After a stay in the nicest bed so far we were all up early and keen to get on the road! Not to enjoy the ride itself and the joyous feeling the seats give us but it was the fact we only had 60miles to do……on the flat – ish!

Deadline was so we knew we’d have to hammer it for a short while then enjoy the coastline….once again, plan A never pans out as expected!

After nailing the first 40miles in under 2hours (average speed of around 23mph!) we reached some difficulties as we met the med. Being 20 miles away and taking two wrong turns was not ideal and meant that the last leg of the whole trip was a nervous one.

As we reached the coastline – instead of cruising along, wind in the hair and sun tans being topped up at a comfortable pace we had a gruelling 15km to do. Sweat, sweat and more sweat mixed with dehydration and tedious climbs over the last few km!! Knowing the finish was just around the corner was even more frustrating but as the clock hit 1230 we saw the light……………Cerbere! We had made it with 30minutes to spare.

We were greeted by our loyal supporters who made the last few legs a whole trip a lot easier so a massive thank you to all your support – it really did help.

I think it took all of us a few minutes to really take in what we had achieved over the last 4.5 days and the fact we had just ridden across a country over some challenging mountain passes.

It’s amazing that only a few months ago I was being sick after a 30 mile ride; Michael was pretending to be ill so he didn’t have to ride and Jason wanted to be even lighter than his bike!

Anyway – we did it and have some great/painful memories to keep with us and tell the grandkids!


Cheers
MMMs

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

Day 4 - The Plateau from Hell!!!

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Day 4: 170km, 8000 calories burnt, loads of climbing! even more sweating......

So Day 4 was meant to be a good day…..being the penultimate day I thought we’d all be in a good mood and looking forward to gently cruising to the finish line before the home straight on Friday (day 5).

This wasn’t the case as the day kicked off with a 30km sprint followed by a very slow climb up to the top of the Col du Port! We then had to slog our way to the town of Axe Les Thermes where we were going to have our lunch before attacking the main road up to the Col Du Puymorens!!!

The Valley to Axe was Hot and with a slight incline felt like it was going on and on! – I think we were all hurting from the previous days gone by so lunch could not of come quick enough!

After a nervous lunch we hit the Puymoren which was a main road climb of 37Km running up to and past the Andorra border line! This ride was a nightmare in the 30 degree heat and with huge trucks passing every minute it required 100% concentration throughout!  - The sweets and water dished out by our support campervan did help! Cheers boys.

Once we reached the top we thought we had a nice cruise back to the hotel with a couple of short climbs! We were wrong again………the plateau from the top of Puymorens to Mont Louis was a nightmare. The wind and storm meant our riding was slowed by about 5mph and with all of us split up it was a lonely time!!

Once we reached Mont Louis we were rewarded with a 35km descent! The best fun you’ll ever have on a bike according to our guide! Well the first 10km were as we rode at a casual 40mph……..the road then got bumpy and with a head wind it became a bit of a challenge but we got there.

Michael and Jay conveniently overshot the hotel and ended up at a bar for a cheeky beer! I must have missed the memo on this…….my fault for lagging and shouting abuse at the road for being so bumpy!!




Jason taking the glory at the top - must of been a low gradient climb!!!

Cheers
MMMs

Day 3: 180km, 2900m ascent 

Today started differently, not only did we have the clouds at our windows when we woke but seeing as the day was going to be another long one we pushed the boat out and left 10 minutes early......could of been even earlier but the lads weren't as keen as me....now there's a first!

So with an 0850 start we pulled away and once again we hit a climb within minutes. This first climb was called the Col d' Aspin at 10k with an average gradient of 5% so the perfect warm up. The climb would of been a beautiful scenic tour (if climbs can be!) up through the mountain however a few thick rain clouds and too many clothes put a damper on it. We were, however, rewarded with an omelette and frites at the top which turned out to be the supercharged unleaded we needed for the next 150km.

As we began to find our speed through the valleys, working as the true team we are, we were met by our loyal supporters screaming our names! The crazy gang had arrived.

Further up the next Col we were then greeted by more friends and family who followed us for the rest of the day including a killer climb up the Col d'Aspet. This climb had some 17% inclines which really took it out of us and with no signs it felt endless! 

The only thing left was to eat up 50k, ride onto some fresh Tarmac, skid on some gravel at 35mph, overtake a few automobiles and navigate our way to heaven/dinner!

All-in-all a good day on the bikes.....

Cheers 
MMMs

First of all the Macmillan Mean Machines would like to apologise for the delayed post but we were all bit tired to say the least after a gruelling first day on the road!

Day 1: 120miles and 2800m of ascent.

Start: 0900
Finish: 1900

So the first day kicked off with a leisurely stroll along the Atlantic coastline until we turned inland where the real fun began! The first Col of the day was a taster of what was to come and looking back now....a walk in the park at 5k with 5% inclines. The day then went on and on.....and on and then to top it all off after riding for 105miles in 30 degree heat we hit the hardest climb in the Pyrenees. The Col de Marie Blanque was 10k in distance but with inclines of 14% ...... Absolute hell but we all made it to the finish (please note: Bayley stopped twice....muscle cramps or something!!!) followed by a swift descent into the village below where we stayed for the night.

Day 2: 60 miles and 3000m of ascent.

Start: 0900
Finish: 1735

Today was all about the climbing Toure de France style with two iconic mountain passes frequently used in the tour. We started with the Col d Aubisque (ignore the spelling of these Cols...I'm without my guide and very tired!) which we hit at 0915 so great warm up!!
The Col was 16km with 5-10% inclines taking us approximately 1hr 45m to climb. I should mention now that Bayley did do pretty well on this mountain.....you could say with the double stop yesterday he wanted to prove he could do it. ......Michael and myself were so proud!

The next MASSIVE climb was the Tourmalet at 18km (actually climbing 10k before the start) with gradients of 4 - 13%. We were all feeling the heat before the start but with the motivation of your donations we pushed through the pain barrier for 3 hours and made to the top. We were then rewarded with a super-fast descent hitting speeds in access of 45mph.......well Michael was anyway! I did do a couple of camper vans on the way down though.

Anyway its time for dinner now and I have been writing for a while so enjoy the essay people.

Please visit www.velopeloton.com/ and you will be able to see some of the pictures our tour guide has taken over the last couple of days. We will get some up but having a few issues uploading.

Hope you enjoy the post and as alway keep donating

Cheers
MMMs

As the starter gun draws near the Macmillan Mean Machines start to feel the nerves!

After a week off the road we have all had the chance to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead next week. With our kit bags half full and the fitness in the legs (hopefully) we are surely ready to attack the 18 odd Cols and 450miles that lie between us and the Med.

We were also confident in how we thought the days should pan out in terms of weather and the fact we'll be 'guided' to the finish line each day!! - how wrong we may be........

Have a look at the message sent to us from our "tour guide"...

"Remember:

1. Take a range of clothing for all sorts of weather. You will experience temperatures from mid 30s to below 0..........Rain, snow, wind and sun are all very likely.
2. Take a saddle bag with your tools for punctures and other basic repairs. You should be prepared to be self-sufficient during the day!
3. Carry a windcheater or rain jacket at all times. You will need it on the descents and getting caught in a thunder storm at altitude without one is very serious.
4. Carry food for your ride and some money for your lunch.

For during the day you can leave a small bag with stuff you may need in the front of the van. Again opening and searching through suitcases on the side of a mountain in rough weather is not a good idea. I may be 2 hours away so please be prepared for this!

I will go through the route with you on Sunday evening and will give you maps with the route marked and all the info for the accommodation

Enjoy - Paddy"

.........It looks like we are on our own lads! lets hope Michaels GPS works as a wrong turn in the Pyrenees could be an issue.....we're not in Buckinghamshire anymore!!

I will be adding some more details about the ride to let you know where we are and what climbs we will be doing day by day. I'll have my Iphone with me for the duration so I'm hoping I can upload some pics too.........in between the sweat and tears of course!

Cheers
MMM





Burgess Hill Rumble

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Hi All,

The Mean Machines took part in an organised race last Sunday known as the 'Burgess Hill Rumble'!

We decided it was only right for us to tackle the longest and hardest route called the 'Classic' which was 92miles (147km) and included 7582 feet of climbing! Not to mention a couple of hills @ 20% gradient!!

Here are a  few links to some action pics..............

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewpicture.tlx?albumid=311065&pictureid=16532313

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewpicture.tlx?albumid=311065&pictureid=16528084

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewpicture.tlx?albumid=311065&pictureid=16528012

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewpicture.tlx?albumid=311065&pictureid=16528208

Feel free to purchase!..

In terms of the actual riding we did very well:

Jayson "2 Stone" Bayley -
Michael "the Goat" Jacobs -
Fred "Last 10miles @ 10mph" Tripp -

Overall we came mid table in a group of around 120 riders which is not bad going for 3 inexperienced cyclists!
Once again have a look at the link below for more details! I know its all very exciting for you...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/108492538


Not long to go now people........18 days and counting!

Cheers



First Training Session Together!

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103 miles in 7 hours - ish!

.....So we kicked off August with a Mean Machine first as the whole team (ALL three of us) joined forces to complete a 100 miles in under 6 hours of riding! - we were also joined by another rider who was quite used to such distances!!

Riders;
- Michael 'Sicknote until I see the finish line' Jacobs
- Fred 'I've hit a wall....or a car!' Tripp
- Jayson 'I'll tow you' Bayley
and Lee 'Superman' Goward

We decided an early start was in order so whilst we kicked off our journey in Hedgerley we ended up taking a very scenic route all the way to Oxford!.......after a few main roads, U-turns, a tour of Oxfords Ring Road and a few angry drivers we started to head back and made our way through Watlington, Henley, Marlow and finally Farnham Common!

I think all of us (apart from superman) had a tough few miles somewhere along the line but all-in-all it was a successfull training ride, with no 'walkers' we all finished strongly and now look to up the anti over the coming weeks.

Please see link below for more exciting details of the ride! - why not give it a go if you get a spare 7 hours!

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/104868438

Feel free to make any comments and as always please keep the donations coming;

www.justgiving.com/totalaccentracing

Cheers
Fred



About this blog

On the 11th September 2011 the Macmillan's Mean Machines will ride through France from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean over 18 classified cols in only 100 hours including sleep in order to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer !

Created by Neonstone.