78.19km – 9H36’
Altitude : 209m
Bright sunshine and a beautiful day.
.
Karine and David arrived at 5:30 a.m. for the start which was scheduled between 6:30 and 6:40 in the small town of Frémereville.
6:35, Serge is ready and our two runners leave in the dark. David ran with Serge in December 2005 when we went through Lorraine on the Paris-Tokyo race. It made a strong impression: -17°C and snow.
Between Meuse, Meurthe and Moselle and Moselle, the small roads are very pleasant. At the end of the morning we have a visit from Régine, of the Epinal chapter of the CJD and who with her team has prepared the finishes at Epinal on the 21st and at Gérardmer on the 22nd. It was a surprise visit with her mother, who was delighted to shake Serge’s hand since she has seen him on the television.
The kilometers speed by, David is holding up and Karine, his wife, takes care of his refueling. At km 53 some 15 runners join the caravan. Crossing Ancy sur Moselle is rather difficult, then from the south we reach the suburbs of Metz. Serge and his fellow runners reach the bus station after passing in front of the futurist architecture of the new Centre Georges Pompidou. At 4:45 p.m. 2 km remain to reach La Place des Armes, which is very busy this Sunday, since it is the fete of Patrimony. The terrace cafes are full and there are 2 surprises for us:
• The presence of Philippe Varache, the man who in 1997 encouraged Serge to present his project to his employer at the time.
• Bernard and Jany, people we know from our corner of Normandy.
It is always a joy to see familiar and smiling faces. Serge is delighted. Thanks go to Brigitte and her team at the Metz chapter of the CJD for their organization and to the municipality and most particularly to the Sports Group. The presence of Mr. Belhadad, the assistant sports director was much appreciated.
This evening we are staying at Karine’s and David’s home. They prepared a superb meal for us and Serge ate everything, even the desert, which is rare. He is happy and we feel just as comfortable as is if were at home. The whole team is very happy and we wish to thank our hosts for this memorable evening. It is worth mentioning that David ran 70 km today. Tonight at Luttange we are sure that everyone will sleep soundly
PS: Philippe took today’s photos.
Town : Metz (Moselle)