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Edinburgh to Pitlochry – 62 miles
Saturday 13 June 2009
Rob Clark said that he felt “almost guilty” after he and the rest of the Be Number 1 LEJOG cycling team completed the seventh, and shortest, leg of the trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats today.
“Almost, but not totally, guilty,” added Clark, an under-13s rugby coach in North Dorset and a former triathlon exponent of some note. “The day was only 62 miles long and we arrived in Blairgowrie in such good time that we were able to have a massage and a swim, and just generally have a good rest.
“But we’re not kidding ourselves. The reason that today’s leg was so short was because there are no obvious places to stop on the final two legs. And tomorrow looks really scary. It’s a long stage – probably about 110 miles – and there will be just about as much climbing as there was on the first day, in Cornwall and Devon. And that was tough. The overall climbing may not be as much, but the individual ascents will be a lot steeper, with the highest point being Aviemore.
“We’re all in reasonably good shape, although there are not surprisingly a few battle scars. Toby Sykes is suffering from sore calf muscles, Hugo Ambrose looks like he is riding on one leg most of the time, Nick Dempsey has a painful knee and I have to confess that my backside is not the most comfortable. But Sarah Webb? She seems absolutely fine! And that is perhaps not totally surprising, because she is probably the most consistent and steady rider out of all of us.
“But there is some fun to be had, too. When we see a sign in the distance that we are entering a new county, there is a mad sprint to see who can reach it first. And although Nick has won most of the time, he hasn’t had it all his own way.
“That said, however, he is a phenomenal athlete – as, indeed, you might expect from an Olympic medallist. He’s certainly got most in the tank when it comes to thrashing uphill. And it can be slightly annoying, to be honest!
“There you are trying to catch him, and he just looks over his shoulder with a smile, takes off and disappears over the horizon within the blink of an eye. And there I am in his rear-view mirror just about gasping my last.
“The Be Number 1 LEJOG project has been an astonishing experience in many ways, and one that I will always cherish. As a group, they have been fantastic to be around and failure is not an option. They have been simply inspirational.
“I would especially like to record my gratitude to the support crew of Sarah Ayton and Adam Gosling, who are just unbelievable. As an example, we have a protein drink in our hands within a minute of finishing a day’s cycling. But they do plenty more besides and we could not have come as far as we have without them. No way.
“And, finally, the school workshops. I have to confess that I am really surprised I have been so positive. One of the main reasons I came on this ride was to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. But to give an idea of the feeling of goodwill that we - and in particular the Three Blondes in a Boat crew of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson – have felt is hard to describe.
“All I can say is that every school has given us a massive cheer when we have left for our day’s cycling after the three girls have finished their presentation. And any potential pain just seems to drain away.”
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