4th July 2010 Manchester to Blackpool Mark II

After a 2 week hiatus (Golf Tour) I was glad to be back on 2 wheels again with Darren up North!
Last year this was the event that I fell off on the final straight, ended up in a CT scanner, and lost the memory of the second half of the ride!
I travelled up on Saturday arriving at Darrens house soon after 1800. Harry arrived shortly after - for the meal & beer, but not the cycle due to a broken rib (fell off mountain bike!)
After a nice Italian meal & a number of pints of real Ale (Including 'Titanic Special!') we retired for the night.
Up early Darren & I went against the flow of cyclists for 3 miles back to Old Trafford, and the official start. On a cool grey morning we flew past the many cyclists as we headed out of Manchester, skirting Bolton & onto the A49 past Charnley Richard. I remember this stretch from LEJOG 2009, but not from this event last July.
For the last bit past Preston we pushed on hard overtaking 100's of fellow cyclists, mostly on horrible wobbly knobbly tyred mountain bikes.
The last stretch up the seafront was tough as the strong westerly crosswind made progress difficult. Finally the big one & the tower were in sight, and the finish line. Literally as we crossed the line the heavens opened, soaking our tired bodies.
Darren & I carried onto the station via a very tasty Harry Ramsdens fish and chips.
The train took us to Bolton and we sprinted back to Manchester against a strong wind.
What a ride - magnificent views, not many hills and a great atmosphere amongst the scores of cyclists - I hope to do it again in 2011.
Thanks to Darren for putting me up & I hope we can do London to Paris in June 2011 together

59.6m (missed 1st 2 miles) 3h46m @ 16.2mph 1914ft climb
whole day 76.9m 5h01m @15.3mph 2333ft climb

Simon & Wicky have today completed day 9 of their Gibralter to Milton keynes cycle - Awesome stuff through baking Spain & now over the Pyrenees. Thay are totally bonkers!
AND
Brendan's nearly got to Rome - an awesome journey
http://brendan-biking2rome.blogspot.com/
AND
Tour de France has started (and Cavendish fell off....again!!)