Day 2

07:00 wake up today, my body was OK but eyes were really tired. It was hard to get out of bed, even with the draw of a continental breakfast. A couple of cups of coffee and a belly full of croissants soon put me right. I couldn't be bothered to inspect the bike upon arrival the previous night, so I gave it a once over in the morning. Fortunately, a bit of oil over the chain and derailleurs was all the mechanical attention required. 09:20 start, sans briefs today! The reduced pressure felt a lot more comfortable, although I put off use of vaseline until the following day.

I rode in a pack for most of the morning, keeping a steady pace along the relatively easy route. By this time I really had perfected the art of cruising up hills and coasting on the way down to conserve energy. At the first big climb my legs knew they had worked yesterday. They are used to having a day off for rest, not getting straight back at it. We encountered a bit of drizzle mid morning, but nothing serious. The roads in France really are a joy to ride on, long, wide and smooth with rolling hills. I managed to crank it up to 42 mph on one section through increased confidence due to the extra width. The setup of the Merlin Malt 1 really does get twitchy though at high speed.

It is a brilliant feeling as you come through the villages and are cheered on by all the kids. They really are great, you wouldn't get that in London! 11:10 is the first break, halfway up a hill. My chain had dropped off the bottom a couple of times and given me a bit of hassle when changing down under load, but thankfully nothing too serious.

After setting off again it was an easy 15 mph riding in tandem with Marcus. I was all warmed through, full of energy and felt grand. We covered a lot of ground whilst chatting away. It really does make the miles fly by when you can have an interesting conversation as a distraction. There were a couple of moderate climbs before arriving at a barn and field for the second day lunch just gone 13:00. Halfway house of:

I got underway again at about 14:00, riding with Mark, Lawrence and Matt. There was going to be some serious riding this afternoon then! with some time set aside for cafes of course ;) A long sweeping downhill led to a really picturesque village with a lake and waterwheel, which we then climbed away from along a road lined with draping trees. It is a shame to think that most people miss these parts of France when they are zooming down the motorway on the way to the south coast. The landscape of the afternoon was all very similar, forests, villages and stately homes ... sorry chateauxs.

We soon found the cafe we had been looking for and stopped for a grande bier blonde. It was good to catch up with the other travellers who had also stopped for refreshments, much better than yesterday with the pressure of catching a boat. We decided not to have two drinks, otherwise we would have been there all afternoon. Instead we set off again down a long, steep hill. A t-junction suddenly appeared at the bottom and Matt completely overshot the corner, narrowly missing a sideswipe from a car. Luckily everyone was still in one piece so we beetled off into the village in search of disposable cameras. Heading out of the village I took my turn at the front with Mark to demonstrate how much difference tailing someone really makes. The strong headwind and exposed roads soon had Mark convienced it was easier behind. We made good time as a pack, but soon realised it was all in vain. With the distractions in the village we missed the immediate turn off at the corner that was overshot. This was mistake number one for the trip, a five mile arduous detour. At least coming back was nice and easy with the wind on your back. After retracing our steps we came across the afternoon water stop.

Refreshments helped, but the wrong turn had sapped my energy and motivation. We plugged on to the end, but it seemed like a long way. Maybe it was the increased pace, but I could have done without those extra five miles. Motivated by a beer we arrive at the end point just as the front runners were heading off to their respective hotels. Final distance for the day, including diversions:

My legs were feeling it now, pretty worn out. At least they knew they had worked for it today. Also, my little finger was incredibly numb, which was kind of worrying! The decision to leave the pants at home really was a good one, much better for not having the seam line as an extra, and unnecessary, pressure point. Several pints (and dinner) later, I was in bed just gone 23:00 again. I vowed to get an earlier night tomorrow.

Day 3