Day Eignt
Seyssel 2 La Mure

Day 8: Wet, Wet, Wet!

Every long distance cycling trip has its tough periods and this morning was are hardest challenge of the trip. We awoke this morning to biblical rain and over breakfast we decided there was only one way to tackle this - head down and get on with it. 3 hours later, after Dominick had seen us off from the hotel before he headed back to Poland,  with rain still pouring down we were wet, cold and hungry and not sure we had made the right choice!​

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The super six that are still riding me, Cuttsy, Andrew, Harry, Jakob and Ollie soon got split into two groups amid the spray and didn't meet up again until lunch. Locating the van for stop 1 proved difficult so we improvised in cafes around Chambrey trying to keep warm as we were so wet. Progress was terribly slow due to the conditions - we were way behind schedule with many miles and hills/mountains to climb.

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By 2.30pm, although it had now stopped raining we will still hadn't reached the lunch spot and we need to get warm - so we went to the emergency escape plan McDonalds! ON the way in we had our first tumble - Cuttsy hit the deck, landing on a previous injury but thankfully, other than some more scrapes, he was fit to continue unlike his bike that will need some TLC once back in the UK. As this is a well planned military operation we had a spare bike in the van (thanks Charlie!) so we could complete the day.

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Patched up we didn't get going to 3.30pm and we were still struggling to digest our burger and fries (the food of real athletes!). Fortunately we had some fabulous luck - Jakob suggested a nearby cycle path by the river and we found it took us past the whole of Grenoble (a slow, difficult city centre) to the foot of our first major climb of the Alps the Col de Couz (a 19km climb).

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We all reached the hotel around 7pm which was a fantastic effort given the conditions and the climb at the end of the day. To all our disappointment the hotel pool was closed for September - and most of the year by the look of it! I think the Spa at tomorrows hotel is also shut - the team cant believe it or was I making it up like every thing else?

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​Chapeau Award:  Has to go to Owen and Cuttsy who took all our wet kit from the day (most of us had a least two) to the local launderette to wash and dry. Although they were very late for dinner they did manage to find some cheese and wine in the van that kept them going. Also thanks to Lisa Cutts who gave advice on the phone on how to use white goods! - Chapeau.​

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​DOTD: We were all hero's completing a tough day.

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​​Beer of the Day:  Pelforth but only one as we arrived late and there is lots of food and drink to sample

​​​​Cheese and Wine Update: We have the wine list worked out now so some local whites washed down by some Cotes du Rhone although the drinking pace is slowing as the days get tougher and tougher.

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​Arse Report (sponsored by Natural Little Bee Chamois Balm):

We all had 5 hours this morning of colonic irrigation so we will see what happens tomorrow!​

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​Weather Watch:

THe weather is set to be dry tomorrow and we will hold for the rest of the trip. We are in the high Alps now so we take nothing for granted.​

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Dog of the day:

In the morning no dogs dared go out in the heavy rain - fortunately we snapped a couple in the evening on the way in to La Mure​

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Can't believe  we are so close to completing the ride. Two tough days to come but after today I think we are all up to the challenge. Thanks to everyone wo sponsored Cuttsy yesterday - he thought he had no friends until he realised his email last week didnt send!

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Until tomorrow from the jaccuzi!

PS Sorry for any typo's my editor and support driver is feeling the pace and is shoring next to me...

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