Day 3 - The Grand Finale

Photo 23: View over the Alsace countryside from Chateau Haut-Koenigsburg

Photo 24: Dave and Marc at the top of the last hill.

Photo 25: View of the main street in Riquewihr

The last push for home had one little cheeky twist, when we arrived in Kintzheim they sent us on a loop up a big hill behind the town to get a view from Chateau Haut-Koenigsburg on the top then straight back down into the town again! We went back to swapping riders every mile on the way home then Dave got a fast ride down back to town.

After that there were just a couple of short 5 mile hops to the finish line in Riquewihr. Ben did the first one and I tucked in for the last one which took us to the outskirts of town. At that point we dropped the van in a hotel car park and all 4 of us mounted our bikes and rode the last mile together to the finish by the town hall.

At the town hall there was a large reception with wine and beer flowing freely and tales of the day being exchanged between all the teams. We'd made it!! It had been hard work, but at the end of it all it had been an amazing 3 days of riding. Great scenary, good team spirit and we'd managed to raise almost double our target amount for charity.

The weather the last day had been fantastic as well so you really couldn't ask for any more. At dinner a few people were even beginning to talk about "Next year..." so maybe there will be another blog then!

Day 3 - continued

Photo 18: One of the small French villages we passed through on day three.

Photo 19: Dave completes another leg of the final day.

Photo 20: The Deportation Memorial overlooking the Natzwiller-Struthof concentration camp near Natzwiller

Photo 21: The Beach Party Stall set-up for lunch and drinks at 100 miles!

Photo 22: Dave and Marc on the beach at 700m!

As we started the third round we were already passed the 51 mile mark for the day. The prize for the first hill of the day was to go to me. It was just a small summit at 483m and it seemed to go pretty quickly and I then had a long downhill to take me to 5 miles. As we were getting closer to the mountains we decided to shorten the ride time again to keep people fresh so we'd dropped into rounds of 5 miles.

Marc had the next leg and he carried on through a village and down a hill so fast we thought we'd missed him. We stopped after 7 miles and started Dave off and then carried on down the hill to find somewhere to turn so we could go back and see if Marc had been confused by the yellow arrow for the market in the last town. Just as we were about to turn around we spotted Marc going round a bend up ahead. We caught up with him and loaded his bike in the van just as Dave came shooting down the hill.

Ben finished that round off just as we came into the first steep climb to a summit of 787m. I took the first turn up the hill and the aches of the morning had disappeared from the legs and I was able to power up the hill by picking a cyclist up ahead of me and then pushing to pass him. Some of the riders were having to get off and walk and a lot were standing out of their saddle pedalling hard. I was able to push passed 6 or 7 riders comforted by the knowledge that we'd agreed just before the mountains to cut the ride time down to 1 mile stints while we were doing the steep uphill climb.

With this tactic we were able to keep a good pace going and keep up with all the other teams.

Marc did the next 1 mile push then Dave and at that point we reached the top and Dave steamed down a long downhill from the summit reaching a new personal top speed on his bike of 36.5 mph.

Ben pedalled through the next villages and took us up the start of the next climb. I followed Ben then Marc and Dave. This climb went up to our highest peak at 1015m and was another long, hard and very steep climb. We followed the same principle doing 1 mile stints each and then swapping riders. This worked really well until it was Dave's turn. Dave's ride took him passed the only German concentration camp on French soil and there was a sign approaching it telling everyone that the area had been designated an area of silence and a monument from which you could see the old camp buildings (photo 20). Maybe we got distracted by the sign but somehow we passed Dave on the road and as we got to 3 miles we stopped in the next layby and tried to ring his cellphone. We eventually got through and Dave told us he had seen us go passed and assumed we had seen him. We set Ben off on his bike and started driving back down the hill to find Dave and check he was ok. Dave was actually only a couple of hundred meters down the road so we were able to find him quickly. Finding a turning spot to go back up again to get him was a little more difficult.

From where Ben had set off there was a short climb to the top. After that there was a long, long downhill stretch. Ben had switched to his moutain bike for this leg and he sped down at 35 mph keeping up with the road bikes.

At the bottom of the hill we reached the 100 mile mark and one of the teams had paid for a stall to be erected serving drinks and sandwiches! (photo 21 and 22) It was a welcome break, unfortunately Ben had already left by the time we arrived so Dave, Marc and I had a quick drink and bite to eat then we headed off to find Ben.

Ben had completed another little summit then had another long run down to the valley. We caught him on the run down the hill and at the bottom he was grinning from ear to ear and just wanted to go back up and do it again.

We had just 36 miles left now and one more big climb. We were getting close!

Day 3 - Nancy to Riquewihr - 147 miles

Photo 16: Marc at the start of day 3

Photo 17: The Chrome Domes still powering along on their Butchers Bike!

Day 3 started at 04:45. Knowing we were the last team to finish the previous day we wanted to make sure we got off as soon as the marshalls were ready and we didn't get stuck with hordes off teams trying to get cycles down the lifts.

We loaded the van had breakfast changed my back tyre for something with better grip and then at 06:45 I set off for the first ride of the day. Our tactics for the last day were completely different. We'd decided to start with short bursts of just 30 minutes which depending on the terrain should be 7-10 miles.

The first ride of the day felt a little stiff but we soon completed a first round and the second round felt better. With 144 miles to complete we only had 36 miles each which was equivalent to two of my training loops.

We were keeping up with the main pack of riders so things were going well. As we wrapped up the last of the second round rides we passed the butchers bike. You had to take your hat off to that team - they were clearly mad but with a heavy bike with only 3 gears and a front basket full of baguettes they were very, very fit!

Day 2 - Push for home

The last round of rides for the day was made harder by a wicked head wind that meant even a flat rode was hard work. We each took in turns pushing for 10 miles and at last the line was in sight. As we were cycling in we became aware of the marshall behind us taking the signs down. We'd noticed the road had been getting quieter and quieter and we hadn't passed anyone for a while so our suspicions were confirmed that there had been quite a bit of leap frogging going on.

We'd learnt a bit more about leap frogging as we'd talked to teams during the challenge. In the early days of the challenge leap frogging was against the rules and the next rider wasn't allowed to start until the previous one finished. Leap frogging was introduced as the challenge expanded and more novice teams started cycling. In order for the teams to make sure they got finished in the day they were allowed to set the next rider off before the first one finished. This meant the whole distance was covered, but just allowed them to go a bit faster as they had two cyclists on the road at a time. Leap frogging was allowed after 1:00 PM and what we'd been doing was really just leap frogging "light" as we'd been shadowing the first rider with the van until the last couple of miles and then setting the next rider of just a couple of minutes early. Teams that were doing the full leap frog were starting their first rider, driving on 10 or so miles and then starting a second rider and waiting for the first one to catch-up. Initially just the slower teams were hopping, but as time went by some of the better teams started hopping so they could have a lie in or get to the hotel early. The older challengers all frowned on hopping and many felt that it should be taken out of the rules again. Having found ourselves alone on the road for the last half of the day and as it turned out being the last team to finish on the second day we were feeling the same - it had been a lonely ending to the day!

We arrived at the hotel at around 6:30 and as we talked to other teams in the lobby we found quite a few of the teams that had stuck to the rules had only just finished in front of us. That made us feel a lot better!

The last challenge of the day was getting into the hotel itself. The hotel was in the centre of Nancy and it didn't have a car park with a high enough ceiling to take the vans. The town centre wasn't a safe place to leave the bikes on a van so we were adviced to take our bikes up to our rooms. The hotel seemed fine with this but you can probably imagine the chaos that caused in the lifts given we had 70 teams of riders with 4 bikes in each team!

At dinner that evening we were lucky to sit at a table with some real race veterans who were on their 13th challenge. We picked their brains on tips for the last day and with that felt mentally more prepared for the mountains.

Day 2 - continued

Photo 13: The Tranche de Bayonettes. This memorial marks the position of the trenches of the battle of Verdun.

Photo 14: Sitting on the ridge of Thiaumont the Douaumont Ossuaire contains the remains of 130 000 unknown French and German soldiers who fell on the battlefields of Verdun.

Photo 15: The owner of a French farm house came out after we parked across his drive. He came armed with a bottle of Cognac and chatted about our route through the mountains!

Ben kicked off round 2 and enjoyed a flat ride that compensated for the hill he'd been subjected to earlier. Ben finished his ride at the bottom of a hill and I jumped on for the next leg.

My leg started with a long uphill which took up the first 20 minutes of the ride. By the time I got to the top I was really looking forward to going down and seeing some flat land again. The downhill seemed really quick after the long trudge up the hill but after that there was a nice flat stretch and then some undulating hills to take me to the end of my stretch. A lot of the second half of my ride had been through little towns and villages. They were all stereotypically French, however the amazing thing was just how quiet they were. We hardly ever saw anyone and there were very few cars and the window shutters were quite often locked. Everything felt deserted.

The scenary on the last two legs of the second round changed again. After the Champagne vineyards in the morning we once again entered World War I battlegrounds passing by the memorial to the 1914-1918 Tranche de Bayonettes and then passing the site of the Battle of Verdun.

Dave cycled the last leg of the round while Ben, Marc and I took a quick sight-seeing tour. By the time Dave finished we were just 40 miles away from the finish in Nancy which meant just one more leg each of 10 miles and we'd be done for the day.

Day 2 - Epernay to Nancy - 151 miles

Photo 10: Ben's wheels slip on the first steep hill of the day and he grinds to a halt.

Photo 11: Sunrise across the vineyards outside Epernay.

Photo 12: Dave grabbing a drink at the end of his ride.

Day 2 was supposed to be a lot easier than day 1. Shorter and a lot flatter...... with the exception of the first couple of hrs of riding out of Epernay which was supposed to have a very long steep climb followed by lots of undulating hills.

During dinner on day 1 we'd agreed that Ben would do the first ride. Feeling guilty that I'd had two rides cut a bit short on day 1 I'd offered to do it but Ben was psyched and ready for the ride so he set off. As we reached the outskirts of town and saw the hill ahead sitting it out in the van suddenly began to seem like a good move.

The hill was long and steep and just as you thought you'd made it to the top there was another steep climb. On the last climb Ben's back wheel started to skid on the leaves and he lost traction. The bike stalled and Ben had to get off and resort to pushing it up the last 100 metres.

Ben cycled on for another few miles after the steep climb. We were targetting for each rider to do 13 miles, but we decided to cut Bens short as we knew the hill would have taken a lot out of him.

I took the second ride of the day which was beautiful. The sun had come out, there were blue skies, vineyards undulating hills and the wind had dropped. The route we were taking was marked as the Champagne trail and I cycled past lots of factories with the smell of champagne oozing out. There were some steep uphill sections to test the legs out and some long downhills to get a nice breeze to cool you down again. As I approached the end of the ride I came up one last hill and ahead was an amazing sight - flat land!

I swapped with Marc and he headed out for his ride. The flat land meant he kept a good pace up and he cranked out 15 miles in 55 minutes. Dave was on next and he cranked out 15 miles in 50 minutes. The flat land was making a huge difference and was a welcome change for our tired legs. Round 1 of the day was complete.

Day 1 - The final leg

Photo 7: Marc speeding round a corner on his penultimate leg of day 1.

Photo 8: Dave getting ready to go on another ride.

Photo 9: Ben listening to his iPod as he cycles along.

The last round of the day turned out not to be the last round. Dave started again as always then Marc. The countryside oscillated between rolling hills and some flat stretches so we were making good progress. Then it was my turn! The first 10 miles went by very quickly then the chain started popping off. After putting it back on three times it then jammed tight. I looked at the chain and it had a bent link and wouldn't go back on again so I rang the support van and they came back to pick me up and set Ben off to do the next leg.

Ben's leg took us to within 20 miles of the finish which meant Dave and Marc needed to have another 10 mile stretch each just to take us home.

Dinner that night was supposed to be at 07:30 in Epernay and time was getting on. We bumped into one of the marshalls who was picking the signs up and he said there was just one team behind us. We chatted to the marshall some more and he said that some of the teams had started leap-frogging after lunch. Leap frogging is where the team set the next rider off as the previous one is finishing. It means you still cycle the whole route but for 5 minutes or so your team have two cyclists on the road. This partly explained why the teams had all been bunched up in the morning then gradually spread out more in the afternoon.

Marc had the last ride of the day into Epernay and he flew down the hill and had a great ride. The hotel bar was packed as we arrived and it was starting to get dark. The end of a long day.

Over dinner that evening we chatted to some of the other teams. The team using the Butchers Bike had successfully made it all the way which was impressive. The speeches at dinner then gave us an insight into some of the talent in other teams. One of the teams had a 17 year old girl who was an Olympic hopeful and averaged 340 miles a week in training. Another team had just won the Race Across America (RAAM) competition in which they'd cycled 3000 miles in just 6 days!. It put our 500 mile challenge in 3 days into a different perspective.

At the end of the speeches they asked if anyone had a spare chain to help our team out and several people stood up and then came over afterwards to help. We had an impressive 4 course meal with champagne and then just before turning in the Cheeky Boys team gave us a hand sorting my chain out so we were all set for the morning. Once again we were impressed with the team spirit and the extent to which the riders on the challenge are all prepared to help each other.

Day 1 - continued!

The second round of rides continued with some familiar themes. Rain, undulating hills and rain. To be fair it did stop raining at times, but it always rained enough on each ride to soak the rider and make them feel like the others were having better weather!.

Dave started the second round and after passing him once. We sat at a junction and waited for him to come past a second time. After waiting 20 minutes there was still no sign of Dave and having seen lots of riders on this stretch with punctures we were beginning to think Dave had joined the casualty list. We started to drive back to see if he was in trouble and tried him again on his mobile. After three failed attempts Dave rang us back. Somehow we'd missed him at the junction and he'd passed us and was now a long way ahead. We turned the van around and set off to find him. When we finally caught up with him Dave had been riding for over an hour so we looked for the next place to stop and Marc took over.

Marc made good time and by the time he passed on to me we were coming up to the half way point. My ride started without rain which was a welcome change and gave a chance to look at the countryside around. We were riding through lots of farmland, woods and little villages. The roads were mostly quiet - apart from 70 British cyclists of course and the fleet of support cars following their progress!

My ride continued up some some steep hills with some welcome long descents. The hills were nothing compared to what we knew was ahead of us on day 3 but they provided a hard workout nevertheless.

As I clocked 10 miles on my ride our support van drove past and shouted out some encouragement. Then just as they disappeared out of sight there was a bang from the front tire and I ground to a halt. We'd all agreed that if we had a puncture we'd just ring the support van and do a quick rider change so we could keep making good progress while we fixed the puncture. With that in mind I picked up my phone and tried to make a call. A beep beep sound from my phone soon told me there was no signal so I was just going to have to do a repair myself. It was a long stretch of road through some woods so it probably wasn't a surprise. However help was never really that far away as every cyclist and van that went past would stop or shout to see if you needed any help or tools.

As I started to change the inner tube the heavens opened and the rain came down. It felt heavier than it had been all day and it made changing the tyre that much more tricky. I found what looked to have caused the puncture and pulled a small flint out of the tyre.

Just as I'd finished the repair our support van appeared. They'd assumed something was wrong and had headed back to see if I was ok. The bike was ready again so I carried on. Three more miles down the road and the van passed again. Then just as before as the van disappeared from view there was a bang a hiss and my front tyre was flat again!

Fortunately this time there was a mobile signal so I was able to call ahead. The van was just at the top of the hill so Ben jumped on his bike to start the next leg and we put my bike in the back to fix on route.

Ben's leg was comparatively quiet in comparison and he claimed the prize for the first ride without rain. By the end of Bens leg we were approaching two-thirds done for the first day. Just one more leg each we hoped and we'd be ready for dinner.

Day 1 - Arras to Epernay - 191 miles

Photo 4: It's dark and wet outside as we unload the bikes at 05:45 for the first ride of the Challenge.

Photo 5: Colin getting ready to start his first ride of the Challenge.

Photo 6: Ben during his first ride of the Challenge.

The alarm goes off at 05:00 - a quick look at the watch shows 04:00 in the UK. Breakfast is at 05:30 and the room is full of cyclists. There is a lot of excited chatter as people fill up with energy and make their way to the start.

We drive to the start line in the town square at Arras and at 06:00 we're off. Dave takes the first ride. It's cold, dark and starting to rain - perfect weather for a days cycling!

We jump into the support van and follow the route out of town. Eight miles out of town we've passed lots of cyclists, but still no sign of Dave. We stop in a layby and try his mobile a few times then realise he's got his iPod on so he can't hear us ringing him. We sit and wait and eventually Dave appears, apparently a few of them got lost in the town at the start so they had to backtrack to find the route.

The route turns out to be very well marked with arrows at every junction put up by the marshalls that morning. Those plus the continuous stream of bikes and support vehicles means there is always something to reassure you that you've got the right route.

With one hour gone we change riders and Marc takes the next ride. The conditions for Marc are much the same - cold, wet and dark! The terrain begins to get a bit hilly - not too steep but enough to slow things down and make it hard going for the cyclists in the weather.

Another hour gone and its my turn. I hop on the bike and set off. As you're cycling the stream of vans all shout encouragement which helps keep your wheels turning. It's light outside at last so we can now see the surrounding landscape, but its still cold and the rain and wind sap the energy quickly. We cycle past lots of cemeteries and war memorials as we head through the Somme valley. I push hard for the hour and finally towards the end the rain stops.

We change riders again and our last team member Ben heads off. The rain has stopped for the time being and Ben cycles hard for his stint. Its 10:00 now and with 60 miles gone the pattern of riders is now set - one that will be repeated a few more times today as we pedal the remaining 131 miles to Epernay.

Day 0 - Eurotunnel to France

Photo 1: Team 52 (left to right) Ben Davis, Dave Seddon and Marc White with Colin Seward behind the camera.

Photo 2: The "Chrome Domes" team unveil the Butchers Bike they'll be riding during the Challenge

Photo 3: One of the experts helps tune Dave's bike ready for the challenge

On arrival at Folkestone for the Channel Tunnel train to France we're greeted by a mass of vans, cars, minibuses and campervans all loaded with bikes. We all plod through passport control and security checks which takes ages and by the time we get through the last barrier the train we're booked on has already gone!. One of the tunnels is still closed following the fire on September 11th so the train service is still running at a reduced frequency and we're told we'll have to wait another hour and a half.

We pull up in front of the barriers and wait along with lots of other teams who were also delayed. This gives a chance for a team photo (photo 1) and for some last minute bike adjustments. Talking to some of the riders in different teams its obvious we're quite a mixed bunch. Some riders who've been recruited at the last minute as a substitute for someone who is ill and some who have done this and other similar rides lots of times before. One cyclist rides up and down with a set of French baguettes in his front basket (photo 2), while another sets up shop helping everyone tune their bikes (photo 3).

The train is finally ready to board so we drive on and the journey to France begins!