It was a shorter route than any other on the challenge at a "tiny" 60 miles. This meant that Andy and I agreed to set off a bit later which would still enable us to get to the finish for about 3-3:30pm.
A few testing hills at the start to get the legs working straight away and it wasn't long before we'd reached Helston and RNAS Culdrose where we turned south and headed down the Lizard Peninsular. A strongish headwind and constant drizzly rain made progress more of a chore than a pleasure, but we soon arrived at Lizard village and Lizard Point. After a few photos and standing on the most precarious spit of land I've ever stood on over a rather large drop, we headed back up to the village for some lunch.
Fed and watered we turned back north and headed back towards Helston. This time with a tail wind progress was very swift. At Helston we turned west towards Penzance and Land's End. It's actually quite hilly on this stretch and despite being early afternoon we were riding in the densest fog I'd experienced since the England/Scotland border in the Cheviot Hills.
After descending down to near sea level as we approached Penzance the fog cleared and it turned into a beautiful blue sky and warm day.
With a few steep hills going through Penzance and the first 5 miles or so out the other side things got a bit harder again, but with only 4 or so miles to go it was more or less a flat ride along the cliff tops to the finish line.
Amanda and Kieran, and Andy's family were there and it was great to have Kieran on his bike riding with me for the last bit. As all the restaurants were shut we missed out on the Cornish Cream Tea that we'd been pining for all day but it was more than made up for with a few pints of Tribute and some good food in The Old Success Inn in Sennen Cove in the evening.
A good end to a good day, to a tough but good challenge.
Rich
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Location:Land's End
WELL DONE Richard
ReplyDeleteDave M (sat at Harwell)