DAY 12: 63 miles.
We have made it across the Pyrenees, through France and we are set to catch the ferry from St Malo to Portsmouth tomorrow. Today was the last chance to really have a blast on the bikes and the riders I was with wasted no time to attack the hills. We worked as a team of 9 and strung out in a single line. Each person took a turn on the front in turn, taking the headwind for a minute or so before dropping back into line. It was all-out riding (speaking personally!) and the aim was to stay on the wheel of the bike in front at all costs! The moment somebody drifted even marginally back, it would be tremendously hard for them to get back to the peloton alone, into the wind. Time after time my heart rate neared 170 beats per minute and I was clinging on but it was a great feeling to reach the end of the ride as a team. With a couple of boulangerie stops, we managed the 63 hilly miles in just over 3 hours in the saddle - the pace was pretty brutal at times! I am very much looking forward to resting my legs as I have pedaled over 900 miles so far... We enjoyed a great lunch and then pitched our tents again. Miriam and Helen and our wonderful support team then served up some delicious pasta in the evening. Tomorrow we need to be up at 5 AM to ensure that we are on time to catch our ferry back to the UK... 2 days to go!
We have made it across the Pyrenees, through France and we are set to catch the ferry from St Malo to Portsmouth tomorrow. Today was the last chance to really have a blast on the bikes and the riders I was with wasted no time to attack the hills. We worked as a team of 9 and strung out in a single line. Each person took a turn on the front in turn, taking the headwind for a minute or so before dropping back into line. It was all-out riding (speaking personally!) and the aim was to stay on the wheel of the bike in front at all costs! The moment somebody drifted even marginally back, it would be tremendously hard for them to get back to the peloton alone, into the wind. Time after time my heart rate neared 170 beats per minute and I was clinging on but it was a great feeling to reach the end of the ride as a team. With a couple of boulangerie stops, we managed the 63 hilly miles in just over 3 hours in the saddle - the pace was pretty brutal at times! I am very much looking forward to resting my legs as I have pedaled over 900 miles so far... We enjoyed a great lunch and then pitched our tents again. Miriam and Helen and our wonderful support team then served up some delicious pasta in the evening. Tomorrow we need to be up at 5 AM to ensure that we are on time to catch our ferry back to the UK... 2 days to go!