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 seven of our 14-day cycle across France a day where my pal Richard was to get the shock of his life and all of us were forced to practice the art of cyclocross before all that after a good night’s sleep and a big breakfast there
Was a rude awakening just at the End of the Street see you later uh I was feeling okay until we’re 10 yards at the hotel in the big long climb started already oh it’s only 4 miles we did six yesterday so should be Easy yeah this is the toughest bit oh God why you turning left blue she did some extras no warmup full of breakfast yeah yeah preparation there goes Chris he’s stronger today Chris cuz the hotel had a lift and you didn’t have to Lug my bags oh
God let that be a flatter bit up there oh God this is a murderous start 3% feels flat it’s the psychology of cycling up hills isn’t it oh that is such a relief Clive looking Majestic in his bianky wheels get off my wheel that really belong on my bik before you know it we’re nearly there and all will be right with the
World once again 1350 ft of climbing and 4 miles bloody ow and that’s the first four miles of the day oh god there they all are around the corner look silhouetted against the sky oh well that was a piece of cake didn’t out the big ring man big ring at the back the
Video what you did the that was a piece of cake and then I’ve got the B said me yeah yeah yeah well that revealed the big lie when if you really got the Snickers that you don’t need we did the climb knowing there was
A root Beret at the top but when a bunch of cyclists with almost 500 m in the legs and sore asses are faced with a 10 m detour on the saddle nothing is going to stop us let’s see what all the fuss is about here we go BL El we need a rope
Jesus is that It is that what you’re saying saying he got her over that plank 5 Mile diversion surely we’re not going over those planks thanks it’s a 10 m route round if we don’t get over that does look well trodden on the left doesn’t it that looks like you need carabinas and ropes on the
Right well come on something’s got to go how can he tell us to go that way is he taking a piss there’s about 10 of us and one of them so it’s F it’s obvious this is the way he’s probably pointing at the 10 m detour and saying go that way yeah cyc
Across You’d normally get on there and pedal up that hill good grief all I can say is I’m finding it easier than going up that hill apart from this bit yeah it’s got to be over there that’s society ways go is it this is crazy so we’re off again above the clouds how
Beautiful without any prior warm up that long climb really tested my resolve with a pain in my left thigh once again convinced me that Mont vontu was probably an Impossible Dream but these amazing long Scenic effort-free descents have a way of chasing those negative thoughts away as quickly as The Descent
Itself and also offered us all a welcome opportunity to lift the increasingly fragile backsides off the Saddle wow wow wow lovely look at all this woohoo that was about 3 and 1/ half miles of beautiful descent the pain of the climb almost forgotten the sun’s out much Warmer you been checking that off in a minute pal yeah I’m thinking about funny how noticea be warm it suddenly is finally we’re all smiling that was fun George above the above the clouds and everything oh don’t wobble now the great thing about that descent George was because it was close to
Vehicles you could use the whole width yeah going around the bends it was great we did 400 miles and that was the first gas station I saw it was yesterday yeah yeah he’s really really nailed some rural Scenic Roots I guess that’s where we’ve been on the Left beautiful up again oh yeah think this is is going to be the order of the day today making its way gradually down to the overnight stop but via lots of hills and descents and we’re all waiting at the top Again beautiful only done 10 miles I know it’s been 10 eventful miles right then down oh look [Applause] [Applause] downhill cheeky little climb in the middle of this Down it’s still going up bloody H didn’t need That I’m filming you I can only see the back of your head but I know you’re smiling with the turle France passing through here recently the road is emblazened with all the French favorite Riders and eagley Richard secured one of the best personal photo opportunities of the entire tour whilst launching a new
Tour catchphrase Al silent as well from the squeaking of my crank B Richard you gone too far [Laughter] mate oh there’s some cake left the places Darren arranges to do his Brew stops are almost always in beautiful locations and this was no exception that was a tough couple of
Hours tough couple of hours very peaceful spot for coffee and cake and I don’t want to leave Al Ali Ali and it wasn’t just me finding the constant hill climbing energy sapping and up again I said I don’t know if I got it in leg to do any more time today to do anym well there’s quite a few more po know just pla just pla Richard is the team photographer he spots
Everything I’ve just been warned that I would almost run over this big green hairy caterpillar that I’ll probably include a photograph of right here you boys you’re taking up the whole room I know that’s what you do when you’re relaxed you bloody Racers bloody cyclists oh God people like him make me
Sick it looks so easy I bet he’s still in zone one superb he’s about to be a Granddad and he’s bloody cycling like that fair [Applause] Play I think most people would say if I live around here I’d be a better cyclist but Richard says if I live around here I’d give up cycling I love it oh seems unfair rich you spend half an hour suffering to get to the top of these damn
Things just for a fantastic descent that lasts 30 seconds I always say it’s like queing for a ride it doesn’t it the same idea another slog oh wo wo wo w hey this is fun aren’t you all glad you booked this holiday yes I am apart from
I think the opposite to that every five minutes but I was actually feeling emotional for a different reason going up that first climb cuz I my my leg was hurting so much I was beginning to think that you know I’m I’m going to end up having to Jack in but
Then it’s settled in now it bothers me a bit when I’m climbing like now but nothing bad Happy Days at I’m climbing over on the right there’s George come over here he’s got The Thermals isn’t it’s great how they can just hang there for ages without flapping
Wings what’s up did you touch the electric fence I didn’t realize it’s electric good if you you want do quiet moment yeah shh shush everyone silence is golden your hair is just realized it’s 1:15 and it’s still 15 miles to the launch stop so we’re hoping for some mile munching
Downhill is it really up there it’s not there what George’s gone that way which way straight off all right bloody hell oh Georgie it L the obvious way to go but that’s not what the thing says turns out the route includes last year’s Brew stop
All right they join up do so we’ve just done a pointless Hill so George is [Applause] Smart [Applause] Ah wow wow wow what you Show B it I mean you just keep blowing back I was breaking the whole way down mile munion I call it you think oh my God there’s so many miles still to go and then you get one like that which eats up a couple very quickly thank
God oh my God and you know what it was so long without pedaling now I’ve got Cafe L yeah oh I like that phras Cafe legs yeah exactly right yeah that terrific 4,000 ft just clicked up hello ladies just the sound of them munching and nothing [Applause] [Applause] else that was another nice lunch and now we’re off we believe most of the climbing is done we’ll See well I’ve done 7 miles since the launch stop and hardly had the pedal it’s been like this so uh yeah it’s been uphill nearly all day about don’t like it so this has been a welcome relief finding a bit of shade and having an ass break is a good Idea last climb of the day not long after lunch I was Finding every Hill tiring trying to keep up with the others but I came across George on his own too so we doubled up and I enjoyed the last 15 m getting to know him better one of the joys of these multi-day [Applause] events Goodbody enjoy that thank hey Brilliant Miss what a brilliant day it turned out to be in spite of the negative thoughts I had in the first few miles conquering coals beautiful scenery and plenty of laughs to keep the negative thoughts at Bay for me subscribe to my channel to see all the films of this fantastic 14-day
Journey by clicking on this yellow icon and take a look at these two films for starters offw from France and join us again in part Eight
1 Comment
There was something weirdly ominous and eerie about those early shots of you all going uphill….quite a bit of distance between each of you, the cloud/mist in the sky, and the music you chose, and you all cycling in pretty much silence!