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.