Bon Voyage and Sicheres Reisen, Augie!

You’ll be missing a familiar face at the bar over the next few weeks. Augie (you know, Augie) is leaving town to do some adventuring overseas and he’s bringing his bike. What you may not know about Augie is that he was an instrumental player in organizing last year’s Cycle Messenger World Championships at Soldier Field. This year, he’ll compete in 2013 Championships held in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In case you’re a friendly stalker, here’s his itinerary.

1st -  Germany

Augie’s catching up with friends and drinking some of his favorite beers - German pilsners, wheats and lagers.

2nd - France

They’re leaving Germany to drive into the mountains and catch a leg of the Tour (duh France)

3rd - Paris

Watch the Tour de France famously finish on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and party with a bunch of bike pals in the city of lights. He’ll participate in some alley cat races and check out the Parisian craft beer scene, courtesy of some suggestions from Ria.

4th - Switzerland

Instead of the traditional European train ride, Augie’s doing three day ride to get to Lausanne. It’s about a 300 mile ride thru the Alps. He rides all the time, upwards of 150 miles per week, and he’s biked much of the Northwest (his old stomping grounds), but it’s been a while and Augie says that “part of this will suck” Why? “It’s the Alps.”

He’ll participate in the Cycle Messenger World Championships. Unfortunately, he can’t win this particular race; it’s due to the technicality of a requirement that the winner be an active bike messenger, and not a reflection on his ability.

He might manage a trip to Belgium somewhere in there, then it’s back behind the stick at Bangers & Lace on August 6. Don’t worry - we’ll remind you to stop by and buy the man a much-deserved beer upon his return.