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Day 1: (Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009)
After a warm welcome at the Volunteer Centre, Louis-Nicholas Thifault from Vélo Vallée Missisquoi (VVM),
Michel Bastien, Louis Gaetan, Jacques Hébert and Jacques Marcoux began
their journey at 9 :15 a.m. As planned, in South Bolton Michel Bastien
wished the group well before returning to Mansonville. Painful knees
prevented him from doing the whole circuit. Louis-Nicholas went onto
St-Élie before returning Mansonville via Magog. From Warden, Gaetan,
Hébert and Marcoux continued towards Drummondville. The group stopped
for a leisurely one-hour lunch in a park in Roxton Falls so as not to
arrive at their first destination too soon. They arrived at the Comfort
Inn in Drummondville at approximately 4:00 p.m. A quick wash up was
followed by supper at Boston Pizza where they relaxed until 8:00 p.m.
By 9:30 lights were out after their 118 kilometer ride.
Day 2:
Friends Mario Thibault and Laurence Rozlonkowski joined the trio of
Gaetan, Hébert and Marcoux the following morning for breakfast for the
ride to Nun's Island where Mario and Laurence live. The previous day
they cycled from home to Drummondville where they spent the night at
Mario's parents. As soon as they set off Jacques Hébert broke a spoke.
Not wanting to abandon, he continued on a wobbly wheel hoping to find a
bicycle shop along the route. In St-Hyacinthe, 75 kilometers from
Drummondville, the wheel was repaired and the group arrived in Nun's
Island at 5:00 p.m. Just prior to their arrival Louis Gaetan took a
cycling path from the south shore to Montreal where he was meeting his
wife in Plateau Montréal. A prior commitment back home in Chelsea
prevented him from completing the circuit. After washing up from their
138 kilometer ride the Laurence, Mario and the two Jacques went for
supper in Montréal's Chinatown district.
Day 3:
Hébert and Marcoux left Nun's Island for the final leg of the journey
before 9:00 a.m. They were joined en route by Hébert's friend Pierre
Rousseau along the south shore cycling path. The new trio peddled
towards Laprairie where they proceeded along Route 104 through St-Jean
and Farnham where they stopped for lunch. They continued towards
Cowansville and at Route 215 Pierre left for Waterloo where he had left
his car the previous day in order to cycle to Montréal. The two Jacques
arrived in Mansonville where they were greeted by cold Corona's after
completing the final 148 kilometer leg. They celebrated the journey
with their wives over an enjoyable meal.
Conclusion:
This cycling trip to promote the Missisquoi North Volunteer Centre
annual financial campaign was done among friends under perfect weather
conditions with only one minor incident. Hopefully the financial
campaign will have the same success!
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