The road to the Euro-Mediterranean Energy Efficiency Forum in Monaco

Last, but not least

2010-05-20T16:02:00.013+02:00

The ride is over, the legs have recovered and the riders have returned to their daily lives across Europe. Lives that have been changed by the experience of cycling from Brussels to Monaco.

In this posting I wanted to reflect on the experiences of the 8 riders and summarise what they have learnt from the experience.

Talking to the riders, two themes emerged.

Seemingly impossible challenges can be overcome
Before the start of the ride, all of the riders were apprehensive about the daunting challenge ahead of them. Whilst they were all fit and experienced riders, none of them had ridden so far in such a short space of time. But by being focussed on the end goal and by breaking it into individual segments it was possible to achieve the impossible.

Teams achieve more than individuals
The team of 8 riders (plucked from Johnson Controls 130,000 employees) hadn’t met each other in person before the ride so there were essentially strangers. Albeit strangers with a common goal and a strong desire to achieve. Despite language and cultural barriers the riders soon formed and bonded as a team, both on and off the bikes. On the road the team worked hard to master the Belgian circle and were so effective that any one road with a 50 km speed limit they nearly set off a speed camera!

So the lesson being, you can achieve much more as team than you can ever do as an individual. Which brings us nicely back to the whole reason for doing the cycle ride in the first place (Don’t worry I’m not going to get on my soapbox and start preaching) but is does make a good analogy with climate change. If we are committed and we act together, only then we can begin to truly address global warming.

So until next time ...

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

Monaco or bust!

2010-04-25T23:43:00.030+02:00

The last day and the finish is in sight. Just 85kms along the French Riveria is our final destination - Monaco.

The saying goes 'a picture tells a thousand words', so here's chapter and verse on the final day ... and yes we did make it!

Once the legs have stopped aching, we'll come back and give you our final thoughts and discuss what we have learnt along the road to energy efficiency.

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

Only 80 kms to go!

2010-04-24T18:27:00.009+02:00

The penultimate day and Monaco is getting every closer. Whilst better than yesterday, the weather was overcast as we headed out of Aix-en-Provence en route to Frejus on the Côte d'Azur. This was compounded by the fact that we ended up going the wrong way, adding an extra 30 kms to the days ride.

Once again there were some steep climbs to conquer and downhills to savour, as we rolled through a picturesque landscape of vineyards and olive groves.

The team is starting to feel the long days in the saddle, legs are starting to take longer to warm up and some of the steeper hills are met with increasingly colourful language.

Despite all this, team spirits are just as high as when we left Brussels.

The team remain committed to crunching through the kilometres and getting to Monaco on time.

Simon (aka le petits filous) is still pushing the team to ever higher speeds and his tutelage has helped the team operate smoothly and safely on the roads.

We also spent some time at an American WWII cemetery which led to some introspective thought.

Nearing Frejus, Christophe had arranged to meet his wife and four children, allowing him some much needed time – albeit short - with his family and poignantly reminded everyone of how long they had been away from their families. So please keep your support coming for the team.

We arrived in the coastal town of Frejus late afternoon and we are now just 80kms away from our destination - Monaco!

We are saving our celebrations until tomorrow and are looking forward to crossing the finish line at the Plage du Larvotto. For those of you who wanted a photo of John, here he is practising his finish line technique!

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

For Queen & country (& Johnson Controls)

2010-04-23T19:23:00.012+02:00

With today being St Georges Day (patron saint of England) we celebrated by adorning each of the bikes with English flags and the team began the stage with the sound of 'God save the Queen' ringing in their ears.

Unfortunately we had typical English weather - wet and overcast - which made the long hard climbs even less bearable.

The team pressed on though and made good progress through the dramatic scenery of Southern France. Steeps hills and narrow roads interwining with flatter stretchs along the river Arc.

Big hills mean fast downhills and there were a few today, giving the tired legs and lungs some respite.

We arrived in Aix-en-Provence in the late afternoon to join colleagues from the Marseille branch. Our arrival was delayed slightly by 2 punctures within a few hundred metres of each other - the first of the tour.

The team were greeted to sirens and cheers as they rolled into the fitting surroundings of a sports complex in Val de l'Arc, a stone's throw away from our overnight stop in Aix en Provence.

We greatly enjoyed meeting and talking to the Marseillais and really appreciated them taking the time and effort to commerate our arrival in Aix-en-Provence so thanks to you all.

Tomorrow will be another tough day as we head East along the coast stopping at Frejus before our final day in the saddle and the finale of our ride in Monaco.

Keep the comments coming and if there is anything you would like to ask the riders, please drop us a note.

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

Song, camels and Olympic gold

2010-04-22T23:06:00.006+02:00

With Lyon’s football team losing to Bayern Munich yesterday, we started the day with a rendition of the German national anthem Das Deutschlandlied (with Luc composing) for Carsten, followed by a quick exit out of the city.

On the way we picked up a copy of the local newspaper Le Progress and were pleased to see our ride being mentioned – see here.

Grenoble situated at the foot of the French Alps was our target today, a mere 105 kms away. Between Lyon and Grenoble lay a few big hills and some long stretches of flat valley floor, albeit spread between numerous villages.

The first big climb of the day was rewarded with a long twisting downhill with the riders clocking up 65 km/hr. As the landscape flattened out we caught our breath and our first glimpse of the Alps. Once again the sun was shining with high temperatures and a few of the riders have caught a bit of sunburn (Frank is positively glowing).

Before lunch we passed camels and lions (courtesy of a local circus and not reflective of the local wildlife) before we stopped in a field for jambon and fromage, set against the stunning background of the Alps with only the sound of frogs and cows (or French and English traditional foods as Simon wryly observed) for company.

With lunch quickly despatched it was time to hit the road and crunch through the kilometres towards the Capital of Alps. Small villages and less then considerate motorists came and went, as the team put in a strong performance in order to meet our colleagues from Johnson Controls Neige; who were exhibiting at the Salon de l'Aménagement en Montagne at the Alpexpo in Grenoble.

Thanks to Regis-Antoine Decolasse and Max Rougeaux, we were able to further promote the team’s efforts to visitors of the Johnson Controls stand. We were also fortunate enough to meet Jean Luc Cretier, who won a gold medal for France in the downhill skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

Simon made a less than graceful entrance to the stand (high performance road bikes and highly polished exhibition flooring do not mix well) and we had a great time on the stand before heading for a well earned rest at our hotel.

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

More than half way there!

2010-04-22T00:01:00.014+02:00

Up early today to cycle the next stage to Lyon, 190 kilometres to the south. The team’s enthusiasm shows no sign of waning and after a relaxed warm up after leaving Dijon the team covered 60 kilometres in just 2 hours.

Not only do they look like a professional team (most of the people we pass think we are!) but they are working as one and have now perfected the Belgian circle, slipstream behind large vehicles and at one point managed to exceed a 50 km/hr speed limit – more of a green blur than a streak now!

So far we have been very lucky with the weather (it will probably rain tomorrow now) and today was no different, with temperatures hitting 27°C and sunshine all day.

All the riders have acquired an English tan (tanned face, arms and legs!) and all of them (except John - but he has promised to make amends tomorrow) have shaved their legs.

Two-bikes Gray managed to stick with just the one bike today for the first time; whilst Linda joined the ‘chain gang’ (other members include Two-bikes Gray) breaking a chain on a particularly tough climb.

Lunch was quickly despatched as we finished the last stretch into Lyon, the French capital of gastronomy, to a fantastic welcome by the employees from the Lyon branch who had very kindly prepared a very professional reception for us on the banks of the river Rhone.

We had the opportunity to promote energy efficiency and the Euro-Mediterranean Energy Efficiency Forum to members of the public and the local press.

Thank you to all of you who turned up to meet the team and show your support and hospitality.

Tomorrow we head away from the relative flat terrain towards – with some trepidation- the ‘Capital of the Alps’.

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

We cut the mustard

2010-04-20T23:25:00.007+02:00

A hearty meal and a good nights sleep (although how Simon and Andy slept in their garish Moroccan inspired room is a mystery to all) set the team up for the ride for the next stage – to Dijon.

Famous for its mustard, Dijon is the capital of the Burgundy region and our overnight stop on the journey south.

Cutting a green flash through the agricultural heartland of north eastern France, the team made steady progress throughout the day.

Once again the sun was shining with only the odd light shower to cool the riders, who a few times managed to exceed 45 km/hr. The team is really beginning to operate as a single group, ensuring high average speeds and even perfecting the ‘Belgian circle’ of rider rotation. The hills began to elongate as we edged closer to Dijon and fast overtaking traffic tested the rider’s nerves. I’m glad to report that once again all of the riders are well with no injuries and only Andy Gray (once again) managed to inflict damage on his bike.
Tomorrow will be the trek due south to Lyon where everyone is looking forward to meeting up with our Johnson Controls colleagues from the Lyon branch.

Thanks for all of your comments, it really helps the team spirit, so please keep them coming!

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

Only 1050 kms to go!

2010-04-20T08:28:00.008+02:00

We are finally on our way. After weeks of preparation, the team left Brussels today.

Before they left for Charleville-Meziers, over 50 Johnson Controls employees congregated at the Place du Chien vert in the Parc du Cinquantenaire to cheer the team on their way.Spirits were high as the team left the official start line and headed out of Brussels.

With the sun also out in force, the first stage covered 150 kms and headed south towards to the French border, through the Ardennes.
Despite not haven ridden as a group before over such a distance, the team quickly found their pace and were soon eating up the kilometres.

The undulating hills of the Ardennes proved harder work with some long steep climbs through winding roads.

But every climb has its upside (or should that be downside) as the crest of the hills were conquered and fast descents gave the muscles some much needed relief.

Fortunately traffic was light and only a few mechanical issues temporarily halted progress.

The French border was crossed unseen as the team made steady progress towards the overnight stop at Charleville-Meziers. So Day 1 was a success.

We arrived at our hotel in the early evening with everyone - and every bike - in one piece.

All of the riders are now sporting the start of a tan and with more sun forecasted we took the opportunity to stock up on water and energy gels.

Tomorrow will be a long trek down to Dijon. Before we sign off we’d like to thank all of you who supported us in Brussels and took the time to send us on our way.
You can monitor our progress with our real-time GPS tracking (see link in top right hand text box).

Bonne nuit

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

One day to go and all's well

2010-04-18T18:09:00.003+02:00

Despite the current difficulties with air travel I’m glad to report that all of our riders and support crew have made it to Brussels on time. It’s a timely reminder of the true power of nature and why it deserves our respect.

Today was the first time the team have met in person and spirits were high with everyone eager to try out the rental bikes they will be riding. In glorious sunshine (the sun shines on the righteous!) and 25 degree heat the team went for a short (60 kms) ride around Brussels to get used to their Look 566 road bikes (for you riders out there - it’s a full carbon frame and forks with Shimano 105 group set).

Fortunately being Sunday traffic was light and the riders could put the bikes through their paces and get used to the response and gearing of the ultra-lightweight bikes. For Simon and Andy they had the added bonus of having to get used to having the brakes on the opposite sides of the handlebars than they are used to (it’s not just the cars in the UK that are set up for right hand drive). So far so good but you need to come back daily to see whether they remember or not!

Tomorrow’s ride will be a tough ride. The team will start in Brussels and cycle through the hills of the Ardennes, finishing at Charleville-Mezieres in Northern France, 150 kms later.

The good weather is forecasted to last until Wednesday, so for those of you in Brussels please join us at the start (12:00 noon at Place du Chien vert, Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels) or give them a cheer if they cycle past you. For those of you elsewhere, drop us a message.

Until tomorrow.

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

Introducing our team of cyclists

2010-04-15T10:32:00.002+02:00

Our team of intrepid riders would like to introduce themselves to to our followers:-

Christophe Daniel

Hello everyone,
I introduce myself so that you know more about me aka "totof" I'm 44 years married for 18 years, 4 children 3 girls and 1 boy. I have worked for Johnson Controls since 1995.

I live in Draguignan located in the var (southern France) and I started cycling in 2005 to take part in a triathlon before I reached 50!
I have not had the opportunity to practice this type of ride and I acknowledge that I have no experience regarding the concentration of effort required. I'm a little scared but this also motivates me a lot. Personally I am ready physically without any worries.

Cordially Christophe

Carsten Eltner

Hi guys,

My name is Carsten, I am 44 years old. I live in Chemnitz together with my girlfriend and my 7 months old son. Chemnitz, where about 220.000 people live, is situated in Saxony, eastern part of Germany and there are mountains 300 to 1200 meters high.

I have been Johnson Controls since 1995. My position at Johnson Controls is a System Application Engineer. Some of my favourite hobbys (too much) are cycling, skiing (cross-country, downhill), trekking, photography, geocaching ...

I'm looking forward to our adventure and I'm sure we will get great time.

Best regards and see you,

Carsten

Andy Gray

Hello,

Have worked for Johnson Controls for 15 years all in Service but in numerous roles. I think I may be he new boy when it comes to cycling though. I only took it up at the beginning of last year when I signed up for the London to Paris ride. Each year I do a charity event (or challenge) hence at the time it seemed a good idea!!!

Following the ride a few of us decided to do Paris to Geneva this year .........hence have kept up the cycling. Splashed out at Christmas and bought a Boardman Special Edition bike........my first full road bike, which is an experience in itself!

My other interests i(apart from the occasional mad excursion) include Photography, Jewellery making and am also a qualified football referee and enjoy the 'beautiful' game. I’m married with 1 son, who also works for Johnson Controls and live in Kent in south east England.

Look forward to meeting with you all and sharing what will undoubtedly be a challenging but memorable trip.

Andy

Linda Hammoudi

Bonjour tout le monde,

Tout d'abord, très heureuse de participer à l'aventure, et impatiente de rencontrer l'équipe avec laquelle je vais vivre ce périple. Concernant mon parcours de "cycliste", je suis membre d'une association qui s'appelle "Euphonie". Cette dernière organise des séjours-formations un peu partout en Europe, qui permettent de favoriser la gestion de l'effort, le développement personnel et tout ce qui se rapporte au bien-être mental.

J'ai participé à un de ces séjours qui s'est déroulé en Irlande sur un parcours de 750 kilomètres, avec au maximum 105 kilomètres par jour.

Une expérience de ma vie qui m’a beaucoup marqué, tant sue le plan humain que sur celui de l'effort qu'un parcours tel que celui-ci demande.

Mais paradoxalement, l'effort en roulant à vélo est très bénéfique pour le mental, une sensation de liberté inouïe, d’autant plus que cet effort est fait pour promouvoir un but bien précis, donc pour la motivation, c’est un gros plus !
Pour nous, il s'agira d'une action aussi importante, mais dans un contexte différent.

Et pour ma part, au-delà de l’action, une conviction et une réelle opportunité de promouvoir et favoriser l'efficacité énergétique de cette façon.
Voilà donc mon histoire de « cycliste » et mes motivations.

A bientôt,

Linda

Luc Princen
With this mail I want to introduce myself: I think that I can play the role of interpreter: normally, I speak Dutch. But, French and English I know as well. So, I can a play the role of "bridge" between both sides during our trip..
In daily life, I am a sales guy for Johnson Controls for more then 25 years already. I am 48 years old.

A few years ago, I started to bike. And biking became more and more a part of my life (During my free time). Till now, I never did trips like some of you already did (London-Paris, trip in Ireland etc ). This seems to be fantastic. I want to listen to your stories.

Our trip to Monaco, I do it of course for energy efficiency but also to remind two persons: my youngest cousin, only 36 years old and my sales mentor, both suffering from cancer.

Those two will bike in mind with me during our trip.

See you in Brussels,

Luc

The team also includes:-

• John Hein(USA but lives in Belgium)

• Simon Letch (England)

• Frank Tougeron (France)

This ride will be a physically demanding and any messages of support will really help motivate the riders. So if you know any of the riders or just want to show your support for the team, get involved and post a message.

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

2010-04-14T12:08:00.003+02:00

Here's details of our route:-

STAGE 1 Monday 19 April: Brussels - Charleville Mezières
STAGE 2 Tuesday 20 April: Charleville Mezières - Dijon
STAGE 3 Wednesday 21 April: Dijon - Lyon
STAGE 4 Thursday 22 April: Lyon - Grenoble
STAGE 5 Friday 23 April: Grenoble - Aix en Provence
STAGE 6 Saturday 24 April: Aix en Province - Fréjus
STAGE 7 Sunday 25 April Fréjus - Monaco

We will be starting our ride at 12:00 noon so if anyone wants to come along and support us here's the address:-

Place du Chien vert,
Parc du Cinquantenaire,
Brussels, Belgium

It would be great to see you there!

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls

Energy efficiency cycle team announced

2010-03-09T12:22:00.004+01:00

As part of Johnson Controls’ support for the inaugural Euro-Mediterranean Energy Efficiency Forum, we are organising an employee only cycling tour from Brussels to Monaco to raise awareness about energy efficiency and show our commitment through low carbon travel.

Last month we advertised within the company for applicants and we were overwhelmed with responses. We had over 50 applicants but, with limited spaces available, we had to apply a selection criterion.

We are now pleased to announce the team that will travel the 1,200kms from Brussels to Monaco, as follows:-

Christophe Daniel, France
Carsten Eltner, Germany
Andy Gray, UK
Linda Hammoudi, France
John Hein, Belgium
Simon Letch, UK
Luc Princen, Belgium
Frank Tougeron, France

We would like to extend our thanks to all those employees that applied and to wish the team a safe and speedy journey.

The team will leave Brussels on Monday 19 April and the route will take in Charleville-Mezieres, Dijon, Lyon, Grenoble, Aix-en-Provence, Frejus and finish in Monaco on Sunday, 25 April.

The postings on this blog do not represent the positions, strategies or opinions of Johnson Controls