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Tour Report by Graham Hiscock
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Day 1 - Friday
Friday morning 06.30 am, everybody arrives in good time for the Ferry
to Dieppe. The weather was calm and the 4 hour crossing seemed to go quite
quickly.
We arrived on the beaches of Normandy and made our assault on Dieppe,
streaming ashore from our landing craft, with kit bags and our weapons
in our hands ! A rag tag army of walkers and cyclists carrying dangerous
loads of baggage towards the Hotel. We even brought our own walking wounded
with us .
1400 hours, secured supplies from local shop, re grouped
1430 hours, made our first push inland along the D1 south, we headed off
on mass, taking up the whole road, wet conditions with light showers made
going slow to start. A spearhead of 20 elite pushed on deep into the French
countryside, while the rear guard turned west and returned to Dieppe.
We stopped 6k short of Neufchatel and decided to return to Dieppe.
With fear of a counter attack and the weather drying up, we picked up
speed and formed a speed line, with speeds of 28 mph we soon got back
to Dieppe. 40 miles
Day 2 - Saturday
1030 hours, Squad photo outside the Hotel , in full White Oak Kit, weather
dry and warm, strong westerly wind.
1045 hours, new comms links on trial, six hands free radio links.
1050 hours, First Squad heads out of town towards St. Valery en Caux headed
by Roy Knight.
1055, hours, Second Squad hit’s the road headed by Graham Hiscock
1100, hours, Elite Squad sets off in pursuit headed by Paul Munday
1105, hours, loose contact with Roy Knight and his Squad, can only assume
he has been captured.
1130, hours, Second group now seems to be the lead group, as still no
sign of Roy, and radio silent apart from the heavy breathing coming from
James’s radio as he climbs another hill in front.
1200, hours Pick up radio message from elite squad, as they start to close
us down.
1210, hours Both Squads re group in 2 by 2 formation as we prepare to
take the Bridge at St. Valery en Caux.
1230, hours Sweep down hill into Town centre and secure bridge, still
no sign of the first squad. Stop for a coffee break, must have been the
most expensive coffee in France.
1300.hours, Roy’s Squad finally turns up and he insists we must
have all taken the wrong route.
1320, hours, advance duo of Richard and Nick head off towards Doudeville.
1335, hours, main group sets off for Doudeville, undulating road with
a strong side wind from the right. A real battle to keep together as the
hills and wind take their toll, Soon arrive at Doudeville and re group,
no sign of our advance raiding party. We decide its too early for Lunch
and push on down the
D20 towards Limesy and the half way point
1430, hours, Limesy closed all the shutters up, they must have been told
we were coming, Oh where has Roy gone, has anyone seen Roy!! After a make
shift lunch with everyone sharing their rations in true Brit style, two
bikes appear at the edge of town, its Richard and Nick, they rub salt
in the wounds and tell us they had a lovely lunch at Doudeville.
1500, hours, head north towards Dieppe, attacks off the front start straight
away, with a good tail wind speed begins to increase and attacks get quicker
and longer. Speed through the town of Totes onto a smooth fast road, a
break of around 10 riders pick up the pace, 26, 28, 30 mph the pace is
really getting hot, 32, oh shit 33mph on the flat, not sure how long I
can live with this, 35mph that will do me I sit up and watch the group
split as people get thrown out of the back, six riders manage to stay
together and they disappear into the distance. Looking behind there is
a long line of single cyclist spread out over the French countryside.
We get to a roundabout and re group, the fast boys come back to pick us
up and we head off back to Dieppe at a much more comfortable pace.
Day 3 - Sunday
10.45, hours. We leave Dieppe and head out of town south towards Neufchatel
en Bray, taking on the 1st hard climb of the day, a rear guard group forms
soon after led by Chris Parlett. They intend to give us a ten minute buffer.
After a few wrong turns trying to find the correct route, a group soon
formed of 20 riders rolling through the French countryside at a good pace
of about 20mph. We seem to eat into the miles very quickly. We go through
Bellencombre and turn left towards Neufchatel. Here the group splits as
attacks on the hill begin. The lead changing every couple of minutes,
onwards and upwards into the Forest, we finally top out and re group in
a lay-by to put on waterproofs as the weather turns showery. Some of the
group are in a bad way with fatigue setting in. Roy disappears up the
road for pit stop or to get a jump on the group, we quickly pull him back,
only to be caught out by the rear guard group who had made up the ten
minutes and go flying past without stopping. The chase is on, with the
group splitting as the pace builds, a fast descent into Neufchatel for
lunch
1300, hours lunch, eventually after searching the town for 15 minutes
we find a restaurant, and after an hour we had emptied the restaurant
of all food, much to the delight of the little Frenchman.
1415, hours Head back to Dieppe along the D1, a road we knew well from
Friday, roads are very wet but we seem to have avoided the worst of the
rain. The group seems very lively and attacks off the front soon start
firing off. We soon form up a fast chain gang and build up the speed back
home. The pace is relentless with riders being thrown out of the back,
apart from a hard core of about 6 riders who make it back and finish together!
Well Done. The rest of the squad re group and finish at a much slower
pace. We all arrive back at Dieppe after 3 days of hard cycling, with
no accidents or incidents.
Medals to:-
Kevin Perkins, Paul Atkinson, Steve Blackmore for their work at the front
Chris Parlett for looking after everyone
Richard Puxty for his map reading skills
Roy Knight for not getting lost
James Drain for his spell at the front
And everyone who made this another good weekend.
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