Bentworth to Paris Daily Update

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Tuesday 24th July

5.30 am Tobes is off, His 350 mile cycle started early as he has to deliver a training session on "Privacy, Identity & Security" to a private client this morning, then on to Kingston. The delegates are in for the fright of their lives when he turn up in his lycras.

8.15 a.m. Tobes arrives in East Horsham 39 miles

2.00pm The Star Inn, Bentworth, Hampshire - 350 miles to go!

2.00pm AND THEY'RE OFF!

Wednesday 25th July

5.30am We're ready - Right, we're bored now - when does it start?

8.45am Emergency - Rod can handle the fact that he's just buckled his back wheel in a pothole. But his fag lighters just packed up, and that's a real emergency.

12.10pm Team Star Inn has the yellow jersey! - Matt and Simon arrived in Newhaven at midday. The rest of us are still at lunch...

12.15pm The incredible restorative powers of tea - Lunch! 40 miles done, and Rod's already caught us up again.

1.00pm Day one finished - We're in Newhaven - cheers!

2.10pm Race leaders - Hang on, this isn't a race, but we've tracked down the race leaders. And they even had time to catch a shoplifter in Halfords on the way. They must have made their mark, there were workmen on the other side of town who directed us to Matt & Simon even before we asked.

2.30pm A word from our sponsor - "He's happy because he drinks Fullers London Pride"

3.10pm Ferry boarding - Oh dear. We could be here a while.

Thursday 26th July

7.50 am We spent 11 hours - 11 HOURS! Sitting around yesterday before we got to bed at midnight. Slept like a big dog (grunting, scratching, farting) in a room with Matt and Richard, who then left me snoring through breakfast and in a rush at the end.

Horrible 3 miles out of Dieppe up hills, and we've now paused for coffee and upgraded Phil's bike.

11.50am Top of the world ma! - Lunch, with 45 miles under our belts, so Phil and I stopped for a photo opportunity at the top of an enormous suspension bridge. Sadly, it's just started raining :(

2.30pm In bits - We've reached the afternoon water stop - 65 miles down, 30 to go. Apparently Matt and Simon came through 2 hours ago, complaining that there was someone going faster than them. The rest of today is going to be hard work...

3.50pm Nearly there - 15 miles to go, so time for a break. How can Rod drink beer at this point in the day?

6.20pm Gary says - ...honest Liz, we've been cycling, there's more to this than beer!

6.20pm Quote of the day - Gary: "Some bloke in a passing car called me a twat as he went past"
Phil: "No you berk, he was shouting 'a droite' - you were on the wrong side of the road!"

Friday 27th July

6.00am Day Number ... Er ... Definitely Day - La ciel est bleu, la solle brille ect ect. Fortunately we have aching heads to distract us from our aching legs. Team Star Inn (now with FREE extra Gary for this week only) had a very jolly evening indeed. Clever money is betting that Mr Williams may see a lapse in his prize-winning form today...

9.00am This is more like it - 20 miles down already, the sun's out and all is well with the world. After a gruelling climb out of Lisieux we've had a great ride on flat country lanes. Matt & Simon are probably in Paris already

9.05am Pit Stop - Gary gets his stump out for the ladies

10.40am Lunch - Contrary to popular belief, we are doing some cycling between meals. Now in Le Neubourg and we've decided to abandon the official AMR lunch in favour of something more civilised (accompanied by beer). 36 miles down, same again to go.

1.20pm New land speed record - We're 15km from the end of the day at Vernon, and we've just set a new personal best - 41.5mph. Knockout. Of course that means it'll all be uphill from here...

2.00pm Rod's knackered his bike again - and this time the wheel's stuffed, so he's going to have to get on the backup bike.

3.30pm 265 miles on the clock - We've arrived in Vernon and have been scattered across hotels on various industrial estates. Rod's gone into town to buy new wheels, and I've decided that sharing a triple room with Matt & Simon doesn't appeal for some reason, so I've got myself my own room. We're going out (again) because the cold buffet that is the sole offering on the hotel menu isn't going to cut it. Tomorrow to Paris!

7.30pm Star Inn Supper - Team - plus extras - is out for dinner at a somewhat dodgy restaurant, but at least the wine's good. Watch this space for reports of food poisoning and hangovers :)

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