repair broken brakes.
Then over sleeping till Woody rang the doorbell at 5am. Martin and
Coco had been courteous enough to wait. Bizarly. Karen claims to hAve
heard voices outside, but ignored them.
We left at 5:15. 15 minutes of delay that saved the day. We missed the
rain at lunchtime - just sat down in Cafe when it started. Stopped as
we left. We then follwed the rain up the valley, about 5 minutes
behind it. Almost perfect.
Only almost. Because although Mike and I took it in turns to lead all
day, no one else bar me has had the consideration to buy mudguards. As
such whenever I was behind Mike i got soaked.
Woody and Martin had a spasm and sprinted all out to Abergavenny. Then
crashed and burned for the rest of the day. Mike and I as the adults
in the group paced ourselves, and were good for a full days cycling.
Got wet going to abergavenny. But made better byy bacon sandwiches and
good coffee in the Angel Hotel.
Hay took forever.
Andy met us in Hay and I was able to fit my clippies. What a relief,
wht a difference.
Late Luch in Knighton was hysterical. Woody and Martin fell asleep. So
tired were from sitting behind Mike and I over the hills from Hay to
Knighton.
They said too hilly. Isaid not enough training. Woody had the good
grace to plead guilty. Given his stomach touches the cross bar, its
difficult to refute.
Then the truw story of the day. Martin crashes and breaks his elbow by
tumbling into a gorge, while still attahed to his bike. And being
rerscued by Prince William.
What a story... If only it were true.
Truth is he was abandoned unwittingly by us and had to walk down this
4 miles hill carrying his new folding bike --- in the middle of no
where... No less. A real Joe Simpson, Touchine the Void moment.
However a true testament to the positives in human nature. One Irish
vet offered to go fetch him (as we sat waiting for at the bottom
wondering how Claire should spend the insurance money.
Eventualy he turned up in a car still wearing his helmet in a nice
mans car. Being tkaen to Newton A&E. Bike is now a folding bike.
Meanwhile we continued to our hotel, arriving at about 1800.
111 miles cycled. 12hrs 45mins, moreorless.
3500ish meters of ascent.
Enough for now.
Type in the morning.
S
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