Club 55 rules !!!!

We did it!

After 14 days of hard cycling, covering 1,002 miles, enduring 101 hours on the saddle, pushing the legs through ½ million pedal revolutions, climbing 1 ½ times the height of Mount Everest,  burning through over 60,000 calories each and together generating enough energy to wattage power the O2 Arena for an entire night, this evening eight of the nine members of the team that started at the O2 two weeks ago made it to Monte Carlo having individually managed the entire trip with no “relaying” or rest from cycling. Tony, who was injured on Day 2 and couldn’t manage the trip, joined us again for the last day.

Oh yes !!!

We arrived in Monte Carlo just before 8pm on Saturday evening where we were met by friends and family.  We are all elated and on a massive, massive high as we are now officially the 55^th to the 62^nd non-professional cyclists to ever achieve this epic challenge (hence Club 55). The three girls in our team are the first recorded females to complete the trip. Some going girls! We are however tired (more tired than we will perhaps admit) our bodies need a rest and we are ready for our bodies to completely crash on Monday (which they will) when the adrenalin and endorphins realise that our bodies no longer have to keep us going for eight hours a day on a bike. But the inevitable crashing can wait for a bit – at least until after tonight’s party!

During the challenge we have had some of the wettest UK weather on record (the first Day at the O2); we have endured the wettest and coldest May day in French history (2 degrees and one inch of rain as we cycled through the Champagne region); we have experienced strong and relentless headwinds (both in the UK and France) with little to no tailwinds at all and we have climbed over the mountains in temperatures of over 30 degrees. We have had to cope with broken bikes (both Ally’s and Antonio’s bikes broke and Nigel’s bike is all but dead), crashes (several of the team crashed with one of two pretty bad falls requiring a replacement helmet), injured knees (Nigel and Matt), injured Achilles (Keiron), mental anguish and even some tears as we have pushed our bodies and mental strength to extreme levels of tolerance.

Whilst this has obviously been an intense physical challenge, what sets this team apart and the reason we have succeeded where many others have not is the mental toughness every individual had to just keep going: no matter what. That (as well as the hundreds of hours training) is what got everyone over the line: this team of people just do not give in. To put this into context Bespoke Tours (our support team) advised me from the outset that statistically none of us would be able to complete the trip.

Seeing Ally “Steam train” Gormley grow from frankly a lady that was really struggling to get up any hill on Day 2 (and was asked politely several times on Day 3, 4 and 5 by Bespoke Tours if she’d like a rest day) conquer the challenge and turn herself over the two weeks into a highly competent cyclist that rode supreme and strong over the mountains, despite several falls and some injuries was something I am sure she is immensely proud of. Even though she has already publicly declared that she will not be getting on a bike again!

Seeing Renata “Pretty in Pink” Turlej being clearly unsure at the outset as to her capability to do this immense challenge and by the end of Day 2 self-evidently ready to give up. Yet something happened on Day 3 morning and she awoke and just switched on an “I don’t stop” mental toughness button and nothing but nothing was going to stop her from then on. Renata has been a strong member of the team and everyone has enjoyed her company.

Seeing Lisa “Queen of the Hills” Caswell grow from a lady who hadn’t been on a bike since childhood and had to have lessons to learn to cycle again for this challenge grow during her training and during the event into an exceptional cyclist the equal of any of the men and someone who can climb hills better than most was a real pleasure.

Seeing Keiron “Steady Eddy” Blay incur a badly swollen Achilles as early as Day 5 (almost certainly as a result of the extreme overuse this challenge gives) that was causing him some considerable distress, rise above the pain, strap it up and just get on with it “because I’m not stopping” typified the toughness anyone needs to take on this kind of challenge. Keiron was one of the “rocks” of this team: ready to help anyone and he provided a lot of humour too.

Seeing Antonio “Sardine Machine” Duarte enjoy each day more than the last as his body adjusted to the challenge and he got stronger and stronger as a result was amazing. Also known as the “Terminator” Antonio was immense throughout and had his finest hour on the mountains and positively raced (and I genuinely mean raced) up the 6 mile high Col du Pavezin at high speed.  Despite having to use a broken bike and at times use a tree twig to change gear (a technique invented by this wonderful Portuguese man without complaint or moan as his gears were broken) typified why Antonio is admired  and respected by anyone that has the pleasure of knowing him.

As for the “Bad Boys” of the group: Gorgeous George Rolls and Hollywood Matt Barrelle, these two “children” provided most of the humour, a considerable amount of speed and showed themselves to be highly accomplished cyclists throughout. Except that is when Matt cycles in front of cars (which he did at least 50 times every day) and when George has had too much Calvados the night before. The Bad Boys provided to this team what every successful group needs and that is both support when required but also the ability to entertain and relax everyone when the team were resting in the evenings. Boys: a real pleasure.      

As for me, well on his challenge I had more self-doubts than I have had before on these adventures.  My odd shaped feet and the resultant knee injuries they caused required ice baths and ice packs every night and anti-inflammatory medicine each day. But you know for all that by far this challenge was the most enjoyable challenge of them all for me. Why? Because it was physically the hardest. And by a long way. I am now without doubt a converted cyclist and I cannot wait to get a new racing bike when I’m home and beat the bad boys up the Madone Hill in the South of France sometime later this year.  Bring it on!

Before we go, whilst we have cycled this trip ourselves we would all like to thank everyone that has supported us. To our families who have endured the hours and hours of absence whilst we have trained. To all the sponsors that have enabled us to raise £20,000 for breast cancer charities; to our trainers such as Rob Creighton who have somehow got our bodies ready for this adventure and most of all to the incredible Bespoke Tours Limited who have been absolutely magnificent on this trip. They have gone the extra mile each and every day and beyond and we cannot thank them enough. Without a shadow of doubt without them we would never in a million years have got to perhaps even Day 3. Bespoke have led us, fed us, watered us, advised us, transported us, fixed bikes, sourced spares, driven 400 miles in the night to get replacement vehicles, marked the route and encouraged us throughout. For anyone but anyone planning any kind of trip like this we cannot recommend them enough. They were sensational. To Shaun and Paul: we are for ever in your debt.

So as we sign off, thank you for reading and following. As of last night the blog has been read over 6,300 times during our adventure and for that we are incredibly humbled.  The best of the pictures will be up on facebook sometime soon so please do take a look.

Ciao.

Day 13 In the mountains

Day 13 was an amazing day. We are all safely back at the hotel having climbed over the mountains to the French coast. The climbing was steep today, the weather was very hot (32 degrees) but we all completed the mountain leg with great success. As we did, everyone remarked how our “bike fitness” has increased so much during the 13 days so far.  Spirits are very high indeed right now with just 66 of our 1,000 miles to go.

Still with energy !!

But before we get into the detail of Day 13, Day 12 evening cannot get away scot free!

As the team has begun to realise that we are getting real close to achieving our goal now and we may just make it to Monte Carlo and become only the 55^th to the 62^nd non-professional cyclists ever to best this incredible 1,000 mile challenge (we will end up doing pretty well exactly 1,000 miles) so the evening antics have increased in - well – noise.

As I (Nigel) came down from getting changed last night, I found one Mr Gorgeous George Rolls (that’s his nickname on the trip) in the kitchen inspecting his precious Apple Mac which was in the oven (yes, in the oven………..) and one Renata Turlej videoing the water in the bar area insisting it was a very special river. Hmmm – interesting. As the completely sober Lisa and Antonio called over “Nigel please come and save us….” the plethora of empty glasses on the tables surrounded by raucous laughter gave a rather large clue as to why only 3 of the 8 team members had showered – some 4 hours after arriving. Anyway, I’m sure you get the picture. It seems that Gorgeous George had managed to enjoy one few too many Calvados drinks during the afternoon and whilst attempting to hold a glassful in his teeth had managed to water his laptop, and then attempted (with the help of the French chef) to dry it out in the oven. Surprisingly it didn’t work in the morning! It made however for one of the funniest and most enjoyable evenings I’ve had in a long, long time. It was, to be honest, great to see the team starting to relax as the enormity of the miles already completed dawned on them. The dedication and training everyone has gone through to try and complete this challenge is immense and no-one can begrudge them a night off!

Eventually however, everyone made it for supper where we actually found a restaurant that served bread with butter, proper chips and diet coke (all three of which have been all but non-existent as we have descended down through the French countryside). The meal was superb – something that cannot be said for hardly any of the others we have had. Dinner wrapped up around 10pm and we all retired ready for a big day ahead.

Day 13 was a very early start with everyone leaving on their bikes at 6.30 to 6.45am. Day 13 was always going to be a tough day – the second hardest in terms of ascent gradient - but when combined with the extreme heat it was potentially a very difficult day indeed. Accordingly, the team elected to start early and try to get over the mountain by lunchtime thereby missing the peak heat of the day.   

To be honest, everyone was in great form and the strength shone through every person. We were very strong indeed. Rather than getting tired as we have racked up the miles, it seems that individually and as a team we have got stronger. To be honest I think today was one of if not the strongest day. Our organisers Bespoke Tours – who publicly stated that every one of us would need one or more rest days and that they did not expect any of us to cycle all the way – remain astonished that we are still going – without any rest periods.

Even though we had “agreed” to take it easy at the start today to preserve energy for the mountain stage, we found ourselves racing along at an average speed of 13mph for the first few miles of open countryside. We actually managed to ride in a proper peloton for most of the day too. Overall we maintained a solid 12mph average speed throughout the day (our fastest average as a group) even though we ascended two monster hills. Watching the “growth” of everyone as they positively devoured the mountain stage today and mentally comparing that to apprehension, tiredness and the somewhat weak climbing that occurred within the team in days 1 and 2 was a really great feeling. The mental toughness of this team is of the very highest order.

Cycling through the mountains was fantastic. Yes it was steep and yes it went on for miles: but the scenery was spectacular and will be something that I will remember for a long time.

Fantastic scenery

So tomorrow is the big day. Fitness wise we are all fine and none of us are now carrying any real injuries of note.  Sure we have a few “niggles” but nothing that cannot be coped with. 

Nearly there now!!

So, all being well we should arrive at Monte Carlo around 8pm tomorrow to be met by many family members and friends who are flying out for the occasion.

Wish us luck !!!   

The race is on ...

It seems the race is one to write the blog tonight ... George, having arrived at the hotel hours before the rest of us has been enjoying a bottle Calvados to himself and is now determined to write this quicker than me.  However, being the sober one here, I reckon I can type quicker and probably make more sense so I'm going to attempt to beat him to it.  

I'll upload photos later for speed purposes! :) 

So today was Day 12 and it was supposed to be a relaxing 52 miles ... or at least that was what we were told when we signed up to this challenge.  Equally we were told it was only a 13 day challenge but it turns out that not one of us can count and its actually 14 days ... and today was over 60 miles ... AGAIN!!! 

That said, a few of us did choose a different route to the one apparently mapped out or us, so George (who left the team once more to head off to the hotel for a Calvados or four) and Nigel who had disappeared early from lunch to take a few more photos actually cycled around the 59-60 mile mark ... more than originally planned but still shorter than the rest of us.  We all managed another 65 mile day ... and the last part was mostly uphill!  JOY! 

So to set the scene the day started very smoothly.  The van still hadn't been fixed but it was only time until we got the phone call saying it was ready. In the meantime, Shaun followed the gang in his people carrier and Paul continued his role as Pathfinder at the front of the group.  We left the hotel at 8.30am, made our way as a group out through the town and back into the rolling Southern French countryside.   The terrain was fairly flat, road surfaces ranging from ok to horrid.   We actually managed to stay as a group for quite a while.

Teamwork paying off

Then from nowhere, George and Matt unleashed their top speed and took off.  I (Lisa) was up until that point leading the group.  Seeing the boys steal my thunder I decided it simply wasn't happening and from somewhere found the strength to keep up with the boys ... well at least until the first stop at 22 miles.  I am apparently now a member of the Elite Speed Racing Peloton Team!  

The next 22 miles were stunning ... passing rivers bluer than the sky and tree lined roads for miles and miles.  Simply stunning! 

Lunch beckoned and we found a shaded spot for a quick bite to eat, in the knowledge that we only had 14 miles left to do (or so we thought).  By the way, its worth noting that today has been by far the hottest day, hitting somewhere in the region of 30 degrees at times. 

And so, with George and Nigel off on their merry travels early on, the rest of the team - Ally, Renata, Keiron, Matt, Antonio and myself set off for a quick 14 miler home.  2 miles in and we all start questioning whether we're on the right route.  No signs to guide us ... something wasn't right.  Next thing we know Shaun the Shepherd is pulling us over.  We've missed a turn off by around 2km.  We now have a team decision to make ... turn back and go the mapped route, or keep going and cycle a route that is roughly the same distance from the hotel (apparently) but on unknown terrain.  After much 'faffing' the onward decision was reached.  And so on we ploughed.  

Just as we turn off the main road into the National Park and a spot of sightseeing, Matt has a blow out.  Don't think I've ever heard such loud bang.  Anyway, with Keiron and Shaun there to help with the fix-up, the rest of us plough on.  Suddenly we hit a hill ... up and up we go ... and up a bit further ... and then a bit more.  Will this hill ever stop.  Thankfully the incline wasn't too bad and after about 45 minutes we hit the top and start to descend.  Whoops and cheers can be heard from all around.  But that ended very soon when we suddenly saw the MASSIVE climb ahead of us.  19km to the hotel ... Are you kidding??? And all uphill by the looks of it.  

And so the climb began again.  This time winding back and forth so as the person in front of you turned a corner you could see them ahead of you, cycling back the way you came ... completely soul destroying.  Just as we thought it was ending we were greeted with yet another hill!  Honestly - today was supposed to be an easy day!

Never ever ending.....

Finally the downhill descent arrived.  Whilst the others revelled in this moment, I unfortunately suffer from quite a severe phobia of heights and this was a little more than I could handle, experiencing my first ever panic attack (albeit a mild one).  Thankfully Keiron is a complete superstar and managed to coax me back onto my bike and we took the descent slowly, him going ahead at every turn to assure me that it was safe.  So, a big fat public THANK YOU to the amazing Mister Blay who I'm not sure I would have got through this trip without! 

Anyway, we're now all back at the hotel safe and sound.  Sadly the afternoon jaunt took a little longer than planned and Shaun is now unable to make it back in time to pick up the van ... looks like that's a job for tomorrow! 

I'm now sitting in the hotel bar with a progressively drunken group of cyclists ... anyone would think  we had something to celebrate!!  Well with two days to go, what's the harm in celebrating early?  :) 

The day of Days !!

Day 11 Rochemaure to Cavaillon 

After the antics of yesterday we decided to leave the hotel at 10am today, giving Shaun and Paul time to work out onward logistics, hear from the garage regarding the big white van repair (yes, Shaun the sheep is a white van man) and find a bike shop to buy Bad Boy Hollywood Barrelle some new shoe cleats (he really has been dragging his heels over the past few days cycling with only one shoe) and Ally a new helmet as her’s was cracked following an action fall on the chemin de fer level crossing.

Bad Boys (Barrelle and Rolls) were called into the headmasters study (by Big Gov Nige) and respectfully asked to stick with the pack today and not motor ahead. There was some confusion as to why they were singled out for this little chat as both had an exemplary performance record being model cyclists and perfect role models for any elite road racing team. (yeah right....)

Weather on departure was cloudy but warm (18.5C) and steadily increased up to a maximum of just under 30C by mid afternoon. Lashing of sun screen and plenty of fluids (both in and out).

Paul ‘Orange Arrow’ the Mad Hog Rider set our course as we meandered down the Rhone valley and entered the magical Provence countryside, passing through small villages, vines (most of which Bad Boy Matt knew personally), Lavender fields, fruit farms all under the backdrop of the southern Alps to the East. It was an amazing time: the sun shone and the scenery was magical. Everyone's spirits lifted. We had great weather, wonderful cycling, fantastic team spirit. It was great and everyone is now so cycling fit that they easily dealt with the day's efforts.

Now. French latrines even in their most basic form can be complicated affairs to use as Pretty in Pink Renata found out to her horror. When flushing these contraptions you need to stand well clear as the tsunami hits the porcelain at about ankle level, swooshing away all debris and giving the bowl a good shine. Sadly PiPR was standing just too close and got a full foot wash and shoe shine. We are told by the French plumbers association that the water used for flushing is clean in most cases!!

Bad Boys Rolls and Barrelle invented a new game today. Cycling up behind fellow competitors (oops sorry Guv… Riders)….and letting out a huge scream as they skim past. This got some interesting reactions and was primarily designed to keep fellow team members awake on the straighter country roads.

After the quite sensational morning, the afternoon for George, Matt and Nigel turned into one of those “Days of Days” that well you couldn’t make up if you tried. Boys will be boys after all.

Immediately after lunch Matt and George set off at speed and accelerated away from the group reaching speeds of 25 mph+. Unusually, Nigel decided to give chase. With testosterone pumping and the Garmin GPS showing 28mph, bit by agonising bit Nigel was catching up the two “big guns” of the team. When George and Matt stopped for a drink the look on their faces as Nigel sped by at speed was priceless – it was definitely in the “hey that can’t be happening” camp. Unperturbed, George and Matt then gave chase and the three young children raced their way back up to silly speeds as they traversed the countryside. Unfortunately, their focus was so much on the speedometer that they sailed straight past the orange route marker sign and straight onto the French Motorway.

Ooops!!

With horns blaring and French fists angrily waving out of seemingly every car window, George decided that the only way was forward and carried on relentlessly. Nigel and Matt stopped to check out the GPS routing on the iphone to see if there was a better way – only to discover that their only route was indeed forward too. So they built up speed again and powered their way to the next junction to try and rejoin the main group  – unfortunately as is the way with these things, 3 miles from the junction Matt’s front tyre blew. Oh yippidee doo. But the dynamic duo had a plan which was then actioned. Whilst Nigel knelt down on the hard shoulder and changed Matt’s tyre as lorries sped by but a few feet away at 80+mph Matt would plot the iphone route to the hotel. Simples!

Phew. Tyre repaired. Everyone alive and limbs intact, they were off again. Unfortunately Matt then dropped his i-phone and smashed his screen rendering the mapping image unreadable. Couldn’t make it up could you???

But haha!! They still had a blackberry. Unfortunately the blackberry screen on this model is so small that you can hardly see a town the size of Paris let along a motorway in the south of France. Not surprising then that following the directions of such a device led these two madmen into the centre of Avignon some 12 miles off course (well that’s their excuse anyway). And after all that, their only route back was to get back on the same motorway and just wing it. Which they did.

After a smashed phone, a puncture, a thousand car horns and clenched fists plus 12 extra miles, everyone is now safely back at the hotel.

What a day!!! What an adventure !!!

The easy day – yeah right.

After the incredible exploits of Day 9, today – Day 10, was arranged from the outset to be the easiest day. Yes it was 68 miles of cycling (but then that’s par for the course for this challenge) but the terrain was to be largely flat, with more descent than ascent as we traversed the Rhone valley with the alps and Mont Blanc our constant cycling buddies.

Of course it did not turn out that way but then what does on endurance challenges such as this?

Everything started off very well with an 8.30am briefing and a 9am start (later than usual to help overcome Day 9's exertions). The first 6 miles of today was a constant very steep descent (yes really 6 miles of downhill) known locally as Death Hill as each year the hill claims the lives of 3 or 4 cyclists who descend too fast. Lisa, who suffers from vertigo decided to descend in the van whilst the rest of the group made their way carefully down. In the event it was a truly amazing experience if done sensibly – which we all did. And Nigel didn't get a puncture this time either!

After 6 miles and with everyone on the road, we all set off, following the local river as it meandered through he valley. The weather forecast was for a warm sunny day and a nice tailwind to help us along our way.

Imagine then the reaction when after just a couple of miles the blue sky turned very quickly dark and it started to rain (which carried on pretty much all through the ride) and if that wasn’t enough the tailwind immediately and in tandem metamorphosed into a pretty nasty headwind. The group’s lovely 13mph average initial speed dropped markedly and it became real hard going. Not at all what the doctor ordered for this “easy recovery” day. The slippery conditions also brought about a couple of accidents but everyone seems to be okay.

Just before lunch as everyone was noticeably tiring both from the exertions of cycling into today's wind and the cumulative fatigue from the past 9 hard days, our “relaxing” day took another turn for the worse when the shiny new support van broke down meaning our food, water, luggage and repairs were all stuck in a van in the middle of nowhere on a bank holiday in France!

One of the things that has amazed everyone on this trip (in addition to how amazingly different the French and English are in so very many ways) is how empty France is as a country with seemingly every town and village occupied by invisible people.  Last night in a town about the size of a very large English village with well over 400 houses we were the only people alive it seemed, eating in the only restaurant open. At 10pm we walked back the 1 mile to the hotel and did not see a single person. Mind you we did for just about the first time manage to get butter for our bread (more often than not we can't).

On a bank holiday this "emptiness" is even worse. Whilst the group made their way to a local pizza restaurant (the only restaurant open for miles and miles it seemed) we had to leave Shaun of Bespoke Tours behind to fend for himself and try and sort out the van. Some 6 hours later he managed to arrive at the hotel in a hire car with everyone’s luggage crammed into the back: a feat of packing that amazed everyone. As for the van, well no doubt the saga will continue tomorrow when France “re-opens” and we try and get it fixed.

So, after our nice sunny relaxing easy day that turned into a bit of a dayus horribilis we are all now at our hotel. Our next problem seems to be food. The hotel’s restaurant is closed (“it’s a bank holiday monsieur”) as is seemingly every restaurant in town too. Mars bars anyone?

Onward to Day 11….  

   

Determination

Feeling strong back at the hotel

Determination, it has been said is all about showing how much you want something. Do you have it within you to do, within reason, whatever you have to in order to achieve your goal? 

Well today was the day we would find out. At least as far as this challenge was concerned anyway as today, Day 9, was to be the hardest day - by a long way. But we knew that before we started: in fact at 9pm last night when we all slipped off to bed early you could cut the apprehension with a knife.

After having already endured 8 hard days, and got further already than most people that take this challenge on, could we do the infamously difficult day 9? Could we climb the 6,000+ feet we had to do today over the 77 miles of cycling? Could we “monster” the 6.4 mile constant uphill Col de Pavezin which would present itself to our exhausted limbs right at the end of the 77 mile ride day? Did we all have what it takes? 

Of course we did!!! We killed it: we were all on fire and every one of the team that cycled (sadly Tony’s injury prevented him from cycling) did themselves incredibly proud. It was an awesome day for this group and back at the hotel we are positively buzzing.

But even the hardest of days for this team would not be complete without our share of adventurous mishaps and today was no exception.

Mid-morning, the rear wheel of Antonio’s bike lost two spokes rendering it unusable. As Antonio had not brought any spare spokes with him he had no choice but to either pull out of the challenge or use Allyson’s bike which Allyson had discarded earlier in the week as the gears slip. Whilst the gods had not treated Antonio well in this unfair mishap, this amazing man whom everyone loves to bits didn’t moan or complain at all but moreover shrugged his shoulders and just got on with using Allyson’s broken bike. But what an amazing turn of events - on this bike Antonio proceeded to absolutely murder the day. Today Antonio sprouted wings and positively flew – climbing the 6.4 mile monster at the end of the day as if it was not there. It was an amazing site to see and just rewards for a true gentleman. Even though the gears are still broken !!

But the day’s mishaps did not end there. Shortly after Antonio’s accident with his spokes, Allyson missed a sign and ending up going the wrong way. Under normal circumstances this would not be an issue but this wrong path involved Allyson climbing another additional hill. And a big one too. Not the day for this to happen. But this lady personifies “Determination” and despite being upset just got on with it and together with the increasingly strong Renata proceeded to climb all the hills today with incredible success. Frankly the comparison on day 9 of Allison and Renata and the two ladies that started the challenge 9 days ago is utterly unrecognisable. They both improved beyond recognition.

Nigel too had a horrible mishap day. Around mile 43 Nigel had his second rear tyre puncture of the challenge but this time it also damaged the wheel (warping it slightly) and break pads (locking one into a permanently semi-on position). The upshot was that Nigel had to cycle miles 43 to 60 with his rear breaks partially on and then do the monster climb at the end with a rear wheel that did not “roll” properly. Nigel's determination carried him through however to the top of the climb with pride.

The reality is that everyone was strong today. Everyone "wanted it." Lisa (definitely the team’s queen of the hills) was immense and strong throughout and just gets better every day; Keiron rose above his injured Achilles and just got on with it topping out in great speed; Matt, despite having to cycle the entire journey with only one functioning clipped pedal (as one is not working properly) made it back to the hotel as one of the first as did who George killed the trip despite a worsening tightening of his back.

Today was a day that anyone who had the privilege to be part of this amazing adventure will never forget (just ask the French neighbours who could hear Allyson and Renata miles away when they topped out the climb).

Determination? This great team has it in spades. 

Do we each want to be one of the very few cyclists that successfully manage to get all the way to Monte Carlo?

You bet we do.            

Sunday should be a day of rest

Sunday should be a day of rest, and as such we decided to cycle a measly 59 miles on fairly flat terrain.  Setting off in the drizzle at just after 8am from what I think everyone would agree is the best hotel to date on this trip, we managed to actually cycle as a team for the first 10 miles ... even George and Matt hung back to stick with everyone. Then as the sun broke through and the roads opened out, the team spread out.

Before continuing however, its worth paying full credit to our wonderful hotel last night.  You simply couldn't wish for better hospitality.  The rooms were lovely - large baths, heating, comfy beds (and a great hairdryer - spot the girl writing this!)  And the owners were simply fantastic.  They couldn't do enough for us.  They even called the local journalist who rocked up at the hotel 1 hour later to interview Nigel, George and Tony ... 70,000 readership and we'll be headline news next week!

Something odd happened today though setting seven of the nine cyclists slightly off kilter.  Instead of chasing the yellow and black coats of George and Matt, we found ourselves cycling further ahead losing sight of them in our mirrors even.  

15 miles in, just past the town of Givry, the team arrived at the 500 mile marker!!!!!  Officially half way! 

500 mile mark

After the obligatory photos, we set off, with the plan to stop five miles further down the road for our normal 20 mile break.  Nigel, however, had other plans completely bypassing the 20 mile mark and heading off on his own.  The rest of the team stopped and enjoyed the usual tea, coffee, jelly beans and pain au chocolat. 

Now, twenty minutes ahead of the rest of the team, Nigel lived a life long ambition and took a quick detour to visit the village of his favourite wine ... Chardonnay.

Around 12.30pm the team, well most of the team, met at a small picnic area for lunch.  Shaun cooked a treat of potatoes and baked beans and the team (again most of us) tucked in.  Half an hour into lunch and still George and Matt (our usual front runners) were nowhere to be seen.  

Turns out they had taken a slight detour themselves, visiting a local vineyard and picking up a few bottles to help them along the way.  

Check out the water bottle!!

Then, whilst Matt attempted to practice what he calls his 'flicking technique', he inadvertently crashed into George wiping them both out.  I think the next photo says it all!

 

They finally arrived at lunch 45 minutes after the rest of the team.

The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by.  The team seem to have established some good cycling partnerships ... 

Ally and Antonio join forces to maintain a steady pace

Ren and Tony team up to form the romantic element of the team

Lisa and Keiron seem to spur each other on, Keiron taking the lead on the downhill, and Lisa catching him up on the uphill

George and Matt form the comedy duo 

And Nigel slots in perfectly amongst each pair, often choosing to cycle off alone to take some incredibly arty photos ... 

Rapeseed fields - truly beautiful

We all arrived at the hotel just after 3pm ... and boy what a hotel.  Just on the outskirts of Macon there is a reason no one else is staying here!  I think we'll actually all be pretty happy to get up and leave tomorrow morning, although that said, tomorrow is by far our toughest day so we'll see!

Half way point ...

Beginning to feel like groundhog day as we set off, heads down, for day 7 of our French adventure.


The day worked much like yesterday ... quite a few hills, and some glorious downhill to take the pressure off our poor buttocks!!  Just under 65 miles covered and just over 4,000 feet climbed ... not bad for a bunch of amateurs.  


The day started slowly ... aching muscles and maybe a touch too much wine last night for some (not Nigel who continues to remain sober as part of a personal challenge he's set) but as the day progressed spirits lifted and the team pressed on with increasing vigour. 


Lunch came early, but having decided that the main road wasn't the best place for us to stop we backtracked 100 metres to a little car park next to a stream.  Unfortunately this is where communication fell down and we lost Tony for a good 45 minutes! Turns out he'd ventured inside to a local hotel having been told it was a beautiful traditional French hotel with waitresses in great outfits!  When he came back outside, five minutes later, the rest of the team had vanished.  Unsure where to go, Tony started to hobble around the village then onwards to Monte Carlo, with no bike, phone or directions.  Needless to say, when he finally found the group he was somewhat frustrated! 


As lunch ended the grey clouds moved in and we set off to an increasing rainfall.  Ten minutes in and it was a full on hail storm!  Ten minutes later and the team were stripping as the sun shone through once more.  Then came the hill ... a mother of all hills!  I don't think any of us thought it would end .... but after some stunning scenery and some very tired legs we were greeted with a 6km downhill into our final resting point for the day.


Much like the hare and the tortoise, Paul (the other half of Bespoke Tours) took off on his 1200 cc BMW motorbike to set out our markers for the journey with the aim of stopping at the 20 and 40 mile markers for breaks.  Little did he realise that the day's fastest riders - George, Matt and Nigel - were hot on his heels and at the end of the day reached the hotel just ten minutes behind him, completing the full distance in just over 5 hours!  An incredible achievement I'm sure you'll agree!  Lisa followed shortly afterwards with a huge smile on her face proving her love for the hills continues.  Thirty minutes later our back markers, Antonio, Ally, Ren and Tony arrived at the hotel having enjoyed a more leisurely pace with the hope of hurting slightly less than the others in the morning ... everyone seems full of beans today!!

Day 7 and proud!

Upon arrival at our lovely hotel in a beautiful village called Couches, we were greeted by one heck of a thunderstorm.  Madness kicked in when Ally and Lisa decided enough was enough and embraced the storm, dancing around and screaming with excitement whilst being pelted by rain and then large hail stones!!

Check out that cloud!!!

No one got lost today which, by our standards, is somewhat of a miracle. Thank god for Paul the Pathfinder and Shaun the Shepherd and their exceptional patience and professionalism, dealing with an ever fatigued and confused team of weary cyclists.

We are in a lovely hotel tonight, and looking forward to a dinner of beef and home made pasta, for some much needed energy, driving our legs into day 8 of 14.

Onward we wince, to the home of the Prince.

Days 5 and 6

During the organising of this ride, we had done a great deal of research and as part of that we had spoken to many groups who had previously attempted to cycle the 1,000 miles that represents this challenge. Pretty much everyone - both the few groups that had made it to Monte Carlo and the many groups that had not - had said that Days 5 and 6 had been, for them, the first “big hurdle.” The experience of previous groups suggested that, barring injury, most people who were fit enough and had trained enough should be able to get to Day 4 – but Days 5 and 6 seemed to account for a good 30%+ of people dropping out.

And so, as I’m sure you can appreciate we set off on the 68 miles that represented our Day 5 challenge with more than a little apprehension. Not least because, in addition to other people’s experiences, the weather forecast was again pretty grim. But, as if to give us a welcome and to be honest much needed boost on this crucial day, no sooner that we had left the hotel – the sun broke through the persistent dark clouds that had blighted much of the first 4 days. Not only did it “break through” but it slowly but surely burnt off the clouds to leave us with our first glorious blue sky “20 degree” day. What a relief! No rain, little wind and warm sunshine.

The mood of the team lifted almost in concert with the warmth of the orange ball in the sky and the merriment seen all too fleetingly in previous days returned. Laughter returned as boys revelled in the yellow fields............

The less said the better frankly.....

George, Keiron and Matt re-started their “who can roll down the hill the longest without peddling” game, Matt Nigel and Keiron played the “cycling blind with other people directing you” game and Lisa began to show everyone what an incredible hill climber she is on a bike. Having rested his knee for two days, Tony re-joined the team today and cycled all day.

Day 5 was also marked by two big events. Firstly, we passed through 500 kilometres of cycling which represents a third of the way there. This was marked by a traditional group photo as you can see below with the group lying across the "busy" French road we were cycling on!

500 km up and still going......

But perhaps Day 5 will be best remembered by the group as the day our little Irish girl reminded us what this challenge is all about and why, both individually and as a group we aim to beat the 1.5% success rate of cycling the 1,000 miles. 

Up until Day 4, Ally had not found the cycling particularly easy. She has not been feeling great and her bike is broken (in a manner that cannot be fixed en route) meaning that she is unable to select her uphill gears properly. Bespoke Tours estimate that the effort required is double that were the bike to be working properly. During the night Ally also contracted some kind of food poisoning and was sick. This illness carried through to the day and she had to stop several times by the side of the road in the morning. Despite frequent requests by Bespoke Tours to rest in the van, this lady of iron steadfastly refused to give in and cycled every single mile on day 5 with a broken bike and a stomach upset. Fortunately in the afternoon of Day 5 not only did Ally begin to feel better but swapping to the spare bike unearthed a cyclist unrecognisable from previous days. Wonderful news! (Note to Ally: bin the bike).   

Of course a day would not be complete in our group without something happening – and so, following on from Antonio and Renata getting lost on Day 4, on Day 5 Tony, Renata and Matt duly obliged cycling approximately 10 miles in the wrong direction and needing rescuing. They still did the 62 miles though!   

We all arrived at the beautiful Logis Auberge du Lac, Mesnil at around 4.30pm tired but another day under the belt. Whilst the hotel was wonderful, the only problem was that it did not have a bike rack so Keiron, being the nice man that he is obliged. 

Discussions regarding Day 6 over dinner Day 5 evening were all very uncertain. We had two conflicting weather forecasts for Day 6 (one showing sunshine and one showing violent thunderstorms). We also had two conflicting route data, one showing flat terrain and one showing lots of hills and over 4,000 of ascent over the 68 miles to Avillon. As it turned out we were blessed with another warm dry day though the route was very hilly and we did indeed climb over 4,000 feet today.

Now in all previous days someone had got lost. But today we were determined and so we all practised our directions before we left. And it worked as no one got lost today!

If in doubt follow the arrow....

Today, everyone (except for Tony because of his knee) easily voted the day as the best yet. It was a superb day. A fantastic day. As a group we were all strong and we finished the 68 miles in record time despite climbing higher than we had done before – and by quite some way. The injuries we are all carrying (everyone has a stiff or sprained or swollen muscle or joint) seemed to warm up well in the balmy sunshine and everyone coped well with the long hills and the long fast descents.   Ally’s cycling on the new bike continued to be a revelation and Lisa continued to overtake most people going uphill! Antonio has disovered Superman speed and sped off in the morning like a fast train not a cyclist!

The scenery was simply beautiful.

Old wine press

Typical cycle-by view

Nigel took over 300 photos in just one day and all in all it was just awesome. By the end of Day 6 the group has now cycled 424 miles and we will reach the half way point tomorrow.

Of course a day with this group would not be complete without a daily mishap of some sort and Day 6 was no exception. 3 miles from the hotel there is a very long, fast downhill section of about a mile where everyone reaches speeds of 30 miles an hour or more. It was at a speed of 32mph, sweeping round a sharp bend into oncoming traffic that Nigel’s rear tyre exploded and the bike went into sharp uncontrollable movements – applying the brakes made matters worse and to say that it was scary would be a massive understatement. Whilst all is well and no harm was done – Nigel went a new colour of white and gave the group a nice surprise as he was unable to speak properly for two minutes straight afterwards!

The team arrived at the hotel in Avillon at 3.30pm and are resting up for Day 7 which starts with an ascent that continues straight upwards – for 20 miles! The weather forecast is for more heavy rain tomorrow: we shall see.

Ciao.    

Quick update due to limited wifi ... day 5

Hi all

Just a quick update to say we're all fine and have arrived at the hotel safe and well. Wifi is very limited in the hotel we're staying at tonight so the real blog update for today may have to come tomorrow now.

Long day today, but the weather was fantastic (for a change). Everyone is complaining of sore bottoms and aching quads!  If anyone's got any good stretches for the legs, please share them ... we need as many ideas as we can get!  Still 8 days to go!!!!

Good night from everyone in the team - time for us to catch some beauty sleep!

Lisa x

Sorrow Drowned in Champagne - Day 4

Hi everyone - well 320 miles under the belt !!

Today we completed the 61 mile trip between Laon and Matougues, (approximately 15 mile to the East of Epernay) in the heart of Champagne country. Our journey time was approximately 5hrs 15 mins in the saddle and we climbed over 3200 vertical feet and burnt well over 3000 calories each.

A few niggles were reported at our pre departure briefing: Keiron had a painful Achilles tendon, Tony an excruciatingly troublesome hamstring tendon (necessitating  him to remain out for the day), Matt, George & Keiron (our highly trained/elite athletes......) complained variously of headaches (a lack of fluids was suggested although this was later put down not to lack but the wrong sort of fluid being too much rough Bordeaux wine for dinner the previous evening) - encouraged by Keiron. Others were a little stiff but soon loosened up.

The trip out of town was fairly uneventful, a nice orderly group respectfully snaking past the locals who had returned from their Labour Day bank holiday. We shot out into beautiful open countryside, climbing up onto open farmland, picture postcard French villages and forests. Matt was having trouble with his foot co-ordination/clip releases (wine again) and following a request from Nigel for a quick photo opportunity (apparently something Matt has never been shy of) he managed to topple over ending up with the bike on top of him. 

And all George did was laugh.......

Matt earns the name Hollywood Barrelle for a very stylish roll and recovery. 

After a couple of hours, the first spots of Champagne rain hit us - and then my god the heavens opened!! This coincided with us joining the main Laon to Reims highway used by seemingly all of the biggest and dirtiest French lorries. The spray and wind buffeting from just about all of them was terrible as these monsters shot by. After 10 miles we stopped at a lorry café for some hot refreshments (tea/coffee but sadly no vin chaud for Matt). We had hoped to meet a few of the charming French lorry drivers to offer them a drink or two but none were to be found. Joking apart the French motorists really do respect cyclists and generally give a wide birth, even on double white lines with oncoming cars. Ally sadly did not have that luxury later in the afternoon when the turbulence from a too close for comfort 18 wheeler sent her off into the grass. Nice soft landing.

The rain continued incessantly and the wind was pretty much in our faces for the next few hours. The temperature was very low and with the combined rain, spray, turbulence and wind we later found out that the adjusted wind chill factor brought the temp down to 2 degrees centigrade - one of the coldest May days on record in the Champagne region !!! Oh whooppidy doo !!!  This would account for the fact that when we dived for shelter in the gabled entrance to a Champagne chateau we were all feeling it. Shivering (except for Lisa who said she was fine, so earns the name today The Terminatress).

We pressed for another 20 minutes discussing a delicious warm lunch in front of a roaring log fire in the next village. Sadly, no shops, bars, restaurants just three or four champagne houses closed for winter. So hey presto, Shaun arrived with the big white bus and before we knew it his pagola is erected in the market square and we looked like a very professional cycling team. It was however freezing and we were soaked through to the core. All of us. 

A few local curtain twitchers wondered what had arrived as Antonio stripped off (to his waist) to change into dry clothes and the other bedraggled cyclists wandered around looking for warmth, which initially was inside the van but then moved towards the tent when the smells of George’s creation wafted around the village. Members were invited to join the chefs table for the two course lunch. Nigel starts with a Mars Bar, Lisa with bread and cheese and George/Antonio and Matt with a banana.  This is followed with perfectly cooked penne pasta coated in delicious canned Irish stew and canned meatballs with a light sprinkling of the finest canned sweetcorn, eat your heart out Gordon. Surprisingly good tucker the old `Aussie commented. 

Rain stopped after lunch as we set off for our last 25 hilly miles. In a surprisingly out of character move Nigel shot off ahead of the pack to get pole position for his warm bath at the hotel whilst his charming room mate Antonio (recently named as The Portuguese Machine) apparently  took in some unexpected and unplanned sightseeing with Renata as they missed one of the Orange Turning Markers.

Our Bespoke Tour guide Shaun the Shepherd then went off to find his missing flock. 

Despite problems with her bike gears Ally did magnificently today finishing the arduous ride and has been asked to join the Yellow Jersey Team as an Honorary Member by Chairman Hollywood Barrelle, who pointed out the jersey colour is the same as a duster !! 

We are all now safely in the hotel drying clothes and trying to sort out kit for tomorrows adventure. One bit of advice for anyone carrying Jellybeans in their waterproofs…watch out they may hatch…. and resemble maggots !!

Well we must close as it is time to try some local fizz….

More news and adventures from our intrepid cyclists tomorrow…….

George Rolls, News at 10, Champagne…

Comment from Nigel: would you cycle with this madman !!!!!

Realisation kicks in!

Two falls, a sore knee, a sore achilles and some serious exhaustion - but we have all arrived at the hotel safe and sound!

Interesting day today.  Everyone woke up feeling tired, sore and a little jaded.  Renata and Tony decided to relay today's route meaning they would not cycle the full route.  We departed (on time - shock horror) and the day ahead beckoned. Our day was dry and relatively flat, and the scenery improved throughout the day into the beautiful French countryside. 

Today we cycled a total of 77.8 miles, whilst ascending 2,742 feet and as a team we estimate we burned over 40,000 calories!! New games entertained us today including guiding each other whist eyes closed cycling 20miles per hour on the French roads, and who could roll furthest, rather childish but you need something to break up 9 hours of cycling each day. 

Day 3 ... look at the view!!!

Something changed today. Whilst many of us frankly raced yesterday like kids on push bikes chasing the ice cream van burning energy liberally, today was noticeably different. We cycled as a team, the pace was 1-2 miles per hour slower, and everyone in the team began to fully appreciate the extent of the challenge ahead as bodies started to creak, and muscles strain. 

At about twenty miles or so we stopped at a beautiful Somme War Memorial. Here - as well as taking the photo of course.....

At the Somme Memorial

.....Nigel inadvertently glanced at the team map and realised that after two days of everyone enduring gruelling riding, very sore knees and legs, exhaustion and some frayed tempers due to fatigue, we have pretty much gone nowhere in total France term, we were still over 50 miles north of Le Harve and about as close to Monaco as we are to Moscow! It truly dawned on us today just how much of a gargantuan challenge this is and that it is one to be taken carefully and not attacked. 

Tony has unfortunately damaged his knee tendon which has been very tender today. Tony will rest tonight and assess whether he can start cycling again in the morning. Lisa took an inadvertent tumble as well - and for no apparent reason - yet like a true trooper, she re-mounted and continued to the end, sporting a bloody knee and war wounds across her hands and face. Keiron has a pretty sore achilles on right foot, Nigel is helping with the stretching (having had the same injury during his training) and Keiron will assess his fitness tomorrow!!

We arrived at the hotel at 6pm, for an early dinner and bed before 10pm. The team are pretty exhausted to be honest but certainly up for the challenge tomorrow which is a sporting 62miles, across some some pretty meaty undulating terrain for day 4 of our "Lost in France" expedition. Bring on day 4! Gulp.

Undulation versus Tsunami

And so we roll into day two.  Alarm goes off at 7am and we are greeted with gorgeous sunshine across the marina.  Spirits high, we make it down to breakfast, pack up the van and head off on day twos cycle just 15 minutes later than anticipated!

The route today, we are told, is best described as 'undulating'. Now if you look up the meaning of 'to undulate' in the English dictionary the definition is 'to have a wavy surface'.  I think its safe to say these 'waves' would have been any professional surfer's dream.  Tsunami comes to mind!!!!!

With just over 19 miles before our first 'pit stop' the group are riding well.  Its a straight forward little route through and out of Calais before hitting a open stretch of road.  George immediately took advantage and zoomed off out front, promptly followed by Matt.  The rest of us took a slightly less urgent approach, cruising through the French countryside.  With the sun shining,  this was beginning to turn into a beautiful ride.

Sunshine on Day Two

Now, a trip like this will always have its slight hiccups, and with a group like ours its near on impossible to run completely smoothly.  First pit stop reached, the group set off on the next 20 miler before lunch.  10 miles in, we cycle past Shaun who's videoing us all coming up hill and I quickly ask him if he knows where Matt is.

"He's way up ahead." says Shaun.
"Are you sure?" I say

Needless to say, Matt had missed a turning and was somewhere else entirely.  After a few phone calls, seven additional miles and 45 minutes later Matt rejoined the group just in time for lunch!

Shaun of Bespoke Tours with food !!

After a lunch of french bread, cheese, ham etc we happily set off to complete the last 27 miles (or so we were told).  At this point the group split, with George, Matt, Nigel and Keiron taking the lead, the rest hanging back ... and this is where we hit some serious "undulation".  One hill in particular felt like it would never end, winding round and round, up and up and UP! And then, just to put a smile on everyone's face, it started to rain! Typical!

The last part of the ride can only be described as a long slog.  Turns out we cycled a little further than originally planned, but we all arrived safely to our hotel just outside the city of Arras and now its time for dinner.

One last comical moment to leave you with has to be at the hotel when Antonio's bag made it off the bus but then disappeared.  We spent ten minutes trying to locate it, only to find Tony had stored it away in his room.  Cheeky monkey!

Photos coming later ...

Lisa

Day 1: What a day !!!

Day 1 of our challenge is over - well at least the cycling part is anyway. But what a day !! Hard, exhilarating, and ridiculously funny - all at the same time. A day where if it could go wrong...well it did.

We all got up around 6am and met for breakfast at 6.30am. The weather was at least as bad as we had been told: severe rain, strong wind and very cold - 3 degrees at 6.30am in fact. After a swift breakfast we went to the O2 where we were met by our ex Kili team members in Grant Lumley and Brian Harris (plus his wife Shelley) along with family members from the Payne, Rolls and Blay families.

Ready for the off

In incessant rain we set off at 7.45am - pretty much on schedule for what was set to be a gruelling 70 mile day. After 15 hard miles riding straight into the headwind, we stopped for a break at a local petrol station. This was hard: cycling in the rain is not much fun but starting Day 1 in a monsoon and a semi flipping hurricane was just not a good start !!!

Still we soldiered on. And on, and on and on. After 28 miles Matt said to me "Mate shouldn't we be going East??"" Of course I said - "Well we are going West" he said "And have been for miles." "Don't be daft" was my reply..............when Tony came up and said "We have a problem.........we are nearly back at the O2". Of course I laughed thinking they were joking, but in fact they weren't and upon leaving the 15 mile break stop the motorcycle escort had pressed "O2" on his Sat Nav and not "Dover" and we had just done a near 30 mile circle. In driving incessant rain. I kid you not.....................

Where's dover exactly?

So, undeterred we made a quick calculation that we had still done 30 miles and, if we made up time by catching a cab to Canterbury and cycling the last 20 miles we could still make the scheduled ferry in time and we would still have cycled 50 miles in the day. We would then have to make up the 20 miles over the next 13 days.

So that's what we did - and arrived a Dover at 3.30pm in time to get our 4.30pm ferry !! We all completed Day 1 save for Lisa who has a nasty cough and it was worsening badly in the rain. She took the sensible decision to rest up in the afternoon and preserve her body for the remaining 13 days.

Blimey - honestly - you couldn't make it up !! The biggest rainfall day of the year; one of the windiest days for quite some time; the wind blowing unusually from the East and spending 30 miles going in a pretty much complete circle !!

Day 2 anyone ???