Diary 1-12

Day 12 – Day Off

Day 11 – Mestre to Trieste – 145 km – 12 hours

It is after a day like this that you realise careful mapping before the trip would have helped. Another day on the only road which accesses Eastern Europe. What a shame… but still smiling…just.

Day 10 – Verona to Mestre/Venice – 120 km – 10 hours

More grime in the morning… however by lunchtime we were able to have our first chat in 36 hours. We had reached country roads finally. By 3pm however we were back to our old tricks and experienced the busiest motorway in the whole of Italy by mistake. The problem with making this mistake is that you have to cycle until the next junction until you can get off. Alex wet himself a little bit. We finished the day cycling over to Venice. The experience not being quite the same as it would have been with a pretty girl on hand. Anyway, as said by Alex lighting a fag in Piazza San Marco, it was all a bit “over-rated”.

Day 9 -Monza to Verona – 147 km – 13 hours

Imagine being in a gym with no music, no-one to talk to and with the constant sound of lorries droning in the background. For the entire day, we cycled through industrial Italy on A roads with helmets strapped on tightly. One of the most boring and unpleasant days of our lives.

Day 8 – Domodossola to Monza – 110 km – 11 hours

Passing into the Lake Districts of Northern Italy, our morning was excellent. Foccaccerias were the order of the day and Alex and Freddie – often heard whining for “num nums” – were placated by frequent stops for Pizza and Olives. George tended to go for the Creme Donuts which can readily be found in any Tescos in England, usually swilled down with a jug of tropical fruit juice. The afternoon welcomed us into the armpit of Northern Italy’s industrial mess which made – what should have been an easy 10km – take 2 hours. Without good views, attention was drawn back to “bottie rash” and tired limbs.

Day 7 – Martigny to Domodossola – 120km – 10 hours

Plunging through the Alps, it was only a matter of time before the first McDonalds was visited. Indeed, I think it was the fist guilt-free trip to this establishment anyone of us had ever made. Confirmed by the fact that Freddie not only went for a Chicken Burger but attempted a McCurry burger too – which of course was dirt… Ronald, stick to what you know best. Despite fresh legs and excellent time made in the morning, the afternoon was marred by our first (and only) trip on a train. Due to snow conditions, the top 20km of the pass over into Italy was closed and left us no option. In a spout of divine retribution, we were all fined for not paying for our bike’s too!

Day 6 – Day off.

Day 5 – Pontarlier to Martigny – 135 km – 11 hours

We woke feeling like we had not stopped biking since the night before and feeling as though we had been our on a momumental week of excess and depravity. 20km of uphill into Switzerland made sure that the blood started pumping once more. We were reassured in Switzerland by far more efficient road systems and much safer driving. Indeed, we were pushed on by more frequent supplies of Bananas. We arrived in this skiing base camp ready for an urgently needed day off. $

Day 4 – Dijon to Pontarlier – 137 km – 12 hours

Muscular pain really set in today and psychologically it was hard to carry on being so tired and knowing that we would have to wake up again the next day and do itall over again before we could have a rest day. Deapite having made good progress by lunch we were severely delayed by a gruelling climb up top Salins des Bains – a popular training area for Tour de France training!!! `Night Riding` – as we now fondly call it – was on the agenda again but this time we vowed that it would be our last. Tired and shakey, it was a risk which we did not want to take again. We arrived eventually after an hour in the dark. Bums sore and groins aching.

Day 3 – Auxerre to Dijon – 147 km – 12 hours

Having got up at 7am on a foggy and cold morning in Auxerre, I am not sure that anyone was ready for what we experienced today. At 2pm we settled into a lunch in a nice town 60km into our journey, realising that we had an unruly distance to go. Despite making good headway in the afternoon, night closed in with a good 30km to go and we realised that our flourescent gear would come into play for the first time. We soon managed to find a canal bike path into town which proved to be more dangerous than helpful with little visibility and an extremely narrow path. The problem was not helped by the fact that our last drop of water and last Mars Bar had been eaten 1 hour before. We arrived at 8pm shaking and cold.

Day 2 – Nemours to Auxerre – 96 km – 8.5 hours

Having woken up and left our roadside motel, “Hotel Formula 1”, a first uneasy hour passed leaving us feeling fresher than we ever thought we would. Without having to navigate manic city streets, we sailed through the countryside to arrive at our destination in good time. Although tired, we were reassured at the end of the day that the task in hand would not be too difficult.

Day 1 – Paris to Nemours – 85 km – 8 hours

Although the shortest day which we will do on the trip, our protein, carbohydrate and mineral shakes did nothing to minimise the onslaught of pain. This was probably made ten times worse by the fact that getting out of Paris was a nightmare and a 85 km journey was probably more like 100 km. Indeed such issues with reading directed us onto the French equivalent of the M1 for 15 km. The shock of energy consumption was also hard hitting: to the extent that we went to bed, having eaten a a loaf of bread and a steak and chips, with a multi-pack of Twixes! We were in bed by 9:30 pm.