2 Reasons to do this one…Myra was celebrating having time and space (her off spring having flown the nest, (except when they visit home)), Carol was needing a pause to force a change of behaviours and stop the daytime activity whilst regenerating into something else. We left Windsor on the the 3.23, heading to Portsmouth. Having disembarked at Portsmouth we then started looking for the international ferry terminal, learning number one, check where you are going and where the closest station might be before you get off the train. Whilst trying to make sense of the public information signs we met Hazel, she like us was suitably confused by the info at the station and she like us was part of the cycle group. We formed an alliance and headed off (courtesy of google maps on a 30 minute walk across and around the one way systems of Portsmouth carrying rucksacks and dragging suitcases and very much wishing we had taken a cab, if we could have found one. Eventually we arrived at the terminal and inside found more group members. Key topics of discussion, who are you, what bike do you have and where do you ride? On boarding we headed for a swift glass before food, took part in the on ferry quiz (when did you ever have a round of questions based upon zebras? and got some sleep. Next day we met the Pedal Britain team at the Saint Malo port, deposited bags and went for walk until able to check in. The harbour and sea front were amazing, as was the sky. The harbour was packed with yachts with the ferry in the far distance. Some 9.5k steps later, we headed into Old Saint Malo to off load our bikes which had travelled across independently of us and pick up our luggage. Food, another glass, an introductory meeting and the handing out of tour bike shirts (always important) followed and we headed off to bed. We were all excited but as ever slightly nervous about what awaits….
Saint Malo Port and harbour
Day 1 Ride 1 – Saint Malo to Chateaubourg 118k 848 ascent
Todays ride was beautiful in that it was calm, the group stayed together and generally took it relatively sensibly. There were 2 stops today, one as we were just about to leave the coast which afforded a misty view of Mount St Michelle and a lunch stop with a view of a rather fine chateau. The group worked well. All are good cyclists (I’m feeling a fraud here as I wouldn’t put myself in their league), some have cycled for many years and all have a a sense of humour. We even have an honorary Finnish gentleman although he is only with us for 7 days before he heads back to Helsinki to take up a new role. Brew and lunch stops were well stocked, the food on offer good but today was really a day to settle in, get your body used to cycling and meet your fellow cyclists along the way.
Morning Brew Stop view – just……
Having arrived my priority was getting the get shifter charged on my bike – a whole new experience given this is a whole new bike. The “boys” running the tour were ultra helpful – putting my bike in the van and allowing it to charge in there…. – my next challenge is to ensure the app I downloaded is linked to my bike to allow me to monitor charge levels – it would not be great to run out mid France and find I am unable to do anything……Food and chat were in abundance – all feeling pretty perky and proud of ourselves for making it through day one and having met new like minded individuals. Like minded even extending to same beer, same colour of wine….. – and so onto tomorrow which promises to be more of the same being of a similar length and ascent. Day 3 is when we start to move on and up.
Day 2 – Chateaubourg to Montreuil-Jeune 110k 788m
Today was a day the group decided to take at an easy pace, all too aware of what was coming up on day 4 and 5. Ahead of breakfast I was able to capture a picture of last nights hotel with the sun rising in the background. It had a sculpture park in the grounds which seemed to have a fascination with spiders…so much so that there was a picture of one hanging over the lake in the grounds and under the arch of the building itself.
The weather was excellent as we set off the roads although French rush hour (doe such a thing exist?) were easy in terms of riding given the quality of road surface. Morning tea break was at 22 miles in, a beautiful car park in the grounds of a church with its own shrine which, slightly curiously was close to the toilet. The morning brew stop is a sacred event as many of us are not really fully functioning t breakfast so this is the first time to top up with tea / coffee and snacks from the van and prepare yourself for the second segment of the day which is often the most demanding being post tea break and pre lunch. The hour before lunch, no matter how much you have eaten and snacked on, is always a time when energies run low and replenishment is needed. What was really nice is that the girls had elected to hold a steady pace to ensure we arrived intact , so had taken the kph down a couple of pips from the previous day. It was obvious we were all having too good a time hence a couple of the guys decided to ride with us, a chance to find out why people were here and a bit more about our fellow riders.All participants were returnees so discussing when we had all done LEJOG anywho our guides had been and what the hotels / food had been like and how much better French fare is than English formed a key part of conversation.
By the time we got to lunch the temperature had increased and I was beginning to regret the base and Gillet I had put on first thing this morning. However sitting in the shade by a river with a full range of”cycling food” on offer was time cool down and stretch. The roads were consistently undulating, something that continued throughout they,with many of them during the morning being straight and long, allowing you to count the ridges along the way. It is still a cause of great puzzlement as to what constitutes a hill in Garmin….and after today we are all none the wiser despite much discussion.
Lunch provided an opportunity for a group photo for the girls, not before we had completely blocked the road on the way into town deciding to go for a group cycle pic.
The afternoon was relatively uneventful..the roads were rolling and the heat was building….- we had been promised a hotel with a pool and it was was with huge relief and deep joy when after 110 k we arrived. Our bikes were taken from us by the team and were all given a high 5 / hug by Darren, the owner of Pedal Britain who was spending the first 3 days with us before going on to work on the Italy trip. The evening was fabulous food and snack in the outdoor pool a sleep and some essential laundry – then time to crash given the increased climbing tomorrow as we start to build towards some of the ascents heading our way mid trip. Very happy and weary cyclists.
