It’s the eve of trip two of the year to France! This one is going be a new one for us and I’m really excited and a little bit anxious as well, because we are going to follow a couple of days of the Tour de France, which is going to be fantastic. This year it’s  passing through Normandy and Brittany on several of the roads that Graeme and I have ridden several times before. So we know some of the places that they’re going through, and it’s some of the places that the family and I have been on our travels as well. So it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. 

Now they’re going through Normandy and Brittany midweek, so I’ve managed to snatch a couple of days off work. About to get the ferry out tonight (Wednesday) and we’ve got quite a packed itinerary planned. Graeme and his family are currently staying in a holiday cottage, I think, somewhere near Dinan; I’m getting the overnight ferry from Portsmouth over to Carn and we’re going to meet in Mortain which, by coincidence, is the first place that Graeme and I stayed on our first French cycling tour. So it’s going to be quite nice to meet up there on our first day following the Tour de France as well. It’s about 110 kilometres from the port at Caen, so that’s a good day’s riding.  And we’re going to carry on riding certainly as far as Mont Saint Michel, but we’ll see how far we get by the end of the day. Maybe get picked up and driven the last bit to Dinan but we’ll see how far we go. And then on Friday, we are cycling from Dinan to Mur de Bretagne, which is always an exciting stage on the TV when it passes through there, and it’s going to be a bit of a treat, I think, to actually see it in person. 

They’re doing two laps to it this time, so hopefully if we get a good spot, there’ll be be a good view for us. Hoping to see Geriant Thomas as well, his last year on the Tour de France this year and it’d be great to catch a good sight of him. So, exciting plans. A lot of riding to be done. 

If if I ride the whole route, I think it’s going to be.. Let’s see, 220, 315, maybe about 400 kilometers in two and a bit days. Because on the last morning I’m just riding to St Malo and getting the ferry back from there. 

So a lot of riding, potentially, but I’m really excited, feeling fit at the moment. As I say, I’m also a bit anxious, not really sure what to expect. Riding and travelling by yourself can bring a little bit of anxiety and I’m certainly feeling on that at the moment. But I’m sure once I meet up with Graeme and Jack in Mortan, it’ll be absolutely fine. 

So a very short prologue for me today about a kilometers and a half to the ferry port, just enjoying Sierra Nevada pale ale just before I head to the ferry. I drove up this afternoon, stopped at Portchester Hill, along with half of Portsmouth by the look of it. Cooked myself some pasta over the trangia, my favourite cooking gear.  So I’ve had a really nice dinner. Lovely view of Portsmouth this evening. The sea is azure blue. It really did look fantastic. And that’s coming from a Devon boy who likes the countryside.

I hope to bring you some updates as we go along. I’m going to go and see if I can grab the ferry now and perhaps update you in the morning.