After 7 months of hard training, the day finally arrived. Having spent the night in a tee-pee, we set off under ominous skies, then the heavens opened. Within 5 minutes we had been stopped by the Gendarmerie for cycling up a car-only road (not a motorway!) We escaped with a caution….

The day continued at a strong pace before we suffered our first puncture of the tour. Oo-la-la! However, now adept at inner tube pit-stops, this was swiftly rectified and we whizzed on by until Embery where we stopped for lunch (On the village green next to an installation of  some giant Asterix statues, a taxidermied boars head and a set of straw huts). The support team laid out a welcome spread of French cheeses, baguettes, chorizo, vine tomatoes, bananas… Tres bon! Et delicieux.

After lunch came a hill, a downpour and a drama – on a sharp bend, Greg’s back wheel skidded out on the wet road and he came off with Christine (his bike) landing on top of him. Quel shock! Happily there was no traffic (lovely quiet roads today) and he was ok apart from a few scrapes. After re-grouping and adjusting Christine, we rolled on to Frevent on smooth flat roads, pot-hole free. Arriving in Frevent, we realised our enthusiasm had taken over and we had overshot by 5km. Cycled back to the campsite and enjoyed showers, wine and a fine barbecue after a gentle first day of 60 miles.