Cape Trafalgar to Trafalgar Square
2000 mile ride in 16 days

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RAY's JOURNAL

Ray to Mission Control

Ride to the start hot, hilly, headwind and on my part sleepy.

Day 1. Hot, hilly, sunburn, dehydration and cramp. Cut the day short by twenty miles.

Day 2. Hot, five mountain passes, four in the first 48 miles. Cut the day 20 miles short.

Day 3. Hot, hilly with a sting in the tail.

All told behind schedule, but I am adjusting to the demands of the ride. Hard work but beautiful scenery.

Ray

The Rain in Spain

Day 4. Granada north, after the days of heat, dawned cold -18 and had been raininghead wind! Even a downpour. Day cut short by lack of hotels.

Day 5. Three mountain passes, still head windgood progress. Again stopped short by lack of hotels. Chance to catch up on chores.

Day 6. Head wind again - long run for Madrid. Went well but then spent over an hour trying to find the Atocha Station. Headed awayfrom the city only to return for a hotel.

From Madrid towards Andorra

Day 7. Played Cat n Mouse with the Madrid rush hour traffic. Eventually stopped for Spanish style breakfast. Changed direction from North to East, unfortunately so did the wind! The wind strengthened and I found myself at my lowest ebb on the most difficult section. Ended the day in beautiful Siguenza. Now 60 miles behind schedule.

Day 8. Cold start, still sunshine, 10 mile climb to warm me up, going well. Strengthening headwind. Zaragoza, long hard ride into Zaragoza helped pull back important time. Did have 30 awful miles on bumpy minor roads climbing in the heat and headwind, slow going. In the big city hit Pizza Hut.

Day 9. Took me through Wild West Country, with a TAIL-WIND!. Passed the half way mark and 1100 miles. Punctured for the fourth time. 27 miles down, however tomorrow the long run up to Andorra and the Pyrrinees continue. Expecting a hard day.

Andorra and on to France

Day 10
50 miles uphill to Andorra went well, beautiful mountain scenery. Scary ride from there, narrow roads, fast Sunday traffic and a long drop a foot away to my right. Higher up the roads better. 2408 m, then the descent cold with rain into France. Three more mountain passes at the end of the day. Hard day. Loss limitation. 40 miles down.

Day 11
Generally downhill to Carcassonne. A long grovelling climb with rain coming in. Lack of food catching up with me. Re-fuelled the hills returned to being scenic and the rain an inconvenience. By 9 o'clock I arrived at Albi on the Tarn. Quite a lot of rain. 45 miles down.

Day 12
Cold and wet start with a tailwind. By 12 on a very long climb the road carried on into low cloud and visibility dropped to a few yards, riding the edge of a very busy road felt very unsafe. Early lunch in the hope that the weather would improve, it didn't so an alternative minor road route was found. Got horribly lost in Rodez, over an hour trying to find the road out. The afternoon on quiet roads, before a long drop to cross the River Lot. Punctured again. Heavy rain returned and a 10 mile climb. Ended the day early, would I ever be dry again. 75 miles down.

Dordogne and on past Paris

Day 13
Day dawned bright and cold. Undulating to Aurillac. More so to Mauriac and by the afternoon warm sunshine, bought more inner tubes. Left the main road behind me and set off on a very narrow, windy and undulating route. Hard work, beautiful scenery as I crossed the upper reaches of the Dordogne. The roads eased and I was making good progress arriving at Pontaumur at 8:45. In a few minutes I was sat in the restaurant, good food and wine in front of me. Hard hilly day. 70 miles down.

Day 14
Left at 8 back onto quiet (hilly) roads to Montlucon, seen as the end of the hilly section. Food and drink taken regularly, coffee and a sandwich was quick and filling food. Fairly straight fast main roads through Bourges, where the GPS wanted me to take a tour of the Michelin factory. Long roads through pleasant forests generally on quiet roads and I was making very good progress. Just before 21:00 I descended the last miles to Sully sur Loire, where I dined late on pizza. 160 miles, long day. 30 miles down.

Day 15
Quiet roads, generally bright day on high wide plains. Routine cake stop, followed later by coffee and sandwich, inexorably heading towards Paris. Headed in from SE generally following the river, slow going I eventually made the centre by 5:00. Out by way Places de la Bastille and Republique and then Porte de Champerret, before getting lost a couple of times. By 20:00 I had left the rush hour traffic behind me. Punctured again as I headed west using all the daylight and then carrying on into the darkness. I stopped at a Formule 1 hotel in Vernon arriving at 11:30. 13 miles down.

The home leg

Day 16a
Last day started early, alarm at 4 am, ate all the food in my bag washed down with only water and on the road by 5 am. Coffee and tarte aux fraise when I found an open cafe. Thoroughly enjoying the quiet roads leading towards the coast. By 11 o'clock I rolled into Dieppe ferry terminal (last ferry 13:30). Ticket bought, I then hit the cafeteria. More food on the boat and even a little sleep.

Day 16b
16:30 and I was riding away from Newhaven, in the direction of Lewes and Uckfield, from there on B-roads over the Ashdown Forest to Edenbridge. The hills seemed bigger and steeper than they used to be. Crossed the A25, under the M25 and over the last major hurdle of the North Downs. From the top, in fading light I could Croydon and London ahead of me. Got lost in outer London. Found the A23 and followed this easily to Waterloo Bridge and from there Trafalgar Square. The roads and pavements teeming with people at 23:30. DID IT!!! What shall I do now?