At the moment we are 1-0 down in the game against Uruguay. I’m losing interest in the game and so thought I would fill you in with today’s details.
Thankfully today was superb even though I only got about 5 hours sleep!
A nice breakfast and coffee was a good set up for the morning and the weather was great all day and it was a delight to cycle.
We were in countryside all day with pretty villages, canals and rivers, all very French. No surprise there!
Although we feel sorry our ex lady “R” who was forced to leave the tour yesterday it was absolutely the correct thing. There was no way she could have kept up on her bike and it was best for all.
The roads were very challenging at times with some long steep hills, but we were rewarded with lovely long flat sections and also rolling hills. The worst bit today was the road surface. Some parts of our journey were where the road top was coming off and the vibration that was sent through the bike into our arms and legs was nasty. We also went on some newly “top dressed” parts of roads with loose gravel chippings flying around. Fortunately no punctures today, even with that.
Food stops were great too. Lovely little towns with nice cafe’s and roadside restaurants. The first stop was at a cafe with a cake shop next door. I just had to have a cake before the toasted cheese sandwich but also one after! Burning 500 calories an hour I earned it!! However, you will see by one of the photos that it wasn’t just me who liked cakes. But I must say the food didn’t sit too well with me when we started again and the sugar didn’t do me any favours. I won’t be doing that again this trip! I am now also easing up on the energy gels and bars as we are planning on proper food stops after each third of the ride. We needed them yesterday as we didn’t have enough proper food but it did feel better today with less of them. French coffee seems to be packed with enough caffeine anyway!
Oh dear, that Suarez did it again. All over!
All of us are holding up well with only the expected tiredness and leg ache.
Well folks, England just lost, I’ve hit the tiredness wall and that’s all for now. Sorry it’s not more detail but my eyes are closing.
More tomorrow.
Today’s stats: 77 miles, leaving Calais at 9.45am arriving Abbeville at 6.30pm makes 5.75 hours cycling at an average of 13.4mph We didn’t off route much, it’s hard not to on these roads with few signs and this was as we would have expected.