PGT Day 23 - The Virtual Champs Elysee.

It was wonderful to wake up with sun brightly lighting our bedroom even through the curtains. After a disturbed Friday night a lie in would have been welcome, but my mind and body woke decisively at just after 6, so getting up and getting out on the bike in the early morning sunshine for the final stage of the People's Grand Tour was a desirable alternative.

My route choice was the Boscobel Loop, one of my favourite 2 hour routes. The sun was a welcome companion throughout the ride, and as it rose so too did the temperature meaning I was able to shed my gillet and arm warmers well before the half way point. The bird song was magnificent, and my day was already made when I spotted a hare, one of my favourite animals, running in a field adjacent to the Patshull Park estate. At that stage I seemed to be riding directly beneath a divide between two different cloudscapes, wispy Cirrus to the West and towering, white Cumulus to the East, one of which was anvil shaped and could easily have been drawn by Roger Dean for a Yes album cover.

I eventually arrived home a little late than planned having stopped to chat to a three cycling buddies I passed during the last 10km. There were many cyclists out this morning so I suppose it was inevitable I'd see a few that I know, and it's better to stop and chat at the end of a ride rather than having the early rhythm disturbed.
And that was that, People's Grand Tour II of 2012 was over. Statistics don't tell the real story of this tour for me, which was simply that it felt easier and more enjoyable than the previous edition, something I delightedly take as confirmation that I'm pretty much fully recovered from my surgery in January. It was disappointing that Finn was unable to ride more of it with me, but his irritating cough that keeps appearing and disappearing was certainly made worse by cycling and his withdrawal was unfortunate but necessary.

Congratulations to everybody that rode this edition, especially if you got out in some of the less desirable cycling weather, and many thanks as ever to Lionel for organising the event.

Final day data

Final Stats Tally

Number of days ridden: 23

Number of kilometres covered: 959.1

Time in the saddle: 38 hrs 11 minutes 

Metres climbed: 9637

Longest single ride in distance: 83km

Longest single ride in time: 3hrs 29 minutes