Tour of Wimereux
The ride sets off from Plumpton and heads out to Dover where there is a slight rest and a ferry over to Calais then onto Wimereux, 100 - 120 miles. Day 2 Wimereux - Dieppe approx 100 miles dependant on the navigator.
Quote from one exhausted rider "It is by far the hardest I have ever cycled in my life"
We managed to stick together for the most part in one peloton, but some of us were literally clinging on for dear life at times! When Steve Dennis (noted as the fastest rider in Sussex) got on the front, the pace really took off! The hardest bits were cycling into a pumping headwind in Romney Marsh and along the Kent coast. And then those long drag hills after about 60 miles on day 2. We went up there at 20 miles an hour! I think the average speed for the whole trip was about 20 miles an hour!
There was obviously lots of beautiful scenery along the way (e.g. wide open expanses of yellow rape fields), but these went past in a blur! There wasn't much drinking on the Saturday night - we were all too shattered.
There is genuine concerned that we didn't get the balance right - too much cycling and not enough drinking!