Robin and Barbara Cooper have spent the last two weeks cycling from Greece to Lucerne and are now awaiting the hordes to arrive from Greece and Kent to tackle the second leg of this great Olympian adventure for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance

We’ve arrived in Lucerne. 800 miles cycled (due to some minor navigational malfunctions); 35,000 calories burnt, 22,557 feet climbed, one accident ( with the Greek melon man) one puncture. And now a couple of rest days whilst the Spartans catch us up and a contingent of Corinthians arrive via Eurostar and other trans European trains into Lucerne on Saturday night. Then a cast of millions ( well about 30) ride to the Olympics together.

Riding with just one bra and one pair of knicks, one skirt, one pair of shorts, one tee- shirt and a toothbrush has been “interesting” for 13 days but hard work with no support team and carrying your gear. Frankly I’ve got fed up wearing the one bra but you get into a good routine of: arrive at hotel; pray there  is at least one bar of soap in the room; erect clothes line; wash clothes; use childrens clothes pegs; pray dry by morning. It’s also amazing what nappy rash cream and bed sore pads can do but you’ll have to ask Barbara for the details as I’m too squeamish.

Barbara does the last few hundred metres up the Gotthard pass on the mule track cobbles.

Our progress somewhat hampered by 100 Alpine cows with noisy bells  being taken all the way over the Gotthard Pass.

R and B xx

Average speed is slowly creeping up as we get into our stride. In the end we did 118 miles. Mostly flat, but often narrow roads. Now at the Auberge Visconti in Cremona where the staff are incredibly obliging and helpful and the rooms are fine and dandy. Tomorrow we start climbing to a mere 1750 feet, entering Switzerland at the foot of the Alps, and the biggest climb of the whole journey.

We’ve made it on the old cobbled mule track to the top of St Gotthards. 38 hairpins. Hard going but stunning views and just two cars the whole way and one herd of alpine cows with bells being herded over the top which delayed us a little. V good cafe at top so having a snack then on to Lucerne. R and Bx

The man from the yellow ochre house just came out with a bag of freshly picked peaches. 36 degrees and 52 miles to go. A little deviazione as the road was closed for 11 miles but no back on track. Roger and Sue have managed to find bread ham cheese tomatoes and cucumber for lunch. Tanya is easing some painful limbs. This morning we went through vineyards, and passed farms offering their parmigiano reggiano. Old stone gateposts stood at the edge of fields, leading nowhere: monuments from another age. A white egret fished in a shallow rivwee below the bridge.

The relief of sitting in a bar drinking a cappuccino. 33 miles done: the road is narrower than yesterday and the rush hour traffic and lorries were not in a mood to take prisoners. But the scenery is better – now moving through real Italian countryside with rice in the fields and sunflowers; the wheat is being harvested and the straw baled.