The plan is to ride 2015's Tour de France one week ahead of the pros, keep one week ahead of the pros, and raise money to help underpriviliged UK kids. We start on June 27th...help!
The Tour de Force
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Ring Of Fire...Stage 5: Arras to Amiens...Wednesday 1st July 2015
Brother Ray's version is a slow-burning stormer...it won out in the end as 'Choon Of The Day'.
Today's little sojourn was a 115 miles from Arras to Amiens: a route designed to take in quite a few battlefield memorials. A handy reminder that we owe them, still.
Can we not just go direct to Amiens?
Rolling, rolling, rolling!
There was a 0530hrs alarm call in order to get everyone onboard a coach to transfer to the start dans Arras: and we did try to shift ours thereafter!
Readying ourselves/fannying around. You decide!
Only one of many...
At the first feed-stop I was honoured to be granted a photo with Le Maillot Jeune himself: usually you might think people are taking liberties wearing such apparel but Bertrand can 'walk the walk'.
Maillot Jaune meets Lanterne Rouge.
Thought it might be a plan to get ahead of the bunch and take a photo...
...and then realised that we'd have to chase to catch them. D'oh!
All different from 100 years ago.
Just back after the second feed-stop I had my second puncture in as many days...bon! Thankfully I was with Andy and two other proper cyclists, so it was sorted pronto and then we beasted the next 6 miles until lunch. Not entirely pleasant but it got the job done, hah-hah!
We passed many similar signs...
Give it the beans!
After lunch it was a case of drinking loads and watching the miles melt away, all the while with the temperature increasing: it would eventually reach 40c (104f). Blimey...it was a tad extreme...the insane heat from the tarmac wouldn't quit. Unlike some of the tarmac that started to melt!
Just follow these two eejits to the hotel!
We managed to finish by 1630hrs...I then treated myself to a sports massage. I joked to the masseur that if I fell asleep just kick me: he remarked that I probably had never had a sports massage if I thought that was possible. He wasn't joking either- he kneaded the living daylights out of me! He then told me go and sit in a cold bath for 7 mins to try and repair muscle damage and get rid of the lactic build-up. I actually did as I was told for a change and it seemed to help.
The last riders came in 3 hours later: I cannot imagine how tough that day was for them and a big round of applause goes to the TdF support team: there is no show without them!
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