Second rider: 'I hope he knows were he's going - I haven't the
faintest idea where we are on the road book'.

March 2003 Normandie

Oh know! Another sunken track

TBM's editor Si Melber nurses his WR450 test bike carefully across a water crossing.

And then has another go at full speed.

March 2005 Normandie

The March Normandie is usually nice and muddy and around 10 degrees centigrade. This year however, like the rest of Europe, we got caught out by the Siberian winds, that saw temperatures plumeting and lots and lots of snow. Incredibly we were able to complete days 1 and 2 and were only forced to cut short day 3 by 50 kms when visibility got too bad to continue.

Dutch rider Bart pushing his XR400 through the snow drifts. Fortunately 99% of the tracks were rideable, but where they were particularly open, drifts meant that the lead riders at least had to get off and push.

On other tracks the frozen puddles required a less than stylish approach!

When the drifts were particularly deep the only solution was to walk ahead and stamp the snow down. It was exhausting work - which everybody took in turns!

If snow and ice wasn't enough to contend with there were also a few trees to move out the way...

Normandie 1/2/3 March 2006

Once again a cold snap coincided with the first trip of the year - perfect conditions for those after a challenging ride!

The ice man cometh!

The water crossings were swollen with melted snow - but everybody got through OK.

Some valleys were virtually snow free - especially after some afternoon sun.

There was plenty of water about in the sunken tracks.

Oh no - another sunken track!

Yasmina putting a bandage on Ian Smith's neck after he had an argument with some brambles.

Reconnaissance Nov 2006

Dominique checks out the depth of a new water crossing - what you thought I was going to see how deep it was?!

Normandie 27/28/29 March 2007

Mike Zullo shows some style through the mud.

There was pletny of water about too.

'Aerial' shot of Bob Hammond going down a sunken lane.

Yet another sunken lane.

Yet more water.

And yet more mud.

A nice mixuture of mud and water!