As it was the final day they gave us a lie in, well, until 7am anyway! I'd slept well with my filthy bike right next to the bed as there was no bike storage here for some reason.
Breakfast, get packed, kit on, inflate tyres, meet up with my new riding partners Nick, Claire and Martin, and we were also joined by a young lad called Tom who's birthday it was that day, and Mike, an older guy who they all knew and seemed a nice chap.
After 50 yards of cobbles we were onto the tarmac again and so off we went. Through the outskirts of Brugge, onto the cycle paths and on to Brussels. We were all feeling elated this day, presumably because the end was in sight. The first water stop was at 20 miles again, so off we went through beautiful village after beautiful village.
The orange arrows had always guided us up to that point, although they ran out when we reached a town who's name escapes me! After cycling round the roundabout to try and spot the correct route we pulled over to dig out the map and work out where to go.
We were joined after a few minutes by another 8 or 10 of our group who were also lost. Deciding that straight on and then right was the best way to go, we all clipped in and cracked on to get to the water stop. That next section of riding was superb. Our group reassembled and we hit the 30kmph mark where we remained for the next 10 miles or so, until we saw the water stop by the side of a canal.
Top up water bottles, toilet stop, quick chat to the others and we were back on the road. Next target was lunch in another 23 miles or so (I forget the exact mileage).
I don't know what had happened to me at that water stop, but somewhere between pulling over and demounting the bike, having the water stop and setting off again, I had gone from being in full energy mode whizzing along at a comfortable 30kmph, to being completely devoid of any energy whatsoever and struggling to keep up with the others.
I will write another post about the nutrition side of the ride as it deserves its own section, but for now let me just say that I was puzzled and also starting to get pissed off with losing energy right before dinner every day, when I knew I was drinking loads and eating all the flapjack and gel sachets I normally did so I should have had more than enough calories on board.
Anyway, the others ploughed on to lunch and I fell back behind Mike, who very kindly drafted me the last 5 miles or so to lunch. I'd made it, eventually, only another 20 miles to go to the meeting point 8 miles out of the city.
Now starts the story of how I got nicknamed Popeye by Mike!!
At the lunch stop, after the usual carb loading, bottle top ups etc, I chatted to nick about my energy levels. He reckoned I was just using up more than I was taking on and should have some of his energy drink (High 5) and take plenty of gel sachets (up to 3 per hour) for the rest of the ride. Finishing this was NOT an option! They had all very kindly agreed to pull me through to the finish line, so that was that. No argument, back on the bike, one final push and let's finish this thing!
The energy took a few miles to come back to me, but when it did, Jesus Christ did it come back to me! Claire and nick had sped on ahead so I was riding with mike and Martin, and an Irish guy who I'd met at the start line who's name escapes me!
Their pace was ok, but only around the 22kmph mark, and I wanted to go faster for the final section. With 15 miles to the meeting point I hit the turbo boost button, up'd my speed to 30kmph and time trialled the last section. I gave up counting how many people I passed up how many hills that weren't supposed to be there! And after a few miles of my own personal quest, I finally caught up with Claire and nick, and Martin who was also ahead of me by now.
To say they were surprised to see me was an understatement! And even more so when I rode past them all to do my share of riding on the front. It was the least I could do after all the help they had given me.
The speed on my computer read 32kmph, approx 20 mph and stayed there. I was as strong as I had ever been and repeating the names of the people I was doing this ride for over and over in my head (see post on day 2 for details) was all the motivation I needed. I don't mind admitting I also asked my departed grandad to give me some energy to get me through the last few miles. I like to think he was listening because the energy levels remained there and after getting split from the group at some traffic lights where I didn't clip in fast enough, I arrived at the meeting point with 8 miles to go,to the applauds of my fellow riders. And that was why Mike nicknamed me Popeye! Because my gel and energy drinks had the same affect as Popeyes spinach!!!!
We hung around in the nearest pub for a while to wait for everyone else to turn up. Then when we were all there we set off to do the final 8 miles and ride into Brussels as a single procession, flanked at the front and rear by 2 of the support vans.
Those last 8 miles were quite slow in comparison to the last session I had done, and I parked myself at the back of the group to keep out of trouble. In a group so large (80+) it is very easy to stop too soon or not watch where you are going, and before you know it you've fallen off. I was buggered if that was going to happen to me now, so I cruised along in safety at the back. It was quite nice being clapped and cheered long the way and eventually we made it into the city centre.
For some reason we rode around for an hour looking for more hills to cycle up (or that's what it felt like) and then, finally, we rounded the last corner and arrived at the hotel, our finish line.
Emotions were running high by that point as the first people I saw were my parents and my wife. Much kisses, hugs and photos later and it was all over. Everyone was congratulating each other in the hotel lobby and drinking some well earned fizz!
Unlike the previous nights I didn't spend the night sharing a room with alexei, I was in another hotel with my wife and parents. We walked (slowly) the 1km to our hotel and that was that. An amazing meal out for the 4 of us, a bottle of wine downed like it was fruit juice and to bed.
I'd just ridden 240 miles (some say we did 245 miles) over 3 days and raised over £1300 for Alzheimer's. It is the hardest and best thing I have ever done individually, and really showed me just how much mento strength I have when I go looking for it. And I'm not too bad up the hills, and quite fast on the flats.....when I eat enough energy gels!!!;-)
There is more for me to tell out this ride it for now this will do.
Until next time.
Phil
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