3450.jpg European Joyride Sign Up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637615426845-5QXEO4QJO2TCVTLBFJGG/9550380072_7cec3b1b07_k_Q65_1200.jpg European Joyride Sign Up - ISLE OF WIGHT SIR BRAD WIGGINS ANGELA HARTNETT JOHAN MUSEEUW MAY 13-15 £2295 LEARN MORE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1646142750347-GUJEUXS3YYI01L7HG4OJ/TROLLLLLLLAAAAAA-01.png European Joyride Sign Up https://www.journal.leblanq.com/european-waitlist daily 0.75 2022-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1628089861740-7NOZ5J1SZ6Y2K5FHV4VL/dual_masthead_white-01.png European Joyride Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/fe605c8b-35e6-4901-bdb9-ab3c41b5d20a/_DSF5869.jpg European Joyride Sign Up - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637609251422-ASJLL8S95IEABO5ECUCU/Brad+Hero.jpg European Joyride Sign Up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637843584278-0XXB5N6371AFN8Y4P7K8/COMP_DSF3450.jpg European Joyride Sign Up https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee4ee9b5ce6227674978738/1637615426845-5QXEO4QJO2TCVTLBFJGG/9550380072_7cec3b1b07_k_Q65_1200.jpg European Joyride Sign Up - 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LeBlanq 21 Ingredients: • 30ml Gin • 20ml Clementine Juice • 10ml Clementine Syrup • Champagne - top Method: Build-in shaker, over ice. 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