08/17/22 – America’s Got Talent

My friends Flor and Nico, aka Duo Rings, are participating in America’s Got Talent and I am giving them a hand during the competition. I came to L.A. for the auditions last April and they have since advanced to the semifinals, which are happening this week. This time I had to come all the way from rural France, so it took quite a bit longer and it included a car ride, a train ride, a short bus ride, a short flight, a very long flight, and finally an Uber ride – a 24-hour odyssey.
I was debating if I should take my Brompton with me to L.A. but it seemed a lot of hassle for very little return: I would be busy with trainings and filming, and wouldn’t have time to cycle all that much. So the bike stayed in France.
Although I didn’t bring the bike with me, I visited an authorized dealer in Pasadena to stock up on gear cables that are in need of replacement. I noticed they were slowly deteriorating during my trip to Champagne. I’ll change them before my next cycling trip in September.
The week, filled with training, filming and COVID tests, passed quickly. The schedule was pretty tight, leaving almost no time for leisurely activities. Still, I saw a few friends and visited a couple of places outside of Pasadena.
The live show that was broadcasted on NBC was amazing: Flor and Nico got a standing ovation not only from the audience but from all the judges, who also unanimously praised their presentation. After the performance I wished Flor and Nico good luck – the results of the voting will be announced while I’ll be in flight – and headed back to France: an Uber ride to LAX, very long flight to Paris, a short flight to Toulouse, a bus ride to the train station, a two-hour train ride and car ride back home.
Fingers crossed, Duo Rings will advance to the Finals. I will find out if I will need to fly back to L.A. upon landing in Paris.


This week in numbers:

0 km — distance cycled
6.002 — million viewers on average watching AGT this summer