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 with 75 miles
Ahead of us today day three begins as we assemble in the shadow of the windmill that gives the hotel its name I’m feeling stronger today and looking forward for to adding some drone camera footage to add something different to the film of the Trip Built in the 9th century and expanded in the 13th the chatow the AL is now a museum housing the largest collection of medieval tapestries in the world even in the middle of a busy town nice dramatic chatau the good thing about these traffic lights I’m keeping up with Cliff
So nearest have been to Cliff for 3 days The Yanke in a little while are we not allowed to be in is it just the bikes oh we’ll get one without the bike with just the bikes first just just a sex it’s going to go it’s going to go is it oh yeah yeah no offense Craig but you know
Get that box out oh F sorry bianc only Bianca’s only so over the beautiful LA on a very lovely sunny Morning a bloody lovely morning Beau go Darren he doesn’t choose routes just to get from A to B thinks about you know like you know this nice little road alongside the L there’s other options but he thinks about these [Applause] things yeah we that sh it’s probably
Weed don’t know what it is it’s all fluffy take a photo whatever he’s going to take a photograph it doesn’t what it is research it oh you are you going to go and say get off my land you going in there for a p yeah you’re going in for a pee there’s
A giveaway you can still see you we’ve just discovered it’s asparagus well could you see the actual asparagus near the bottom near the ground then so you seen the little label there was a label I bet you had an nap didn’t you when you were in there you pointed it at
It and now you pretended to be clever you bring up Google Search and there there’s the icon there a right tap on that and what is this and then you press the camera shutter sweet VI burum lad lad this is sweet VI burum in case you were wondering Okay another magnificent Church the Catholic Church certainly spent some money didn’t they back in the day you imagine what these would cost to build today yeah crazy yeah peaceful absolutely what a wonderful morning this has been amazing quiet place beautiful well I say most of France is like this just empty
I think we’re just about to hit that road that goes alongside the river the lair River stunning morning Stunning where’s rich just stop for a photograph again This looks like a human signpost down there is it I think it is actually I thought for some reason I thought you were pointing no it’s down there they’re all gone down there guys I think it’s um all right here having the photo opportunity then down
Here the main road it’s the main road down there where the hell’s the bloody grub just walking away at me it’s not here I don’t think is that definitely the right way rich rich is doing a Wy oh hang on man it’s 25 miles it’s not 22 yesterday was 22 oh Tandem Tandem I was looking for the bruise stop cuz I was thinking 22 miles that was yesterday yeah it’s 25 today I know what a all right Richard I didn’t see that behind me not I’m thinking he’s taking a picture of the water again wow
Beautiful Darren gets a bit emotional over how far removed this all is from his days as an unfit Lorry driver was 20 years ago as an overweight lry driver yeah yeah yeah it is it’s that kind of stuff isn’t it yeah now look at me start
All of friends yeah we we M yeah day one I’m sing I didn’t have a kettle in the room thinking Daren get AIT what a spot PA M beautiful no T it’s all gone another another A+ picnic spot there well done I think you get a drone out here get the Drone out he says thanks for the reminder Darren well to add to the troubles I was just doing some beautiful Drone
Footage of the area lovely shot of that magnificent building we were picnicking by and the Drone got stuck up a tree and is unretrievable so an insurance claim when I get back usually disappointing but got to put it behind me or it’s just going to ruin the
Rest of the week if I start worrying about that so it is what it is and what a beautiful spot to get over losing your drone up a Tree that wasn’t an angry beep of the horn that was a just letting you know I’m coming oh yeah and you can kind of tell can’t you beip is is pleasant and is tosses really is a nice flat route along the river you wouldn’t think it’s a
River though it’s just like a m pond it’s just like a big Long Lake me only France would have a mushroom Museum how unusual is That first serious climb of the day and it’s got me puffing got a tester Richard bloody Kryptonite cves Darren it just whiz Past oh God no good out on the left look how beautiful how beautiful is that my God hello I bet you’ve been waiting here about an hour oh we we came here from a different angle and oliv what have a look at they would have stepped down
There all right had coffee if you seriously that time to go and another a coffee oh my God you are a beast mate honest they had a coffee and everything built in the 10th century and destroyed in the 11th the chatau D samur was rebuilt by Henry II of England in the
12th over the centuries it’s been a royal residence an army barracks a prison under Napoleon own thearts regime and finally a museum lovely lovely shat is that the new pedal Britain European headquarters oh God look at this view of the river now from up here Wow I’m filming a felony now stealing grapes they they put Horsemen here on them though Rich oh nice yeah why did you split it out then it’s a pip oh fair enough then I’d be pissed by time you get lunch they’re not alcoholic until they make the wine you’re fine me moment you’re
Safe just blowing my mind away beautiful in it what a fantastic day cycling this has been compared to the last two days as well I feel Wonderful how many photographs of grapes are we going to see on the WhatsApp group Today yeah it’s been a memorable morning this has easily been the best of the three days so far I mean partly because I actually feel great this today you know I’m not feel like I’ve been struggling at all so it’s good that’s despite the fact I’ve just lost me 900
Quid drone in a tree yeah yeah yeah oh well done SHO they literally are just surrounded by mile after mile of Vineyard and it’s looks like they’re very close to being picked as well when you really get to smell it daring is when they’re harvesting it
Yeah and that must be very you probably we’ll probably see that sometime in the next week cuz I don’t know if you saw that tractor that went up there with a big container on the back that’s exactly what they dumped them all in and I think
That’s that’s when you get to smell the grape in the air when they’re actually picking [Applause] them another the Hill hey welcome to the pleasure doome no I can’t unfortunately but what I can do is I’ve got evidence cuz on the controller it’s got an SD card in so it can it’s recorded everywhere it’s been so they’ll know I’m not just making it up to get a free Drone on the insurance
They’ll be able to see what happened basically and what and what what a Piller was last Leg Not a good place to be starting bloody hell they’re everywhere bloody cyclist everywhere yeah left is it down here guys don’t follow Clive poo on the road well you need in it a climb immediately after lunch not taking a photo of the church Rich he did it on the go did you show
Off you just end up cycling along with a big bloody gous smile on your face yeah even the road surface of this little really used Lane he brilliant cycling the antidote to everything Thing apart from sawback sides it’s not good for curing that he just said I’m just doing a Daren having an emotional moment is that right he said I’m just doing a Daren a Dar I can’t stop grinning Fab 50 8 Miles and feeling Good yes yes oh yeah nice spot quite impressive is it I wonder how many people have sat down here with a easel and and done a painting I bet it’s an ideal spot in it for that kind of thing so the day is ending literally with 12 miles of this traffic free cycle
Lane Happy Days this is when you know it was a railway Line Fast Pace there bloody Aura keeping up with that fast pace on this 12 mile gravel stretch was something I was to regret tomorrow this this the hotel bloody H fantastic I you st for photos you ever stayed in a village with a moat around it well Hey hey Wow yeah a great spot thank you bud just walking through the square of this rather magnificent Town rishu there’s our hotel 16th century I believe where’s the best place to find a load of pedal Britain cyclists in the bar what blond uh ah blond blond sorry blond come on get it
Right so a 75 mile day and an expensive one for me any concerns I’d had of crashing on this trip had not involved a drone and a tree and as far as I know it’s still stuck up there a day though highlighted by spectacular Shadow miles of rip Vineyards the beautiful Lair
River and great company watch all the films in this series by subscribing to the channel just click on this yellow icon and here’s a couple of the 100 plus films available to get you started aoir from rlu and I’ll see you in part Four