Day 5:

No posting last night as we stayed in a very Fawlty Towers Hotel - characterful but idiosyncratic - we were met by the Patron clearly having availed himself of the wine cellar, and not realising that you can't walk through glass doors without opening them! His posse of helpers included a lucky black cat and a dog named Jirac:the latter quickly assimilated the English language performing begging feats for food on command - if only the riders were as quick to learn. The night's sleep was regularly broken by clattering plumbing - like Marley's ghosts dragging rusted chains, but all slept well.

The day broke to clearing rain clouds and little wind - fortune smiled on the brave band.

The Loire valley stretched beyond Auxerre to Lyon - our route for the day. This section brought welcome flat sections as we mirrored the river's meandering route - crossing back and forth the banks and stalking canal.

Halfway at midday - 4 of 8 total days' cycling leaving a further 415 miles to complete. Pretty as the countryside was, the ride stagnated in long staright paths: did Eales really miss the hills?

Lunch was taken as a picnic by the Loire banks - sleeping cyclists as Milton's Leviathan littering the grass.

First percieved ailment fell not to the Oakley, but to Cocksedge: having started tye ride at 400-1 outsider not to complete the ride (on the bike at least) - Paddy Power closed the book, reporting place betting iregularities on the Triad Hong Kong Exchange.

Remarkably, the attentive Doctors Brookes and Oakley revived the painful Achilles, and a fresh - if misplaced - confidence swamped the team as they set out to ride the first 15 miles of tomorrow's route. Crossing the Loire Villerest dam, climbing began. After only 1042 foot of climbing in the completed 80 miles, we climbed over 1400 foot in the following 15 miles! The sweeping river course was viewed from height, with Chateau and Gite of incredible engineering viewed on all sides.

The Hotel was again a typical French ofering - in the middle of nowhere. Comfortable, and with a remarkably hidden address - just what we needed.

Our evening meal was taken elsewhere - and what a feast? The salads were of main course size, and the main course of sharing size. Possibly the entire local poulation of Duck was slaughtered just to feed 10 - marvellous!

We now have 472 of 812 miles complete, over 21500 feet of climbing (tomorrow appears to herald a further 15000 foot). More than 50% complete, Tuesday's milestones of 500 miles and 2/3 complete will be welcome.

Day 3:

The early excitement seemed a distant memory - the weather was turning and the wind faced the team square on. With again, over a kilometre of climb, this time within 40 miles, the head wind sapped energy and morale alike!

Average speed fell by more than 2 mph, and the 107 mile ride seemed daunting from the first pedal revolution. All helped each other, and we were treated to elevenses with tea by the support team of Margaret Oakley, Alan Bretherton and Brookesey.

The last named continued his attempted urban guerilla driving tactics - managing to coat the spare bike in mud as he wheel-span a 4x4 - no easy feat!

Eales continued to prove problematic - first in a phantom 'puncture' to cut a long climb short, then in some al fresco toilet habits in the woods curtaining the champage vines, then in stopping and talking to a hedgehog that had just overtaken him!

Lunch left a further 55 miles - ground out by determination: the wind still annoying, though the terrain was more forgiving.

Finally, after some 8 hours in the saddle and 11 hours on the road, we reached Joigny - and a welcome shandy in by far the most luxurious hotel to date.

A fine feast ensued - foie gras, asparagus, cote de boeuf, guinea fowl: all just on Oakley's plate! Wine - red and white - beers and even a kir for the effeminate Irishman, topped up by 5 courses led to heavy eyes.

Team spirit good, the realisation that tomorrow the hills start less good.

Please leave comments or text us your support - we'll need cheering up.

282 miles gone, barely more than a third completed - help!!

Update day 2:

The ride started yesterday - from Calais to Bethune. What seemed an easy route proved to hold a lot of climbing - over 3300 feet in 60 miles. Early event bravado falterd at one junction as Cocksedge fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding a passing van in the process (whose driver found this most amusing!). Much was made of this over the Campanile dinner that evening.
Day dawned on the team for the second day - sun beaming down for a 107 mile Bethune to Soissons leg.
Eales soon proved problematic - overtaken first by a motorisd scooter piled high with a large French family - secondly Alan Bretherton - walking back to his car - and then by a gastropod farmer herding his escargot along a steepish hill. Trying vainly to recover the situation, the Eales claimed lack of blood sugar occasioning a 'fainting' moment. This was nothing other than a ruse to claim a few extra snickers bar to maintain his svelte reverse ogee profile.
Oakley claimed the day too short - even after adding a 10 mile overrun to the day to shorten day 3.
Heading back to Soissons in the cars, he failed to advise Driver Brookes of the correct roundabout exit - leading to a 22 mile deviation past several route barree -and affording views of the Cathedral from all points of the compass!
Brown admitted to at least one navigational error, McNulty failed at any time to stop talking and telling terrible jokes -other than an uschdeduled bathroom stop causing the restaurant to close.
Saenger exhibits a new found grasp of Anglo- Saxon, prefacing each comment with any one of several genitalia and mating related observations - Irene will not recognise this cussing, spitting, ball scratching metamorph!
Pagliaro remains strong - his distant leadership testament to the parts per million dilution needed to follow his 'dirty air'.
Margaret and Alan look on in disbelief - Brookes' driving emulating the worst and most wayward Naples taxi driver - blaming the driving lessons from his sons.
More to follow!