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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Day eight Dawns and we are halfway across France already making our way through the hilly massive central region it feels like we’ve been cycling uphill for days and I’m sure I’ll be getting altitude sickness soon only 50 Mi today but we know better than to think that
Means it’ll be easy as we’ve had on other days it was cold and mystery to start and I wish for something to warm us up was soon granted oh God it’s bloody cold isn’t it it’s hard to believe when it’s going to be 25° or something we need this Mr lift
Today see you tonight cliff wow stupid this early climb was by far the toughest so far and Lou took to shouting at herself to keep going come on I don’t know if it helped Lou but it certainly motivated me oh God my breakfast is coming back over’s gone down it’s gone down to
10% okay go let me go come on oh still more oh God look at that oh St okay though how stepid is this oh God nearly h oh God oh my God that was Purgatory that was hot God that was hard these climbs are usually worth it for the views the views always make it worthwhile but today wow it’s beautiful but it’s not of you nice attack then mate trick you on trick you on that was horrible brutal nice one Darren taking it easy again
Darren was in heart attack mode there I think it was kind of confident knowing it wasn’t just me who struggled with that one as we climbed up into the cloud it’s still beautiful though isn’t it just your silly W against the Mist it was really good how was that for you stop halfway
Up yeah it’s still yeah it was tough yeah it was tough look at that well don’t look at it there’s nothing to see I think all the energy I took in at breakfast has gone already after 5 miles what the good thing is that that horrible hard climb I didn’t get any
Pain in my back or deferred pain down my leg allall so strange really but good look at that it’s it’s it’s a different kind of picture isn’t it but we can’t see it but but it’s kind of makes a dramatic picture in itself really shrouded and Mist here is the
Gabit viaduct built in 1884 by Gustaf Eiffel whose Tower in Paris you may have heard of you actually get more of it shape in the reflection than you do up the top just revealing itself gradually it basically meano isn’t it and it’s not just us making slow progress here because after cracks were
Discovered in 2009 in the viaduct a speed limit of 6 mph was imposed for all train traffic there’s something quite spectacular about it being in the Mist I think you know but like those uh kind of iconic photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge with a Mist all around
It and finally for the first time this morning we’ve been going an hour the sun is finally my managed to burn through my god it feels ridiculously different Hello he’s even got a bell around his neck a got a Miss over there on the left
Down below Mont vonu is a few days away yet but it’s never far from our thoughts and here we are talking about it again not the more and more I thought about it why not give it a go yeah might as well give it a go doesn’t matter how many
Times you stop I always say you know some I’ve on to I’m really I’m not looking forward to doing it but I’m looking forward to at the top when I’ve done it well that Hill back there didn’t long straight away yeah that was a constant 8% it’s when it gets to 12 and
Above and it stays like that for a long time I struggle I don’t think V two is going to do that no it’s not it’s going to be 8% for 13 miles yeah yeah there we go over there you never think it was called a
Misty just an hour or so ago wasn’t it well just low Cloud wasn’t it Yeah oh town with a bit of Life Flowers really brighten up a village don’t you think and this shop has great floral displays until someone looked a bit closer to reveal not a real shop but an elaborate but clever mural right here yeah TR turn right it’s either here or the next get
Here yeah R the p b Bon Man Bon manure as we say in the W Country Boys your manure Steve you can tell you’ve been for a bush we you got a big piece of grass sticking out your shoe on the right shoe big giveaway hey he’s been for a wee
We seems to been on the same road ever since we left the Bruce upop or Wind You See It winding away up there my God that looks steep from here wow that looks bloody hard the long and winding road to your door don’t give up your day job yeah two more
Climb start of it is the hardest and that’s the bit we just saw easy GE again hot work now in this sun the guys are waiting here in the shade you guys setting up again okay B Al Al R looks like it might be up here I Think yeah they It’s prob be last all the shade is gone just get a little film of these guys it’s a long time since I’ve seen [Laughter] You my joury yeah so straight out of lunch 1.3 miles of Hill welcome to the last [Applause] Leg dangerous times don’t fly too High sure to keep Theight love the world that keep the sky Your and after what seemed a very short downhill where I nearly caught this lot up another Hill 1 and 1/4 miles and we’ve got to the point where we’re saying only 1 and 1/4 miles well we’re all strung out now everyone doing their own pace on yet another Hill in the Searing heat
Now what a contrast the first thing this morning when fingers were cold legs were cold Mist everywhere amazing really back side is really sore as well oh just thinking people who watch this who aren’t into cycling and why would they be watching it would think why are you
Doing it you’re knackered going up these Hills your backside saw you’ve got us all back anyway why are you doing this it’s a strange World cycling it’s about the challenge just about where George is now is probably when it starts easing off God it’s hot I need a drink This is where I might catch some of the others cuz one or two of them don’t like descending very Fast not far off now [Applause] alard Al Al I’m flagging you’re flagging Rich flagging big well mate there’s nothing there’s no shame in just doing this it’s all I can give as well yeah I’m putting a limit well let’s face it none of us are used to riding 8 days
In a row up hills all day are we so it’s not something you can prepare for really first couple of days George I didn’t see you I thought you were going to be at the front the whole for the whole two weeks ah man my heart rate was
165 2 hours on that first day oh my and as is the recipe for today fast little downhill that took about a minute and now another 2 and 1 half mile climb the reward is that the last 7 to 8 miles of this day I roll downhill to the
Hotel but it’s uh hot work getting to that reward if I see some shades I’m going to take an ass break an ass break yeah it’s a good idea this is one of those times isn’t it where you think why do we do this again remind me I know
Me and at the end you’ll be s in the beer and you’d be glad you did it yeah you will I always feel these moments should be a bit more poetic like under the shade of a syamore tree and we’re under the shade of a police radar
Sign but it’ll do it’s all we can find but it get like you say get your ass off the seat for a minute or two next up the bar W it’s hard to believe there’s no more climbing after a whole day where it felt like we were going up way more than
Down and that horrible first climb still in the legs we had an 8 Mile continuous rapid descent down to the town of Mond most of us commenting that we’d never come across a descent remotely like that it was great fun and left us with a thrill after all the hard work and we
Cycled through the remaining streets with a magnificent Cathedral straight ahead of Us it’s been a day that started with a beast of a climb into the cold murky cloud and rapidly bloomed into one where drink breaks were the key tactic as it was so hot but a day cycling through lovely scenery with lovely people I really can’t stress that enough if
You’ve missed any previous days films or want to see the remainder then subscribe to the channel by clicking on the yellow icon here and take a look at these two films on the right by clicking on them oir from M and join us all on day nine and