Day 4
A freezing start to the day saw the team caught by surprise, leaving all warm clothes in the support van, and cycling off into the valley leading away from Vernon . With the mist gradually clearing, we cycled through Giverny, past Monet's garden before it had opened to the public, heading on to our breakfast spot where we knew a van full of pain au raisin would be waiting for us.
Having fuelled up, and with a sniff of the finish line (as well as the promise of a barbecue in the Saint-German forest on the outskirts of Paris ), the team headed off. The barbecue was an undoubted highlight with more steak, sausages, potatoes and bananas than we could eat (or rather than we thought we could eat). Again, Alyson, Paul and Stephanie (a friend from Franklin law firm in Paris ) excelled themselves with a fantastic spread laid out on a tablecloth with flowers in the table, taking eating en route to new levels!
Weighed down by our exertions over lunch, the final stretch into Paris was not quite as quick as we had hoped, but we still had time for one final outdoor "pit stop" in the Bois de Boulogne before setting off on the avenue up to the Arc de Triomphe. Huw bravely led us through the traffic only to suffer our third (and last) puncture with the finish in sight. A quick change of tyres before jumping back on the bike and launching the peloton back up to the Arc de Triomphe where Chris used his years of experience to jump ahead of everyone and grab the yellow jersey at the last minute. We were greeted by Alyson, Paul and Stephanie with very welcome glasses of champagne and by a group of fascinated tourists who seemed more interested in taking pictures of us than the Arc de Triomphe. Having enjoyed a few glasses of the sparkling stuff, we took our lives in our hands by jumping back on the bikes with berets on, and cycling round the Arc de Triomphe. Thankfully, we all survived.
All in all, it was a fantastic few days, a great team effort by all and we will have some fantastic memories (as well as bruises and scrapes) to remember the trip.
A freezing start to the day saw the team caught by surprise, leaving all warm clothes in the support van, and cycling off into the valley leading away from Vernon . With the mist gradually clearing, we cycled through Giverny, past Monet's garden before it had opened to the public, heading on to our breakfast spot where we knew a van full of pain au raisin would be waiting for us.
Having fuelled up, and with a sniff of the finish line (as well as the promise of a barbecue in the Saint-German forest on the outskirts of Paris ), the team headed off. The barbecue was an undoubted highlight with more steak, sausages, potatoes and bananas than we could eat (or rather than we thought we could eat). Again, Alyson, Paul and Stephanie (a friend from Franklin law firm in Paris ) excelled themselves with a fantastic spread laid out on a tablecloth with flowers in the table, taking eating en route to new levels!
Weighed down by our exertions over lunch, the final stretch into Paris was not quite as quick as we had hoped, but we still had time for one final outdoor "pit stop" in the Bois de Boulogne before setting off on the avenue up to the Arc de Triomphe. Huw bravely led us through the traffic only to suffer our third (and last) puncture with the finish in sight. A quick change of tyres before jumping back on the bike and launching the peloton back up to the Arc de Triomphe where Chris used his years of experience to jump ahead of everyone and grab the yellow jersey at the last minute. We were greeted by Alyson, Paul and Stephanie with very welcome glasses of champagne and by a group of fascinated tourists who seemed more interested in taking pictures of us than the Arc de Triomphe. Having enjoyed a few glasses of the sparkling stuff, we took our lives in our hands by jumping back on the bikes with berets on, and cycling round the Arc de Triomphe. Thankfully, we all survived.
All in all, it was a fantastic few days, a great team effort by all and we will have some fantastic memories (as well as bruises and scrapes) to remember the trip.
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