At 4am the Big Battlefield Bike Ride team were all awake in their various hotels situated around Dieppe – the heavens had opened and the most almighty thunderstorm was hovering overhead. The thunder came in close and then gradually rumbled into the distance, the street lights were temporarily knocked out and as the rain continued back to bed we went.
Awaking at a more reasonable hour the ground was wet and it was cool outside but at least the lightening had gone, sitting on a metal frame with electricity in the sky didn’t seem appealing.
We headed out of Dieppe and the rain began to fall again, the ride became a sea of hi viz waterproofs and it wasn’t long before I was at the side of the road fixing my first (and what turned out to be last) puncture. Although I’m not keen on letting men help me with anything – changing an inner tube is in a whole different league (Dale – I think I still owe you that beer!). So Dale and I are at the back of the pack – even the support crew are in front of us. We rode together and pushed hard so by the first water stop we had managed to get back with the group.
The morning was undulating to say the least, but the scenery was great and our trusty musicians sat half way up the first hill beckoning us to the top. After the first water stop the road carried on upwards, we passed the sign for the valley of the Somme and could once again hear the trumpet, the road seemed to flatten out but as it went under a bridge and round a corner the worst hill of the ride was before us. With many jumping off to push I knew I could get to the top and pushed slowly onwards making it to the top still in my saddle (a photo of the musicians was required – not least to catch my breath).
The rain carried on but I was warm and dry under my trusty yellow coat, the orange arrows pointing in the direction of lunch spurred me on – the roads now relatively flat. And then I found myself at a cross roads and no orange arrows. Straight across I saw a cyclist but was unsure how they knew where I was going. Within minutes there was a pack of cyclist and many a military man trying to read a map – we decided on straight on but then at the next junction still no orange arrows. We then turned right and within 10 minutes were safely at the lunch stop without too much of a de tour.
Lunch today was fab, in a warm village hall – hot pasta, cups of tea and chocolate cake with custard. It was still pouring outside but I needed to push on as the cold soon sets in when you are wet. This afternoon I rode with Rob (his girlfriend Lucy out for the day with a swollen knee). The terrain flattened and the rain stopped and we pushed on through the Somme and to the Crouy British Cemetery. Here there are 739 Commonwealth graves of soldiers that died in the casualty clearing stations of the Somme – one is Corporal harry Minver who was awarded the VC for bayoneting 2 people with the same bayonet. To demonstrate our guide whipped one out of his trousers! We were 45 minutes too early for the ceremony so pushed on to Amiens.
I arrived at my lovely hotel (the Mercure) at about 4pm – with plenty of time to get things dry and me washed before a not very French dinner of chilli con carne (and another early night).
Awaking at a more reasonable hour the ground was wet and it was cool outside but at least the lightening had gone, sitting on a metal frame with electricity in the sky didn’t seem appealing.
We headed out of Dieppe and the rain began to fall again, the ride became a sea of hi viz waterproofs and it wasn’t long before I was at the side of the road fixing my first (and what turned out to be last) puncture. Although I’m not keen on letting men help me with anything – changing an inner tube is in a whole different league (Dale – I think I still owe you that beer!). So Dale and I are at the back of the pack – even the support crew are in front of us. We rode together and pushed hard so by the first water stop we had managed to get back with the group.
The morning was undulating to say the least, but the scenery was great and our trusty musicians sat half way up the first hill beckoning us to the top. After the first water stop the road carried on upwards, we passed the sign for the valley of the Somme and could once again hear the trumpet, the road seemed to flatten out but as it went under a bridge and round a corner the worst hill of the ride was before us. With many jumping off to push I knew I could get to the top and pushed slowly onwards making it to the top still in my saddle (a photo of the musicians was required – not least to catch my breath).
The rain carried on but I was warm and dry under my trusty yellow coat, the orange arrows pointing in the direction of lunch spurred me on – the roads now relatively flat. And then I found myself at a cross roads and no orange arrows. Straight across I saw a cyclist but was unsure how they knew where I was going. Within minutes there was a pack of cyclist and many a military man trying to read a map – we decided on straight on but then at the next junction still no orange arrows. We then turned right and within 10 minutes were safely at the lunch stop without too much of a de tour.
Lunch today was fab, in a warm village hall – hot pasta, cups of tea and chocolate cake with custard. It was still pouring outside but I needed to push on as the cold soon sets in when you are wet. This afternoon I rode with Rob (his girlfriend Lucy out for the day with a swollen knee). The terrain flattened and the rain stopped and we pushed on through the Somme and to the Crouy British Cemetery. Here there are 739 Commonwealth graves of soldiers that died in the casualty clearing stations of the Somme – one is Corporal harry Minver who was awarded the VC for bayoneting 2 people with the same bayonet. To demonstrate our guide whipped one out of his trousers! We were 45 minutes too early for the ceremony so pushed on to Amiens.
I arrived at my lovely hotel (the Mercure) at about 4pm – with plenty of time to get things dry and me washed before a not very French dinner of chilli con carne (and another early night).
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