Andrew and Tanya Nason are now en route to meet the party coming up from Greece. On their faithful Harley they will be supporting the team along the way and Tanya is our much needed physio for the trip. They’ve been on the road for two days now…

Sunday 1 July

07.25 UK time heading through Eurotunnel but dodgy electrics so no speedo and no indicators (eek – Ed). Luckily headlights are working and can use speedo on iphone (wow, really or is that bit just for the French police – Ed). 381 miles to go. NOT A GREAT START. 16.30 arrive in Beaune, very tired and cold but dry. Electrics kicked in 50 miles after Reims but only lasted until next petrol stop so it can’t be a fuse. Hotel Le Cep (a PB suggestion) lovely but difficult to find with no sat nav.

Monday 2 July

Cold and damp, then cold and wet. 420 miles to get form Beaune to Fidenze nr Parma. Electrics very dodgy with the fault traced to the ignition switch. Called in off-route to Harley Davidson in Geneva who in ten minutes stripped it out and reassembled it and got it working (yahoo – Ed).. A one hour delay then up the St Bernard tunnel, cold and wet on the Italian side then 30 miles later temperature rose from 60 to 95! Arrived at hotel frazzled and tired but looking forward to meeting the cyclists in Ancona tomorrow.

Andrew and Tanya.

Our advanced party Robin and Barbara Cooper are enjoying cooler temperatures in Italy..

We’ve made it to Lake Como and only 5 miles left of Italy which is good because I’m looking for one of those St Bernards with a Whisky barrel round it’s neck. Today has been a nasty shock to the system. After days of flat cycling, as you can see, it’s rather mountainous and the tops still have snow on. This has been the first day when the heat has only got to 33 and it even rained for 2 minutes. The 9 mile there and another 9 mile back detour in completely the wrong direction led to a minor sense of humour failure but I’m sure it will soon be forgotten and put down to much needed extra training. Waves are lapping under hotel window, mini bar’s being raided and dinners on it’s way then Switzerland tomorrow and on via the mountains to Bellanzona. Despite rumours we always need to be one country away from the Spartans all that will come to an end as they catch us up in Lucerne. R and Bxx

Vodafone just sent me a text saying Welcome to Albania. I hope that’s just because we’re passing through their coastal waters. It’s midnight Greek time and we going across the Adriatic to Ancona. The moon is nearly full and it creates wave forms on the dark sea. We arrive in Italy tomorrow afternoon.

Cyclists love hills. Long ones with a steady gradient; hills which promise to end at the next corner and then tantalise by revealing still more climb. Four really good climbs today. We (the Spartan 12) are getting going now. We sped up one at 20mph; and then comes the best bit, the swooping descents with firm bends. There were however some more goats today and in one case there was a savage mountain sheep dog that was on guard. He tried to take a lump out of Mark’s leg but he was outpaced. We are now in Igoumenitsa waiting for the ferry to Italy. Some of have been for a swim.

Oleanders in shades of white and pink. Cicadas singing in every blade of grass. Sea deep azure below the cliffs. Temperature heating up and up. Long hills up and long hills down.

We’ve had a later start today, with bacon and eggs at the Preveza City Hotel (recommended as we only have 60 miles today. A shorter hop to Igoumenitsa where we catch the ferry for a 16 hour ferry journey to Italy. The sun is shining. House martins swoop to skies.