:wave:

Updating the blog for today now, as Im pretty sure I will be too tired later. No midnight posts tonight :-)

After agreeing an 8am start from the Kendal digs, we hung around in the car park for a frustrating 40 mins admiring each others new cycling shirts and chuckling that Jims didn't fit him...

I was ravenous at this point and really looking forward to the promise of a big breakfast in Grange-Over-Sands. We arrived at the train station car park, unloaded the bikes and Hirsty announced we were ditching the breakfast and getting straight off!! Oh no.....

The cyclists gathered for a photo-call - and then we were off. The peloton soon spread out (did you like that? Thats a cycling term. If Im truly honest I have no idea what it means). The early pacesetters were John Beresford and Julian Batty. Theres something discomforting about giving it your all to get up a hill and John Beresford riding past you chatting away on his mobile.

We'd agreed beforehand that we would split the days up into 10 mile segments, the first stop being a layby just before Kendal. We all met in good spirits, had a coffee and some jaffa cakes (not the best of breakfasts) and agreed the next stop would be as close to the M6 as possible after Kendal and before Sedbergh.

This involved a teriffic downhill into Kendal, a ride through the town centre and then (and I'd totally forgotten about this), a steep climb out of Kendal uphill towards a windfarm. This climb consists of around 4-5 miles of steep uphill bends. Its a total swine and only 2 out of the 10 riders managed it without a walk for some of the way.

At the top of the hill we again convened at the camper for coffees. It was agreed that we would meet again 5 miles after Sedbergh for more coffees and a sandwich. Again we set off, and the trials of the climb from Kendal were rewarded by a brilliant downhill segment all the way into Sedbergh - I managed 45mph on this section (but still didnt catch John Beresford!)

Winding through the streets of Sedbergh I caught up with Batty - who'd suffered a puncture. Batty was being looked after by Peter Shaw who cleared off as soon as I arrived - thanks Peter!! To be fair, I cleared off pretty sharpish too as soon as Paul Holmes arrived with a spare inner tube - this was my chance to beat Batty to the end of the 3rd stage.

Unfortunately - as I arrived at the 10 mile marker - the stage support team weren't there. Nor at the 11th mile. Or the 12th, 13th, 14th or 15th. I was getting incredibly grumpy at this point, I was cold and tired and very very hungry. Some of the steeper hills were forcing me off my bike, I felt like throwing the damn thing into a field at this point!

At the 16th mile the teddies were thrown out of the pram, and I sat down at the side of the road and thought 'I'll have my break here then"... I sent an abusive text message to Jim Bainbridge - although the valley through Hawes is a bit of a network black hole so he didnt get it.

Diane Cockayne, part of the support team arrived with a Mars Bar. I don't really like chocolate anymore but ate it all down anyway! After 20 mins I picked up the bike, rode over the brow of the next hill and the viaduct of the Settle-Carlisle railway came into view. What a reward. I was just congratulating my luck at being part of such a brilliant event (with a shocking support team lol) when the next brow of hill was reached and I saw a pub in the distance.

And then I saw the support camper van, the support cars and some of the other cyclists bikes in the car park! They were all sat in a warm pub and I'd just had a Mars Bar 500 yds before on a feezing cold roadside... Aaaaargh!!

I parked my bike and went in the pub (the Moorcock Inn), and before I had chance to whinge they gave me a round of applause, totally taking the wind out of my sails! I sat down to a pint of Guinness and a piece of treacle tart with custard - and its without doubt the best pint of Guinness and Treacle Tart I've ever had!!

I did remark at what an appropriate pub they'd picked for a load of blokes to turn up wearing cycling shorts!! In the pub we were approached by a gentleman who wanted to make a donation to our fund - and Peter Shaw introduced our footballers...

"This is David Hirst, ex England International", and Hirsty shook his hand, "This is John Beresford, formerly of Newcastle United", again handshakes were exchanged, and then "This is Phil King"... before Peter had time to finish his sentence Hirsty jumped in to say "He owns the Dolphin Pub in Swindon"...

Hawes was only 5 miles away at this point, an undulatinhg road lay ahead, but newly refreshed and having ditched my rucksack relieving my back pain instantly, the ride just flew by - and we all convened again just 1/2 a mile out of Hawes to ride in en-masse.

Currently sat in the lounge of a beautiful guest house, the Bulls Head Hotel in Hawes, ( www.bullsheadhotel.co.uk ) planning a (very) long hot shower, a few pints watching the Leeds game and some stodgy food (beef and ale pie would go down very well tonight!!).

No doubt there will be much more to tell you tomorrow after what Im sure will be an excellent night in Hawes.

All the best

Nige