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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It’s day four of our cycling Adventure across France and today someone joined my injured leg Club more of that later this beautiful wall Town looked eerily quiet in the early morning Mist which gave a beautiful Hue to the countryside around us as the sun tried to burn through
Oh it isely is it beautiful through that portal just now you made me want to go through the portal now so have a look yeah have a look and look to the Right what a place different is it completely I just need to warm up I was freezing just standing there get some miles day four grand Department hard to believe it’s going to be 30° today my fingers are cold yeah but look at the sun Sun’s getting up now
Yeah not a cloud in the sky about first first half hour I think we’ll be feeling it Oh What a Beautiful Morning Oh What a Beautiful Day So that’s the first climb of the day done literally just 6 miles in it wasn’t Steep and it wasn’t long but uh because of my situation I had to engage the easiest gear now miles behind everybody I’ve just got to accept that but it’s difficult yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah it’s
Slow don’t be spoiling your day by waiting for me I’m thinking how painfree and Fit I felt yesterday because of that I probably got cocky and pushed it too hard so I’m thinking now I need to ride conservatively and try and get to the point that I was at the start of
Yesterday but then still still ride conservatively let’s I just hope that happens cuz right now for the first time I’m looking at things like vont 2 and thinking talked about it for over year to people got sponsorship as a result and I’m seriously doubting getting enough it in spite of everything
It’s still wonderful to be here doing This they Beautiful Mechanical no I’m I’m I’m fit as anything but I just can’t put any power down so every bloody heill I’m just in granny gear and you everyone’s shooting off and think of how long I I have no clue what the answer is but think of how
Long you’ve waited for me and you want to keep doing that all day no it don’t bother me mate doesn’t bother me it’s a long day mate Sorry man tell us give us a shout man Richard really needs to say he’s stopping nearly he nearly wiped two of us out There it’s a lovely view of the other side as well isn’t it beautiful beautiful 1 and a half miles to cake and coffee really looking forward to that bit is that your knees I don’t know what’s going on no George we got Richard two bikes here what’s going on one bike not
Enough oh is he G is he gone for a walk there he is El [Applause] All [Applause] right what the council here are English yeah cuz the state of the tarmac there they go disappearing into the distance but these lovely chaps will wait for me at the top camaraderie love It that was a nice Road after L after the cheese stop oh God I kept on thinking keep going down here we’ve just got to go up against sub stage yeah it was nice three miles no pedaling we love it ftic going down here I’m faster than everyone else yeah yeah [Applause] yeah All rich you Wa we seem to be zigzagging over this River and uh here must be a nice shot cuz Richard has never want to miss a nice shot and there he is looking good mate is it yeah nice nice Old Bridge as well let’s have a little stop left a mate that’s it
Yeah I thought you were going straight on for a sec oh another one of these long long straight roads Richard way in the distance now thank God for music and [Applause] Ears over the river again guys are waiting everything all right guys why what you found Darren’s on the mission to rescue a cat that keeps me a cat yeah oh God Darren you B softy you hear him still what makes you think he needs rescuing tell down can you yeah he’s in
Trouble you Catman it sounds like he’s got further away from us yeah he’s really running away from you mate this big lumbering bloke I can hear it now yeah he he’s straight out in the woods isn’t he toward you you at G yeah he’s probably just hungry is it is
He going to eat a energy gel should I come back and get you after oh I’m going to have to keep cycling guys my legs keep going Struggling yeah he’s definitely up by me Now he’s here Somewhere a this is a shame rich just trying to encourage it with a Twix your legs are all scratched a bit yeah M that’s undergrowth it’s way too thick for you to go in there I I’m amazed you even Tred to go in and find
It Well I’m a cat M well yeah I understand that but I don’t [Applause] Know oh B good thank you Bill what’s never been better hey what’s hurting where you limping what’s hurting yeah my leg has gone a bit numb so it’s a bit difficult when you walk on it it’s it’s kind of yeah yeah it’s also the back yeah Again Oh [Applause] At this point I lost contact with the group again so it was just me and my 70s rock music to take my mind off things without the distraction of company and conversation for large parts of the day the negative thoughts about my physical condition and ability to do this for
Much longer began to invade my head music off now I thought you were quite a bit behind SC yeah I was yeah yeah yeah we’re going to cross over to that I think thank you how you feeling I’m I’m kind of on half power if you try if you try
Pedaling and don’t do anything with your left foot just pedal your right foot you’ll see how slow he [Applause] go oh well Chris very kindly waited that little dot white dot in the distance is him I think he got fed up with how slow I was going oh [Applause] God actually smell the [Applause] [Applause] Wood oh [Applause] god oh out of woo go all right J you’re nearly there oh God foot’s killing me [Applause] you he did the same to me all this road it beeps his hor and gets closer as it goes past that’s a bloody disgrace just just on this road coming
At the Village it’s plenty quite wide nothing no traffic Corner yeah no traffic the other way way and he purposely swerved in towards me rather than swerving out to get me room beeped his hor so I switched the camera on I thought wonder if we’ll do this end to
Chris cuz he was about 50 yards ahead exactly the same I’m get ready to go here there’s something missing you can have that one for free see you later I’m following you mate now y I’m relying on you well as lot no my directions are perfect I’m just not doing them very
Quickly oh my God my ass my Ass Okay over the river again there we go we’re stopping Again last couple of Miles considering I was close to jacking in after about 6 miles Today nearly 80 Miles and I’m still still Here Crossing this River for theth time today oh there you go there’s some I can see some [Applause] bikes hary High ah get the beers in so that was the fourth day completed my leg was painful and numb and I was shattered but after listening to the negative demons
Whispering to me to give up there was no bloody way I was going to do that now I finally got my head around and accepted my physical limitations if I need to leave before everyone else tomorrow so I don’t end up so far behind then that might work we’ll
See tomorrow is a new day I love the array of fantastic photos shown here of things I hardly noticed through my own tunnel vision today see the complete set of films of this amazing adventure by clicking on the yellow icon here to subscribe and here’s a couple of videos
To start you off aoir from France and I’ll see you in part five
1 Comment
A bloke never givs up❤