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The Challenge

There are four of us in the team doing the Raid Pyrenee. Ian, Bob, Phil and my self Alan. We are going to do the shorter of the two courses.  In 4.5days (100 hrs) , we need to cover 450 miles up and down mountains!  Going down is not as easy as you think as it is not advisable to keep using the brakes and sometimes there are stray cattle in the way! 

We will have a support team, Sue Edwards and Anne Evans who will be following us with bike parts and continual refreshments to aid our trip.

The Training

We have been going out fairly regularly, two of us did the Tour of Pembrokeshire in June (116 miles) and The Pemb's Charity Bike ride ... at a pace. Other wise we've been out around the local hills doing reps. Llangwm being one of the favourites.

Home Support

For the last 6 months we've all had  support from our respective families especialy Buffy (my wife) and Lucy (Bob's wife), who will not be able to be part of the support team.... they have been very understanding about our training requirements.

Planning

We have planned the trip ourselves, booked hotels, planned the route and entered the Raid officially with the local Cycle club who police the route to make sure our route cards are stamped .... no short cuts. We are also financing the trip ourselves so all money donated all goes to Paul Sartori Foundation.

The Week before

Getting exited now and apprehensive. We all have been out this W/E. Bob and Phil to St Annes Head and back to Llangwm. I went up the Preselis and down the other side (a rep of that) and home. We're in the final planning stages, getting money and the bikes to Ian & Annes on Friday, they are driving down to Biarritz

Unfortunately Ian and Anne are no longer able to go which is disappointing for them.  Alan has contacted a friend called Hans Visser who lives near Biarritz and he has come to the rescue.  On their arrival Hans is picking them up from the airport and taking them back to his home so Alan can see Marie-Laure (Hans' wife) and Jan and Rudolf, their sons.  Then Hans is going to drive the back-up vehicle for the Raid and generally give them moral support.  It is just so lucky that he is able to do this and so very kind, some welsh whiskey, local cheeses and thorntons chocolates are small tokens winging their way over to France with Alan as a 'thank you'. 

Alan has just sent a text to say that they have finished the first day and are feeling good.  They have completed 188km in 10 hours.  The weather is great at 20 degrees and there's no rain - unlike here!  Bob is going well but Phil got too hot so slowed down and suffered a bit as a result.  Hans is on good form and is at all the relevant points with food and water.  They are all off for a good feed now.

 Day 2 - Well this is now the second time I have inputted this information, somehow it didn't save or maybe it takes a while to process - you will then get 2 lots of the same stuff.

Alan sent a photo via mobile earlier today but I will have to wait for Jack to download it however it is done.  It shows the 3 men in on the roadside looking pretty good and happy with the mountains (as in the photo above) close behind, basically they are amongst the snow capped mountains.  They managed the Tourmalet which is a massive mountain which just keeps going up and up.  They did a bit of walking as it is over 2000 metres so the air gets a bit thin - but hey made it.  They didn't manage the 4th and last peak but are heading back there tomorrow to do it and see where they get to, they are all determined to complete it now they are there - GOOD FOR THEM. 

Alan is sending some more photos for me to update the picture but they haven't come through yet.  One of the photos has them drinking Laurence Harris' Organic Daioni Chocolate mik drink at the top of the Tourmalet, thanks to Laurence for donating it to them all.

I spoke to Alan tonight and the only grub in town was pizza so he was having a mexican - who said French food was superior to ours!!

Wednesday - day 3 - Alan sent a text to say that they did go back and do the 4th mountain and sent a photo via mobile to prove it!

Thursday - day 4 - All did well and I thought I had put this information on before but it's gone.  Alan has really aching legs and has found today quite hard going and I'm sure he said it is raining.   Beautiful scenery though and everyone along the route is friendly.  People constantly calling out allez, allez rather than the abuse they sometimes receive on our roads.