Bonjour Paris!

After just finishing up a full morning of negotiations, I am excited (and terrified) to announce that the Roberts family is moving to . . . France! And very soon. I have accepted a position as the European Blog Director for VeloNews (www.velonews.com), the cycling industry's premier online and print publication. I will be providing web updates and interviews for all of cycling's major races, including the Giro d' Italia (Tour of Italy) in May, Le Tour de France (July), and other key events throughout the year. This is a full time gig, so we will be living in Paris (and traveling throughout Europe) for approximately nine months out of the year, then spending three months each year (November, December, January) stateside in New York City, where VeloNews is headquartered.

My head is spinning and sorry I have not be in touch with each of you personally, but time is of the essence. We leave for Paris a week from Friday. I am assigned to cover all of the Spring Classics, beginning with Paris Roubaix on April 13th in northern France. Jackie has found an American academy in Paris that will accept Aubrey for her schooling and Murphy will be joining us later this summer. We will be staying at a condo near the center of Paris that I negotiated through the publication. I will forward more info - new phone numbers, addresses, etc. as I have them.

My focus on learning French was only partially a hobby. I had proposed this position to the management at VeloNews about two years ago and finally it has all fallen into place! Now I will get to merge three of my great passions - writing, travel, and cycling. Jackie is nervous, but very excited for our new adventure! Merci et au revoir! We will be in touch soon!

- Jeff