Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Monday, 7 October 2013
A treat for the ladies (and Dylan) - Part 4!
This picture requires a little explanation - on the top bunk is Rik Hawke and Spike decided to squash him, only for Dylan to be given an unexpected treat!
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Final Thoughts of the Riders and Support Team
This entry has been created to allow all of the riders and support crew to share their thoughts on the trip; hightlights & lowlights; funny moments; things they will and will not miss and anything else they would like to say.
Day 14 - Harwich to Hatfield
Planned Mileage: 85.5 miles
Actual Mileage: 88 miles
Temperature: 16.5C
Top Speed: TBC
Start Time: 07:36am
End Time: 15:00pm
Total Saddle Time: 7hr 24mins
Actual Mileage: 88 miles
Temperature: 16.5C
Top Speed: TBC
Start Time: 07:36am
End Time: 15:00pm
Total Saddle Time: 7hr 24mins
The last day of Project Rider arrived, and the mood in the group was one of sadness at it coming to an end, but also excitement about seeing family and friends once again. The ferry docked at 4:30am, but we were not allowed to depart until 6:30am. After checking through customs, the team retrieved their bikes and did some final checks before setting off. Gavin had a puncture that needed repairing and then we were off.
Phil had planned the route on his Garmin and he led the way. 8.2 miles in and Spike suffered a puncture, a mile and a half later then Gavin had his 2nd puncture - maybe it was going to be one of those days. Due to not being able to have breakfast on the boat, some of the team were rather ratty and were insisting they had food. The only problem was, the support crew needed to purchase bread. In the meantime they had to settle for Mars bars, however Luke wanted to stop so he could eat it without falling off his bike!
Finally bread was purchased, and it was bacon & egg sandwiches all round. Once we got started again, the Garmin navigation devices wanted to send the team down roads that did not exist, so we reverted back to following myself, and Gavin had a puncture!
The team then arrived at Braintree - in order to save time and cut down the route a little, they rode through the town centre, only for Rik to get accosted by an elderly lady who stopped him, tried to push him off his bike and whacked him with her handbag!
We then had our first crash of the tour. As the team rode past a pub called Kicking Dicky, they slowed down - Dicky is the name of the Support Crew head honcho. As they did this, it caused Shelley to lose balance on her bike which then led to Spike running over her head and Luke riding over the top of her! However, Northerners are a hard breed, so she got up and rode on.
At the rendezvous point in Hatfield Heath, where we were joined by Paul Anderson and Dan Yates, who were going to ride with the team for the last 23 miles into Hatfield. This final strecth was a combination of hilly country roads and very busy dual carraigeways.
Approaching Hatfield, Dan Yates fell off his bike outside Tesco's! The team then reached the Head Office, and the reception was superb. The amount of noise was tremendous as the team crossed the finish line, to be greeted by work colleagues, family & friends. For some, this was quite an emotional moment and one I am sure we will never forget, even if at that moment in time it all seemed quite a blur.
After a few photos, glasses of champagne, the team were presented medals, by Mike Norris, as a momento of their trip. For the next hour, the team were busy talking to people about the trip and also taking advantage of some well earned massages which were kindly laid on for them.
Finally, the team freshened up and met back up at China East for a slap-up meal and a few well earned beers before we all went our own ways.
Over the next week, this blog will be updated with more pictures, video, and thoughts from each of the riders on their journey so please keep visiting.
Thankyou to everyone who has supported the team over the past few months, and all the comments which have been posted have been really appreciated by us all.
Personally, I want to congratulate every single rider on what they have achieved. You all have my upmost respect - some of the terrain was very challenging but the way you all stuck together as a one unit was very impressive and you all showed what can be achieved when you work as a team. Thanks also to the support crew - Dicky, Geth & Dan - without you this would of been a hell of a lot more difficult.
Phil had planned the route on his Garmin and he led the way. 8.2 miles in and Spike suffered a puncture, a mile and a half later then Gavin had his 2nd puncture - maybe it was going to be one of those days. Due to not being able to have breakfast on the boat, some of the team were rather ratty and were insisting they had food. The only problem was, the support crew needed to purchase bread. In the meantime they had to settle for Mars bars, however Luke wanted to stop so he could eat it without falling off his bike!
Finally bread was purchased, and it was bacon & egg sandwiches all round. Once we got started again, the Garmin navigation devices wanted to send the team down roads that did not exist, so we reverted back to following myself, and Gavin had a puncture!
The team then arrived at Braintree - in order to save time and cut down the route a little, they rode through the town centre, only for Rik to get accosted by an elderly lady who stopped him, tried to push him off his bike and whacked him with her handbag!
We then had our first crash of the tour. As the team rode past a pub called Kicking Dicky, they slowed down - Dicky is the name of the Support Crew head honcho. As they did this, it caused Shelley to lose balance on her bike which then led to Spike running over her head and Luke riding over the top of her! However, Northerners are a hard breed, so she got up and rode on.
At the rendezvous point in Hatfield Heath, where we were joined by Paul Anderson and Dan Yates, who were going to ride with the team for the last 23 miles into Hatfield. This final strecth was a combination of hilly country roads and very busy dual carraigeways.
Approaching Hatfield, Dan Yates fell off his bike outside Tesco's! The team then reached the Head Office, and the reception was superb. The amount of noise was tremendous as the team crossed the finish line, to be greeted by work colleagues, family & friends. For some, this was quite an emotional moment and one I am sure we will never forget, even if at that moment in time it all seemed quite a blur.
After a few photos, glasses of champagne, the team were presented medals, by Mike Norris, as a momento of their trip. For the next hour, the team were busy talking to people about the trip and also taking advantage of some well earned massages which were kindly laid on for them.
Finally, the team freshened up and met back up at China East for a slap-up meal and a few well earned beers before we all went our own ways.
Over the next week, this blog will be updated with more pictures, video, and thoughts from each of the riders on their journey so please keep visiting.
Thankyou to everyone who has supported the team over the past few months, and all the comments which have been posted have been really appreciated by us all.
Personally, I want to congratulate every single rider on what they have achieved. You all have my upmost respect - some of the terrain was very challenging but the way you all stuck together as a one unit was very impressive and you all showed what can be achieved when you work as a team. Thanks also to the support crew - Dicky, Geth & Dan - without you this would of been a hell of a lot more difficult.
Friday, 4 October 2013
Day 13 - Vilvoorde to Hook
Planned Mileage: 86.94 miles
Actual Mileage: 100.1 miles
Temperature: 17.5C
Top Speed: 31.2mph
Start Time: 09:41am
End Time: 19:10pm
Total Saddle Time: 9hr 29mins
The cycling was pretty much uneventful for the rest of the day. We crossed into Holland after 43 miles and all the roads/cycle paths were very flat. At the first stop (30 miles in), Phil & Mark went shopping, whilst everyone else tried to hunt down a toilet only to discover one right next to us in the Tourist Information centre.
The ride continued along the flat dull cycling paths, which meant the support vehicles, had to go it alone. Therefore, I had to rely on information from the cyclists to inform me as to the ‘highlights’ of the day. Apparently, Luke and Spike had a girly push/shove moment, Simon nearly fell off again, Phil never had a strop and everyone was getting a little frustrated with the lack of signage.
Actual Mileage: 100.1 miles
Temperature: 17.5C
Top Speed: 31.2mph
Start Time: 09:41am
End Time: 19:10pm
Total Saddle Time: 9hr 29mins
Due to the ferry time crossing being at 10:30pm at night, it was decided that we would be able to have a lie in, which meant we did not leave until after 9:30am. As the team were getting their equipment ready, Gavin decided to steal the limelight and have a puncture.
The cycling was pretty much uneventful for the rest of the day. We crossed into Holland after 43 miles and all the roads/cycle paths were very flat. At the first stop (30 miles in), Phil & Mark went shopping, whilst everyone else tried to hunt down a toilet only to discover one right next to us in the Tourist Information centre.
The ride continued along the flat dull cycling paths, which meant the support vehicles, had to go it alone. Therefore, I had to rely on information from the cyclists to inform me as to the ‘highlights’ of the day. Apparently, Luke and Spike had a girly push/shove moment, Simon nearly fell off again, Phil never had a strop and everyone was getting a little frustrated with the lack of signage.
In order to get to the ferry port, we had to get two transport ferries across the waterways. This, along with some of the views across the bridges were the real highlights of the day – oh, and the fact Dicky got the team ice creams which went down well.
As the light was fading, the cyclists finally arrived at the ferry terminal about an hour after the support vehicles. This brought an end to the mainland Europe cycling adventure – after over 1000 miles, the team thoroughly deserved a celebrative drink. Next stop Harwich.
On the ferry, the cabins were surprisingly comfortable, the food was reasonable and the bar staff were miserable. Everyone was in a reflective mood as the group shared their thoughts and thanks about the journey to date. We all agreed it has been an amazing experience and one that we will never forget.
As the light was fading, the cyclists finally arrived at the ferry terminal about an hour after the support vehicles. This brought an end to the mainland Europe cycling adventure – after over 1000 miles, the team thoroughly deserved a celebrative drink. Next stop Harwich.
On the ferry, the cabins were surprisingly comfortable, the food was reasonable and the bar staff were miserable. Everyone was in a reflective mood as the group shared their thoughts and thanks about the journey to date. We all agreed it has been an amazing experience and one that we will never forget.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Day 12 - Saint Quentin to Vilvoorde (via Zaventem)
Planned Mileage: 94.28 miles
Actual Mileage: 118.2 miles
Temperature: 18.5C
Top Speed: 33.3mph
Start Time: 07:55am
End Time: 19:05pm (with a 90 minute stop at Zaventem)
Total Saddle Time: 9hr 40mins
The ride into Belgium was going to be a long one, and we had a deadline to meet, so we decided to set off a little earlier today. This time, the latecomer was Spike for a change.
We headed out of Saint Quentin and had a target of trying to reach 35 mile before the breakfast stop. However, a puncture followed by a tyre blow out for Anthony and a road diversion due to yet more French road works meant that by the time of the breakfast stop at 10am the team had only cycled 23 miles. After 15 miles, Shelley had to take a break in the van, as the combination of hills and speed was a little too much after only one days cycling.
After the breakfast stop, no sooner had the riders got going again, then Rik broke a spoke, which meant a change in wheel and he decided to raid Russell's bike - if the man himself could not complete the journey, then at least parts of his bike would!
We then finally left France behind and crossed the border into Belgium, which is a far better country in our view, although some of the roads are a bit poor. Shortly before lunch, as a result of the bumpy roads, Gavin's wattle bottle fell out of the bracket and nearly caused a pile up behind him.
As we set off after lunch, it turns out Phil did not get dressed properly and rode off with his short straps hanging around his bum. Spike then had a puncture, which was probably down to the deteriorating condition of the roads. After 10 miles, Shelley decided that she would leave the boys to it and opted for a seat in the warm van.
As we approached Zaventem, the roads we had to navigate were not exactly cycle friendly, so the team had to opt for the cycle network within the National Park, whilst the support vehicles navigated the local motorways to meet them on the other side, where Simon managed to lose balance and toppled off his bike!
The group gathered back together and continued on their route, only to discover there was yet another road closure, but luckily the cyclists could still use it but the car had to find an alternative route. Thankfully, the lads slowed down so I could catch them up for us to cycle into the Zaventem office as a group.
What happened next stunned the lads. The welcome we received from the Belgium office was tremendous. The staff lined the entrance and clapped the riders in. We then had a photoshoot and were given fresh fruit smoothies, waffles, followed by ice cream and ice cold drinks. This was topped off by the option of a professional massage for the riders.
The surprises were not finished there - the team were then presented with a cheque for £1000 for the charities. The riders were absolutely thrilled with the reception and what was laid on for them, and they really appreciated the effort you made & support everyone gave them - it was a superb end to a long day's cycling.
The Belgium office is a credit to Computacenter - thank you to you all and especially Filip, Elke and Tom for all their efforts in making this happen.
We then headed off into the sunset and completed the 6 miles left to the hotel. Dylan managed to give a driver some abuse for blocking his way - turns out it was a policeman in his own vehicle and he was simply trying to get them to use the excellent cycle paths instead of the busy carriageways.
Some of the team then went into Vilvoorde for a meal - the only restaurant open was an Egyptian one but any initial concerns were soon banished once we had tasted the food. It was by far the best meal we had to date on this tour. For some of us, we finished the night off in a local bar sampling the many varieties of beers and compared to France we were getting 5 drinks for the price of 1!
In total the team did 5100ft of climbing and despite Shelley spending some time in the van, she managed to complete 80 miles on the road, which is one of the longest rides she has ever completed - a great personal achievement for her.
This day and the welcome we received will live long in the memory of all the riders. As for the UK, the bar has been set and you have a lot to live up to.
Actual Mileage: 118.2 miles
Temperature: 18.5C
Top Speed: 33.3mph
Start Time: 07:55am
End Time: 19:05pm (with a 90 minute stop at Zaventem)
Total Saddle Time: 9hr 40mins
The ride into Belgium was going to be a long one, and we had a deadline to meet, so we decided to set off a little earlier today. This time, the latecomer was Spike for a change.
We headed out of Saint Quentin and had a target of trying to reach 35 mile before the breakfast stop. However, a puncture followed by a tyre blow out for Anthony and a road diversion due to yet more French road works meant that by the time of the breakfast stop at 10am the team had only cycled 23 miles. After 15 miles, Shelley had to take a break in the van, as the combination of hills and speed was a little too much after only one days cycling.
After the breakfast stop, no sooner had the riders got going again, then Rik broke a spoke, which meant a change in wheel and he decided to raid Russell's bike - if the man himself could not complete the journey, then at least parts of his bike would!
We then finally left France behind and crossed the border into Belgium, which is a far better country in our view, although some of the roads are a bit poor. Shortly before lunch, as a result of the bumpy roads, Gavin's wattle bottle fell out of the bracket and nearly caused a pile up behind him.
As we set off after lunch, it turns out Phil did not get dressed properly and rode off with his short straps hanging around his bum. Spike then had a puncture, which was probably down to the deteriorating condition of the roads. After 10 miles, Shelley decided that she would leave the boys to it and opted for a seat in the warm van.
As we approached Zaventem, the roads we had to navigate were not exactly cycle friendly, so the team had to opt for the cycle network within the National Park, whilst the support vehicles navigated the local motorways to meet them on the other side, where Simon managed to lose balance and toppled off his bike!
The group gathered back together and continued on their route, only to discover there was yet another road closure, but luckily the cyclists could still use it but the car had to find an alternative route. Thankfully, the lads slowed down so I could catch them up for us to cycle into the Zaventem office as a group.
What happened next stunned the lads. The welcome we received from the Belgium office was tremendous. The staff lined the entrance and clapped the riders in. We then had a photoshoot and were given fresh fruit smoothies, waffles, followed by ice cream and ice cold drinks. This was topped off by the option of a professional massage for the riders.
The surprises were not finished there - the team were then presented with a cheque for £1000 for the charities. The riders were absolutely thrilled with the reception and what was laid on for them, and they really appreciated the effort you made & support everyone gave them - it was a superb end to a long day's cycling.
The Belgium office is a credit to Computacenter - thank you to you all and especially Filip, Elke and Tom for all their efforts in making this happen.
We then headed off into the sunset and completed the 6 miles left to the hotel. Dylan managed to give a driver some abuse for blocking his way - turns out it was a policeman in his own vehicle and he was simply trying to get them to use the excellent cycle paths instead of the busy carriageways.
Some of the team then went into Vilvoorde for a meal - the only restaurant open was an Egyptian one but any initial concerns were soon banished once we had tasted the food. It was by far the best meal we had to date on this tour. For some of us, we finished the night off in a local bar sampling the many varieties of beers and compared to France we were getting 5 drinks for the price of 1!
This day and the welcome we received will live long in the memory of all the riders. As for the UK, the bar has been set and you have a lot to live up to.
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Day 11 - Paris to Saint Quentin
Planned Mileage: 85.44 miles
Actual Mileage: 89.66 miles
Temperature: 16.5C
Top Speed: 32.9 mph (15.2mph average for the day)
Start Time: 08:05am
End Time: 16:10pm
Total Saddle Time: 8hr 05mins
The team were up bright and early following their rest day, with the exception of Simon, which is nothing unusual. However on previous days he had been blaming Paul for hogging the bathroom as the reason for his lateness; except he was not sharing with Paul on this occasion so one can only assume that he cannot drag himself away from the mirror. In fact, his wife, Tracey confirmed to us that he actually has a portable mirror that he carries around with him!!
Two new riders joined us from Paris - Dylan & Shelley - so good luck to them for the remainder of the journey, and we said goodbye to Russell who needed to return back to the UK for business reasons after being a brilliant team rider for the last 10 days.
Less than a mile into the journey, we were startled by a gunshot type sound. Dave had a puncture which forced his trye away from the rim. Russell had pumped up Dave's tyres that morning so the team are left wondering if he had over inflated it on purpose.
Going out of Paris, the roads were very busy and it was not easy to sit behind the team and follow them so I drove ahead and waited for them. whilst I was waiting, I was visited by some French soldiers - they pulled up alongside my car and questioned me. I did not have a clue what they were saying so they got a colleague who could speak English. Turns out they wanted to know what the camera was for which was attached to the front of my car - as I was parked up at the perimeter of an airport I can understand this line of questioning. After convincing them I was not a terrorist, and the fact the cyclists managed to catch up with me, I was allowed to continue on my way.
After 18 miles, Spike had a puncture but the team carried on without him so he ended up in the van to catch the rest of them up. However, the rain then came down so he stayed in the van for the next 10 miles whilst everyone else was getting soaked. After 38 miles, Anthony also had a puncture.
Quote from the Wives: "Oh no, that is the only, masculine thing about him" - Tracey Voris when asked if she wanted Simon to shave his legs.
After 63 miles, we had a lunch break, and for Gavin he required a change of peddles due to broken cleats.
After lunch we headed into Saint Quentin which is famous for being twinned with Rotherham. They must be so proud! On this stretch, the team counted 3 lots of roadkill - 2 cats and a badger!
On reaching the hotel, 'Arrrhhhh Kid' was waiting for Dave to give him and the team some support. After a quick change, freshen up of both humans and bikes, it was off to a local bar from some well earned food and refreshments.
Tomorrow sees us leave France and head into Belgium, where we will be visiting the Zaventem office. It is a 100 mile journey, which could be quite a test for the newbies.
Actual Mileage: 89.66 miles
Temperature: 16.5C
Top Speed: 32.9 mph (15.2mph average for the day)
Start Time: 08:05am
End Time: 16:10pm
Total Saddle Time: 8hr 05mins
The team were up bright and early following their rest day, with the exception of Simon, which is nothing unusual. However on previous days he had been blaming Paul for hogging the bathroom as the reason for his lateness; except he was not sharing with Paul on this occasion so one can only assume that he cannot drag himself away from the mirror. In fact, his wife, Tracey confirmed to us that he actually has a portable mirror that he carries around with him!!
Two new riders joined us from Paris - Dylan & Shelley - so good luck to them for the remainder of the journey, and we said goodbye to Russell who needed to return back to the UK for business reasons after being a brilliant team rider for the last 10 days.
Less than a mile into the journey, we were startled by a gunshot type sound. Dave had a puncture which forced his trye away from the rim. Russell had pumped up Dave's tyres that morning so the team are left wondering if he had over inflated it on purpose.
Going out of Paris, the roads were very busy and it was not easy to sit behind the team and follow them so I drove ahead and waited for them. whilst I was waiting, I was visited by some French soldiers - they pulled up alongside my car and questioned me. I did not have a clue what they were saying so they got a colleague who could speak English. Turns out they wanted to know what the camera was for which was attached to the front of my car - as I was parked up at the perimeter of an airport I can understand this line of questioning. After convincing them I was not a terrorist, and the fact the cyclists managed to catch up with me, I was allowed to continue on my way.
After 18 miles, Spike had a puncture but the team carried on without him so he ended up in the van to catch the rest of them up. However, the rain then came down so he stayed in the van for the next 10 miles whilst everyone else was getting soaked. After 38 miles, Anthony also had a puncture.
Quote from the Wives: "Oh no, that is the only, masculine thing about him" - Tracey Voris when asked if she wanted Simon to shave his legs.
After 63 miles, we had a lunch break, and for Gavin he required a change of peddles due to broken cleats.
After lunch we headed into Saint Quentin which is famous for being twinned with Rotherham. They must be so proud! On this stretch, the team counted 3 lots of roadkill - 2 cats and a badger!
On reaching the hotel, 'Arrrhhhh Kid' was waiting for Dave to give him and the team some support. After a quick change, freshen up of both humans and bikes, it was off to a local bar from some well earned food and refreshments.
Tomorrow sees us leave France and head into Belgium, where we will be visiting the Zaventem office. It is a 100 mile journey, which could be quite a test for the newbies.
Monday, 30 September 2013
Day 10 - Rest day at Paris
Day 10 brings a well earned rest day for the team and as like before, people went off in little groups and did their own things.
Russell, Phil, Paul, Anthony, Gavin & Dave all went together and headed off walking into the city centre, where they managed to visit a few sites and do a spot of shopping. Here is Phil auditioning for the lead role in the remake of Some Mother's Do 'Ave Em!
They also went onto visit Pere Lechaise, which houses the grave stones of Jim Morrison & Oscar Wilde.
Luke & Katherine, Spike & Danielle, Simon & Tracey all went off separately to do sight-seeing. It transpires that they all pretty much went to the same places. So much so, that both Spike & Luke got frisked by the same man at the Eiffel Tower. They also each went for a French meal - however not sure a cheese & ham baguette can be classified as that. As Spike was still hungry, he topped it off by going to McDonalds - these lads are so cultured.
Rik and his wife Sue, went for a walk and got fleeced 22 euros for a coffee and Orange Juice. Sue then had to head back home, leaving Rik to map out tomorrow's route and clean his bike.
Myself & Kinga went to Montmarte, the location of Sacre Coeur. I have to say that the area is filthy and stinks of badly run park toilets! Such a shame they have let it get like that. However, excellent views of Paris from the top. This was followed by a trip to the Arc and browsing in the shops down the Champs d'elysee. We then headed back to the hotel and took advantage of happy hour in one of the local bars.
This evening saw the arrival of Dylan & Shelley who are cycling with the team from Paris back to Hatfield. They flew over on seperate easyjet flights and both of them were delayed by 60 & 90 minutes respectively. The drama did not end there for Shelley - at the airport the taxi driver advised her that the main motorway into Paris had closed so he refused to take her so she had no choice but to opt for a motorbike taxi, who ended up dropping her off at the wrong hotel meaning she had to walk 10 minutes down the road to the correct one!
Let's hope the rest of the trip is not as traumatic for her.
After chatting to some of the group, a lot of us cannot see what the big fuss about Paris is - the city is dirty, smelly, not very romantic and a total rip-off. Roll on Belgium.
Russell, Phil, Paul, Anthony, Gavin & Dave all went together and headed off walking into the city centre, where they managed to visit a few sites and do a spot of shopping. Here is Phil auditioning for the lead role in the remake of Some Mother's Do 'Ave Em!
They also went onto visit Pere Lechaise, which houses the grave stones of Jim Morrison & Oscar Wilde.
Luke & Katherine, Spike & Danielle, Simon & Tracey all went off separately to do sight-seeing. It transpires that they all pretty much went to the same places. So much so, that both Spike & Luke got frisked by the same man at the Eiffel Tower. They also each went for a French meal - however not sure a cheese & ham baguette can be classified as that. As Spike was still hungry, he topped it off by going to McDonalds - these lads are so cultured.
Rik and his wife Sue, went for a walk and got fleeced 22 euros for a coffee and Orange Juice. Sue then had to head back home, leaving Rik to map out tomorrow's route and clean his bike.
Myself & Kinga went to Montmarte, the location of Sacre Coeur. I have to say that the area is filthy and stinks of badly run park toilets! Such a shame they have let it get like that. However, excellent views of Paris from the top. This was followed by a trip to the Arc and browsing in the shops down the Champs d'elysee. We then headed back to the hotel and took advantage of happy hour in one of the local bars.
This evening saw the arrival of Dylan & Shelley who are cycling with the team from Paris back to Hatfield. They flew over on seperate easyjet flights and both of them were delayed by 60 & 90 minutes respectively. The drama did not end there for Shelley - at the airport the taxi driver advised her that the main motorway into Paris had closed so he refused to take her so she had no choice but to opt for a motorbike taxi, who ended up dropping her off at the wrong hotel meaning she had to walk 10 minutes down the road to the correct one!
Let's hope the rest of the trip is not as traumatic for her.
After chatting to some of the group, a lot of us cannot see what the big fuss about Paris is - the city is dirty, smelly, not very romantic and a total rip-off. Roll on Belgium.
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