Ride raises £50,000 for good causes
PAUL FISHER reports on the Le Tour de le Tours II THE 24th Paris to Hayling ride took the same general route as last year's groundbreaking challenge, but with a few amendments including a new route for the six-dayers, from Dingé to Rennes on the first day.
There was also a new route from Vitr to Laval on the second day, as this year the riders didn't divert on the punishing route via Gorron.
This resulted in three, 50-mile days in succession, which was welcomed by some, but not so much by the keener riders!
The morning route to Chateau Gontier, where the three-and-a-half dayers joined up, couldn't have been criticized for its lack of hills!
The weather on the first three days was just lovely for cycling – not too hot and little wind – but that was all to change over the next three days.
The flat 80 miles from Angers to Tours on the fourth day, along the Loire valley - no-one got lost this year - was absolutely beautiful again, but baking, with the temperature reaching 105 Fahrenheit.
In the middle of the afternoon, I had to look after a cyclist who came off her bike on a kerbstone, with some abrasions and concussion and our group had to endure waiting for an hour for the Sapeurs Pompiers to arrive and treat her, in the heat, with water running low.
The support was stretched a bit, so 17 miles later, with no bars in between, I was able to replenish my water and given a cold gin and tonic from Pete Alloway's support van, to calm me down!
As we started to go north for our last couple of days, the predicted weather forecast of poor weather came true and we had wind and showers on a regular basis, making it a bit of a struggle at times.
The 95 miles from Tours to Alencon on the Friday tested most of us and we were glad to get in.
Saturday, the final day, was fancy dress day and the outfits, worn by at least half of the riders, one way or another, were great fun.
There were the Hell's Belles, the House of Cards, coincidentally joined by the Four Aces, the Busy Bees, the Lady Birds and many more, but our favourites were the Morris Men, led by Hayling's Dr Turner.
We had an extra few miles, making it a 75-mile day to Caen, because a new motorway was being driven through our route, fortunately foreseen by our final recce three weeks before the ride.
So, after a few celebratory drinks as we reached Caen, it was up to the castle, in what finery we could muster, for the last night dinner party and dancing until too late!
Next morning, after a committee meeting to decide the awards, we all cycled the 12 miles or so to the Ouistreham ferryport, via Madame Gondre's caf, to board the Seacat and a rather tempestuous crossing back home.
The Bike Ride Awards were presented to those deserving with great acclaim (see panel) and we were treated to an Ode to 'Tour de Tours Nights' by Magnus MacFarlane.
We emerged from the ferry, now all dressed in our new T-shirts, on the back celebrating Mike Burras's "30 Years in the Hole," to cycle to the Hayling Ferry, with a wait for many as we were shuttled across.
A welcome at Hayling College awaited us, hosted by HUFC, as we met up with our loved ones and collected our bags, glad to be home, but having memories of a great ride, yet again.
More than 50,000 was pledged by riders in sponsorship, but we confidently anticipate this rising as the money comes, perhaps taking us to over 1,200,000, accumulated over the years of the ride.
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Weather for Hayling
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
