The cyclists who began in Olympia have now cycled 800 miles in 8 days. This has been some of the toughest cycling any of us has done. The temperatures in Greece and italy were so ridiculously high. The Gotthard Pass was as tough as we feared. All this has really inflicted strain on our bodies. Tomorrow is only 75 miles but it includes the 3700 climb over the Ballon d’Alsace. This could be a real tester. We’re going to need every ounce of reserve. The camaraderie of cyclists will assist. My old Trek bike has finally given in with too many faults so Mike has lent me his spare titanium frame. We’ll see how it all goes tomorrow. I think in some ways it could be the toughest day yet.

To add to Ed’s blog of today – he’s covered the cycling – here’s some impressions from the other participants taking part today and from our time in Switzerland-  which was interesting.

Today we bade farewell to the possibly the most unhelpful and rudest hotel staff at  the Ibis in Lucerne. The hotel itself is very nice but several folk had a run in with the manager who appeared unable to manage a conversation and would not have won a customer award anywhere. She told one group she was too busy to give them an alarm call, told people they couldn’t park at the hotel and actually told a guest to go away. She also refused to lend a knife to cut our cake in case we stole it – apologies to all those who have so kindly baked the cakes but we were not deterred and used hands!

We had the helpful support of the Dark Lord – AKA Mark Nugent who assisted in giving firm and clear instructions to motorists and pedestrians on how they should behave with appropriate international sign language. In fact we have been astonished by Switzerland – land of chocolate box beauty – but the drivers were scary. Faster up mountain roads than Lewis Hamilton and ruder in towns than Greece! We gave them a little leeway appreciating that their national hero is today taking on ours at Centre Court but their behaviour quite frankly was unsporting…

Catering has been SUPERB today – from our onboard caterers Karen McKinnon and Katherine Barrett. Fortunately Katherine is a student so is able to sniff out a bargain within three miles and fed us for £3.50 per head which to set it in context, we had a plate of risotto and a glass of wine in a Swiss restaurant last night for a mere £30 each (please don’t tell my husband – Celia). All our spending money for the week went last night.,,

It was good go through border control into France (having risked life and limb in Basel) and so overjoyed were we that we broke into a spontaneous verse of La Marseilleise and made for the closest outdoor cafe for expresso, red wine and gaulloises (ok the last bit was made up).

Another 80 miles done today and 70 tomorrow but mainly uphill. ..tune for more tomorrow.

Arrived Mulhouse. We broke into three teams of nine in order to make things safer and assist navigation. Batted along quiet Sunday roads all day. Columns of plane trees lined te roads as soon as we entered France.

Through the border and we are in France. Sitting by a French fountain in a French Sunday square.

On the day Bradley W leads out in Le Tour it is right that we should be entering France. The new legs that joined us in Lucerne seem to be working well. Sad to see Roger and Sue leaving us but they have been substituted by Karen and Kathryn who have added to the jollity and Kathryn announces have bought within budget (all those years of experience). Mostly rolling countryside with one big hill to 2200 feet so far. Basle ahead.