This video series follows my adventure in Sept-Oct 2023, along with 19 other cyclist friends, old and new, with Pedal Britain & Europe cycling from the English Channel at Saint Malo in France, across the entire country to the Mediterranean at Nice 14 days later, visiting the “Beast Of Provence” Mont Ventoux along the way.
A Spine injury has meant my preparation was almost non existent for the preceding 3 months and with Surgery booked for my return to the UK, I was at the start line full of Nerve Blocking medication and full of doubt as to the possibility of completing the full trip and certainly the ascent of Ventoux seemed a forlorn hope when we set off
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After a spine injury requiring surgery when I get back home I joined this band of 20 hopeful cyclists on a Traverse across France over 14 days with pedal Britain taking on the Beast of provance Mount Von 2 on day 11 before finishing on the prominade in N day two Dawns with
69 miles ahead of us and although John and Olivia finally arrived yesterday their bikes and cycling gear didn’t so it’s a visit to Ren airport today to speak to KLM airlines about the bikes and go shopping in decathlon for cycling clothes helmets Etc then hopefully join us later using the spare bikes that
Pedal Britain always carry in the van I’ll get a little bit from mccraig and see is it be the last see them all day chain came off then great mechanical already great keeping Me I had even left the car park M sorted it but now everyone’s gone so uh I will be Billy no mates until we get to the coffee break so the good news to counteract the fact that I’m on the TD at the back is that uh there’s not a great deal of
Wind today hoay sun’s not out yet but it’s just nice pleasantly warm well luckily CL and Rachel were stopped because they weren’t sure which way to go at that Junction so now I have company not dire oh God Which Way left and then and then right straight [Applause] away nice R
Downhill we like that and here’s the difference between France and back home this is all newly laid and from my experience of cycling France I bet you the condition it was in was still way better than a lot we cycle on they just recognize it needs to be kept in good condition and
Uh you see a lot of uh resurfacing to perfect time at like like this when it wasn’t really that Bad nice little quiet Lane again mik on the Road should we let this tractor passed yeah there’s another one here we’re being pins moved by tractors unless he’s turning he actually is turning I Think oh CLA Fontaine Kat is where we’re going is it cake and coffee in two miles everything okay guys at the little oh look at that oh God that is worth stopping for a lot of people oh how beautiful did you get a chance to see them yeah I did
Bless them that beautiful I had one of that Brothers the last night oh don’t be horrible bit more interesting than just yet another field C is at the church and I can see a church is it here no around the other side round the back of the chirch so
Here we go here we go here we go here we go B the team here and Lou cream on the face your catch is up yeah 48 isn’t it 48 miles yeah 48 miles to the next see you there you ready yep So after the lunch I’m in a little group with two of my pals from the jog Darren just ahead and Richard just behind me and leading the four Mr pedal Britain himself Darren ball seeing it from a customer point of view this is where I’m finding it difficult
I mean that hill was just 5 6% but I’m getting distance from my friends 3 months ago it wasn’t a problem frustrating really for those cares it’s like cycling behind you know the Incredible Hulk apart from the collar obviously he’s coming back from another loop what a beauty want a
Beauty although it doesn’t appear until day 11 Monto is often the topic of conversation and although I’m concerned about getting up it at all some of the group are considering joining the exclusive Club dang de Von 2 by cycling up each of the three climbs to The
Summit in one day are you doing the three and get a certificate I’m absolutely bowled over that some of those guys are going to try that wow [Applause] wow our resident Snapper is at it again but team rapid has already been here earlier striking a pose I’ve got film of you taking a
Photograph we’ve now picked up on our group Steve H who we just found coming back for a hedge after a natural break I didn’t I’m just telling the public oh that we found you having a pee just finished having a pee everything is on record oh well no the pee wasn’t on
Record you look at that one I draw a line at That steepish looking Hill in front of us so uh I’ll definitely be distan by the guys again but it’s not how you get there it’s if you get there and I will get There Mount Von two is going to take a lot of uh mental internal talking to to keep going this is not much more than half a mile oh yeah that was harmless and Richard waited for at the top immediately followed by another climb we need the practice two climbs in a row what’s
Going on we done the job and we’re sort of all not everyone but we’re riding together again yeah cuz you sort of think at the end of the jog well is that that but that’s what I that’s what I loved about the jog mate I made I’ve made new
Friends forever the fact that we were doing sportives you know soon afterwards was great yeah yeah definitely and probably always will now almost like spring it feels like We’ll always do a sport together yeah yeah with you moaning how unfit you are and you haven’t done anything all winter and all
That’s it wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t yeah right notice while I’m in England but you seem to go into all these F Villages and dat it they’ve got the most massive churches aren’t they oh here in France yes yeah they’ve being a Catholic country they’re probably all Catholic
Churches and just back in the day whatever Century it was they must have spent a foring yeah and it’s like you say it’s a little village and there’s just an enormous ornate Church yeah thank you gentlemen waiting for Mr slope it Richard just made me feel good about
Having a bad back okay he just he just he just said uh I know you got your back problem and everything but you know I never thought I’d see the day where I could keep up with you on the hill Oh my God there’s a if there’s a positive for
Somebody else I’m happy with it he’s done a good job of making me feel better about things today as Richard sorry tell no don’t say sorry tell telling me that I wasn’t the only one who was finding it hard yesterday and if you were lying I don’t care it
Made me feel good I wasn’t lying getting all four of you across the road where I come from yeah but you need to be in it as well Buddy L yeah right across the road just as a Lor is coming this series of hills has really helped me understand actually how I need
To manage this situation with my back I just need to accept that I can’t or mustn’t put too much power into the pedals with my left foot or I’ll pay for it later with back pain numbness of the leg Etc that’s kind of why I just need to accept that even on
Easy Hills I’m just going to have to be slow I didn’t have a zoom lenso you right caught him having a pee uh I got a video but there wasn’t much to see I didn’t have a zoom Lens back home guys those cars would have passed us ages ago but he knew he couldn’t give us the room it’s brilliant really he had room to squeeze pass and in England they would have squeeze pass and there’s the park afternoon all all right what’s the news for you
Guys they they say it’s going to be on the afternoon FL to rent and then they’re going to deliver it to our hotel tonight follow through what the chance of them delivering them to the hotel that we’ve just been in hopefully not well we had a big long conversation the airport and
Talk to the people yeah so you’ve actually done some cycling yet no no but you’re going to from here happy days yes no very good get you on the books see that Richard Clear You did Coast to Coast did it did it take you over some of those ridiculously steep ones 30% or something did you go over hard not basically into the SE really yor so the first half of it is brutal basically yeah no wonder your legs are like bloody Arnold schwarzen
most of these hotels are lovely and empty because they they just haven’t got the custom yeah P that almost like the whole of France goes on holiday in August and then they’re all back to work and they I’m guessing that’s why he’s got such lovely hotels that’ll accommodate a
Large group why all cattles in the hotel they just don’t do tea and coffee is through e it’s through machines it’s just the done thing and all these little Brits come along and go where’s the kettle I’ve got my tea bags no way to make a cup of
Tea and like I said yesterday the salt and pepper on the table you just don’t see it if you want salt and pepper you’re insulting the chef’s judgment hello boss yesterday’s Hotel had kept us waiting a good while for our rooms and although Richard wasn’t the
Only one to get grumpy about this a little exaggerated ribbing kept us amused for a bit you kicking off about your room would be quite appropriate here cuz we’re staying near angers aick off you didn’t kick off but as Darren says it was in the post I love
It yeah we’re saying there in the uh the other hotels rang rang forward to warn them of him give him his room quick make sure his room’s ready yeah he said I didn’t kick off but I did go inside with me bike and dump it right by a desk with a long
Face I was saying earlier on that Darren’s Cal muscles look like the Incredible Hulk but Rich has got the temperament make me angry don’t make me angry you won’t like me when I’m angry well we have three miles to go and I can’t deny I’ll be glad when it’s done
I’ve hit that point a bit later than I did yesterday so uh it’s all moving in the right direction still with you boys still with you Just hey are you doing dar’s doing a rich around the car Park woohoo day two done and dusted old man noises buddy thank you well done boys seriously thank you for waiting for me all the times you did while some of us had time for drinks around the pool others rushed to find novel ways of getting kit washed and
Dried for tomorrow’s ride another great day though and another 69 mil chalked off some great spots by our photographers including the Eiffel Tower which I never saw and this epitome of a rural service station why not make sure you see all the films of this fantastic Adventure by clicking on this yellow
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2 Comments
Like the adventure. But couldn't the train have been used to get to Rennes instead of flying?
Back in England, those cars would have passed you ages ago…..and given you the finger whilst they did I expect