The first 7 days on the road

We’re sat here at the campsite in Chatres, reflecting on having done 7 days out of the 20 already! Sonny is happily playing currently so I thought I’d try and do a quick blog post (this is Sally, Jon’s sister).

We’ve got 2 vehicles on the road. The first is Glen, who you’ve met before, and is driven by Mike, Jon’s Dad. Glen carries all the gear, Danny the photographer / videographer during the rides and sticks close to Jon and Gareth. The second is “Glenis”, which I drive and houses myself, the dog and Sonny (16 months). We tend to head straight for the next campsite, via picking up any supplies on the road etc. Come day 11, Glenis will be heading to Bordeaux airport to pick up the cavalry (Jon’s wife Anna, their girls Isabel and Orla and my daughter Sophie) and then we’ll really be bursting at the seams!

We had a fab send off from Timperley Hockey Club on Friday 13th – thank you to everyone that came to wave us off! The weather was kind to us on the first day and we had a gorgeous evening in Rosliston. There was quite a bit of climbing for the riders on Day 1 and some stunning scenery.

Day 2 saw guest rider Dave Scott join and complete the 80 miles to Milton Keynes. It was a very hot day and Dave got cramp at mile 60 but managed to push on through for the final 20 miles – no mean feat! He and his wife Ali then cooked us all dinner that evening – what a star! The route was gorgeous – lots of lovely countryside to see.

Day 3 saw the lads cross London to finish at Abbeywood campsite, south of the Thames. The weather was rubbish – raining much of the day – and the route was pretty grim, taking in much of the M25 corridor and the less salubrious parts of the capital! Mike / Gan Gan arrived at the Woolwich Ferry crossing to find there weren’t any ferries so had to navigate back through the Blackwall Tunnel. All in all a long day for everyone.

Day 4 brought the trip across the water – not until some drama had been had! Gareth / Tucker got a puncture (his second of the ride) on the A2 cycleway, which isn’t really fit for bikes at all – completely overgrown! So the lads had no choice but to cycle down the actual A2 all the way to Dover – a horrendous route with heavy goods lorries hurtling past them at 70 miles an hour and giving them barely any room! Jon’s Garmin had broken so Glen had been sent via Canterbury to get a replacement. Eventually catching up with the riders on the A2, Glen then stuck behind the to shelter them from the traffic! With the setbacks, we cut it fine to make the ferry but managed it!

After a bit of a delay, we arrived in Calais at shortly after 6pm. Glen dropped the boys in Calais for an official start and they made there way to the campsite about 12 miles away. The weather was good and the campsite was lovely so we managed to have a drink at the bar that evening (the first campsite with an actual bar!!)

Day 5 took the riders from Southern Calais to Miannay and the French roads were much kinder. It was a hot day with the temperatures around 25/26 but they made good time, even managing a pit stop for some roadside coffee and refuelling in a pretty French village. The chaps all took advantage of the pool at the campsite and the fresh bread delivery for the following morning. We were treated to an almighty thunderstorm at around midnight for a few hours, which kept everyone awake!

Day 6 took the riders from Miannay to Dangu, just north west of Paris. Another hot day, it was showing as 27 when the chaps rolled into the campsite looking remarkably fresh!

 

Day 7 and it was noticeably cooler with more cloud coverage and a few spots of rain. The chaps pushed through without any stops, taking advantage of their early start so that they could relax and enjoy the rest of the day before the miles and the hills start ramping up from day 8!

 

Best bits so far: Lots to choose from but the send off was amazing and the support in general has been fantastic. The boys have cycled alongside people at points and had a brief chat, to find they’ve then gone online and sponsored them. We’ve also had sponsorship from people who’ve seen the van on the roads – good work van stickers!!

Worst bits so far: The ride across London in the rain and the journey to Dover along the A2!

The first three days in France have been shorter rides (65/70 miles) but from tomorrow they’re hitting the 80’s before bringing a punishing run of 90 milers with big climbs including the Col d’Aspin up the Pyrenees!

Can’t believe we’re a third of the way through already. Sonny and Poppy are both having a ball 😁

Thank you for all the continued support!