On the 5th of September, 46 cyclists and support crew will embark on a cycle challenge from Biarritz to Narbonne in the South of France.
Day
Day 1: Leicester to Bayonne/Biarritz
Well the day finally arrived after months of planning and plenty of training, as we set off on our 350 miles coast to coast cycle challenge.
The journey from Leicester to Dover apart from the weather, was pretty good taking us just a little over 4 hours. As we boarded the ferry, the group split into two halves, those who went straight to the restaurant and the other group to the bar! You can make your own mind up who was in each group!
After the 11/2 hour crossing (approx 12.30am) we settled down into our comfy seats on the coach for the 13 hour journey to Bayonne. Most of us were able to get a few hours sleep before we stopped for are first French breakfast, coffee au lait, pain au chocolate and croissants, although I do believe a few did have bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns and toast –Brits on Holiday!!
Having enjoyed an uneventful journey to Bayonne (apart from the high speed blow out--see picture). We arrive in Bayonne around 2.30pm. at which point the support crew took over unloading the coach getting everyone organised, leaving the cyclists with nothing more to do than polishing their bikes and fitting new brake pads to Matt’s bike after it failed the Wyrko test for road safety!!!
So to the start of the cycle challenge, Bayonne to Biarritz (the Atlantic sea) a short leg stretcher of 18 km to the coast so we can dip our toes in the Atlantic sea and get the Coast to Coast cycle challenge underway.
From leaving the hotel, we took a cycle track which took us straight to Biarritz and for the brave ones, a swim in the Atlantic!!
Through John Lawson (one of the cyclists) the Mayor of Bayonne(well his assistant) kindly invited us all to a civic reception to welcome us to his city and wish all the very best for the journey ahead and ply us with numerous glasses of champagne. As a final note, the Billesdon Boys were ‘Red Carded’ by the Biarritz life guards for swimming while a red flag was flying.
Until tomorrow, the start of the ride, proper!!
