On the 15th of July 2010 six individuals began their journey from Marble Arch to the continent -on bikes. The idea was to triumph under the other famous arch in Paris and raise money for ABC in the process.
DAY 1: Let the challenge begin
Setting off at 6am (one hour behind schedule already), we thought we had plenty of time to get to Dover for the evening ferry - just 85 miles down the road. However, At 4pm we realised we were going around in circles. It was already becoming mission impossible.
But we persevered…. And with one man down due to knee injury, another down due to passport bureaucracy, 100 miles complete, 427 British hills and Chris' 11th toilet stop, we finally got to Dover. Only to find our ferry was delayed due to a strong wind blowing against the coast of Britain. So we awaited the 23.25 crossing.
DAY 2: (Plans) Gone with the Wind...
Day 2 was pretty flat, warm, and windy. But then, it got windier. And windier – reaching speeds of up to 45 mph against us. And the 130 km target that started at 14:00 seemed a little unrealistic.
The hills rose in front of us and the view was amazing, so we took a short breakat the top and there decided that we would stop for the night in the next town to avoid the winds that were pushing us further back than forwards.
And to our surprise, Eduardo, who we had lost on day one because of passport troubles, had caught up with us. He brought motivation and his iPhone Tom Tom navigation device that we had missed so much.
DAY 3: The French know how to do cycling lanes
Day three brought a whole new way of cycling for us. We had rules now. We had methods to hydrate and feed ourselves. Things were so much more relaxed that day, especially with the amazing french cycle lanes that appeared for miles and miles, helping you to increase your speed and road safety and allowing you to have a chat while cycling.
By the end of the day, we began to sound a little more "professional". Now we understood the way our bodies react to fatigue and dehydration. Now we could refer to ourselves as cyclists. Maybe not quite professional ones, but some sort of cyclist in the cycling hierarchy.
DAY 4: Because true racers deserve to be in the F1
The final day of our jouney was coloured by yet more hills, a flat tyre and Jim’s low energy levels. However, it was clear that our professional side was coming out now as Eduardo offered his words of wisdom: "Lets just carry on guys, we will take it easy. It is all about consistency."
And so our tour advanced and our final destination drew ever closer. The last 45 minutes of our Tour de France was painful. It was hot in the outskirts of Paris, with little annoying hills and bridges, but that didn't matter anymore. We were getting there.
We turned right and there it was. The Second Arch-our final destination. We went uphill once again, with our bright ABC tshirts shining. It was an achievement! Great that we had arrived. Sad that it was over.
We had no choice but to celebrate with Champagne.
It was a big cheers for the outstanding achievement, for all the rubber the 5 of us left behind in France. For all the power bars, bananas and Powerades that helped us all along. For the 8Kg we carried on our racks, for the hills on the way to Dover, for the late ferry, for the French Everests in Calais, for the 45mph wind against us and for team stretching.
It was a big cheers for Chris' great idea to raise money for charity. We were cycling for 5 days without realising that in the meantime, our friends and colleagues had the opportunity to support by donating to a beautiful organisation helping Brazil's children. It was 5 lucky, healthy guys cycling and helping very unlucky people in this world.
Bruno Mucciolo
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