Ride "Fat Boy" Ride by ratclima

Back home after an eventful and enjoyable two days in the saddle. I have no understanding how professional cyclists manage to pedal hundreds of miles every day without any more than a thin chamois insert between their undercarriage and the unforgiving saddle. They are either as hard as nails or they apply surgical spirit to make them as hard as nails?! Either way I am in awe and no little pain!

In the tradition of other great events such as the Oscars I have a few people to thank. I have to thank my riding colleague Simon for his comradeship throughout and for not snoring too loudly. My wife for transporting us to the start knowing she would end up on the morning M6 car park between junctions 10-6 on the way back. Thanks to to David and Leanne for arranging to collect our kit from the hotel and putting up with it's unpleasant odours for a couple of days, no it wasn't a gas leak. Can we have it back nicely laundered please, no starch thanks? Keith for transporting my bike and myself back today and having to listen to my many tales of adventure from L'Etape over and over again. My children who have requested I remove my picture from the blog least any of their friends or friends parents see it. Kate for helping to keep my body in one piece up to the big day and for putting it back together over the coming months or years. Gerry for the liquid refreshments at the end and the tragic story of a fellow cyclist which I'm glad he hadn't told us before we set out! The very friendly staff at the Malborough House Hotel in Oxford for use of the garden to store the bikes and for breakfast in bed. All the proprietors of the refreshment stops we used en route, couldn't have done it without you. To the bar staff at the Angel on the Bridge pub in Henley for use of their hot air hand dryer, sorry for the pools of water on the floor but it had been raining a little bit. And anyone else who in any way contributed to this epic event not least all those who have or are about to donate money to the Teenage Cancer Trust. I thank you all.