IT issues. Blog pending Sorted at last. Having had a poor start to the day the weather and scenery picked up as well as a head wind. Cycled through lots of sleepy villages with no where to grab a morning coffee or lunch. Had to cycle on until 14.30hrs before coming across some where to get lunch. However lunch was worth the wait. DH Time to liven up the blog! I am sat in the surf capital of Europe in a cool bar and my 3 colleagues have their old fart fleeces ...

Oh dear, it's going really badly! Not our cycling exploits obviously but England's pathetic attempts to beat the minnows (ha ha) of Iceland. Much more relaxing typing this blog than watching football, country out of Europe, football team out of Europe? The omens are bad. Legs and bike happy, patriotic me very unhappy. AB. Ok, yes, the footy's going pear shaped, but let's focus on the cycling ... Today's ride was a tough one ... the route from Royan to La Rochell...

And then their were 4 !! The Last of The Summer Wine Crewe are back at it. David is a shadow of his former self due to his " only eat things that eat other things that can't talk or swim" or something like that. Jon has a better tan than us all as this is a break for him between proper holidays. Andy thanked me this morning for not letting him eat his own weight in crap food before the others arrived last night but he is currently chewing the table as we await...

Day 1 of the combined tour and we await J and D by the Garonne in Bordeaux. Andy and I spent the afternoon in the Bordeaux fan zone with a couple of expensive beers for company. Andy is clearly starving and I have had to muzzle him to stop him having his tea before the others arrive. Just awaiting them now and grumpy is the word Andy used to describe the tone of the phone call. Are we to be disciplined already by the GPs when they arrive or will a rather expensiv...

Hello again. Look at those 2 handsome chaps decked out in their Spa Hotel robes!! An 80 mile drive today through the forests of France on Tarmac cycle pistes. Unfortunately a headwind all the way to spoil it and a couple of spots of rain in the last mile. Mile after mile of pine forest and unfortunately the mosquito bites APL received on day 1 have now erupted in numbers exceeding 30, 4 of which are on my forehead resulting in some Clash of the Titans type boil...