Grey skies loomed overhead as the team gathered in front of the hotel in Calais. The weather report had been correct and the team prepared for their first day cycling in France in the wet.
Danny briefed the team on the day’s ride from Calais to Arras. It would begin relatively flat, then some hills begin at around 22 miles.
Our first stop was at around 18 miles where a few banana and a refill of water was on hand from the support van. Sprits were high considering the conditions, and there were even a few smiles!
They soon turned onto slightly quieter roads but here the heavens really opened up. Horizontal rain lashed across the road and there was not a dry stitch in sight. In amidst the terrible conditions, Mark still found time to give a big thumbs up!
The rain was truly spectacular…
As Andrew pulled into lunch it was clear he needed a pick-me-up…
“Do you have any sugar Tom?”, he asked as he entered the gazebo before swallowing a few spoonfuls down…yep….just sugar.
Another flat tyre before lunch delayed the team slightly, but the shelter of lunch was a welcome sight. It’s amazing what a cup of coffee and a baguette can do to people.
The team were going mad. Andrew and Peter wrapped itchy blankets around themselves, not for warmth, just for giggles.
After lunch the conditions didn’t get much better. A diversion 12 miles in had the group diverted along some remote village lanes before one of the final climbs of the day rose before them, a single switchback that ends with a flat exposed section.
The final 15 miles of the day is trending downhill through open agricultural land. By this point the team were focussed on getting the last few miles out of the way, so in no time at all were on the outskirts of the town.
As the team rolled into Arras, the sun came out to greet them over the centre square of this beautiful town. Steam rose from the cobbles as they pedalled the last few hundred metres to the hotel and within a few minutes, they were inside, showering and getting ready for an evening in a local restaurant in the infamous cellars of this historical centre.
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