Right... that didn't go quite to plan...

Unfortunately (and unbelievably) I had an incident with a sheep on day 1 which curtailed my participation in the event somewhat!  The full story goes;

About half way through day 1 (and wearing my shiny new "Black Sheep Cycling Club" top, I was riding in a group of about 70 cyclists when I caught sight of a small lamb on the side of the road.  Our eyes met, I steadied myself, then (obviously recognising a member of the flock) it made a run for it.  In an desperate effort to prioritise the life of the younger generation I immediately threw myself to the ground, resulting in various cuts and grazes and a cracked helmet.

After regaining my senses and spending a few minutes in the "broom wagon" bandaging my hand and elbow, I rejoined the race, caught up the main group and finished the 100 mile stage from Lisburn to Londonderry.  Then in the evening I spent 2 hours in Derry Hospital discovering I had riden the last 40 miles with a broken arm!

But the story doesn't end there...! Having consoled myself with a couple of pints of the local "black stuff" I went to bed only to wake at 3am with acute chest pain.  Within minutes I was doubled up on the floor sweating heavily.  Nick Bell, my cycling companion and room mate, came to the rescue and I was soon in an ambulance back to Derry Hospital A&E.

It turned out I had an enflamed pancreas caused by the trauma of the accident, and the only treatment was to starve me, put me on a drip and carry out further x-rays/scans to assess the situation. As a result I was left in the Hospital for 2 days while the rest of the Tour continued on around Ireland.  Helpfully, the Tour organisers left my bike in the Hotel in Derry, but neglected to notice that they still had my bag with all the rest of my possessions!

Well, I have now made it home in one piece - Gill drove up from the Republic to my rescue and I eventually caught up with the rest of the riders at the finish.  The highlight of the whole experience has to be when I inadvertently paraded my comedy Irish flag boxer shorts through the mixed-faith Catholic/Protestant ward in Derry/Londonderry Hospital, and was duly warned by one of the nurses to be more sensitive to the political situation (I had no other possessions at the time)!!

Thanks to everyone who donated - my friend and cycling partner Nick did actually manage to complete the full 600 miles so I'm hoping you don't mind him accepting your donations on my behalf.  This is what Nick has to say about the experience;

"Unlike Iain I managed not to be attacked by any sheep during the five stages of the Tour of Ireland. Although, when faced with gale force winds and severe hail on the second day I was rather envious of him reclining in the luxurious surroundings of Derry hospital. Overall it was a great event with stunning weather on three of the days, which I'm led to believe is some sort of record for Ireland. Six hundred miles into what seemed like a constant headwind was as tough as it sounds, so whereas I'm grateful for the sponsorship money many generous people have provided, I think I earned it! And if it weren't for the rogue 'white' sheep, then Iain would have as well."

As promised, all the money raised will be added to the Black Sheep Brewery's "Big Push Up" campaign to help local people near the brewery in North Yorkshire (see www.blacksheepbrewery.com/bigpushup) and help fund urgently needed equipment for our local breast cancer ward at  The Scott Suite at the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton.

Thanks again - hopefully I've given you a good laugh as well as the satisfaction of giving money to a worthy cause!

Cheers

Iain (aka Sheepy)