London to Paris Cycle for Prostate Cancer - Day 2

That’s right, another day completed!

Our Splunkers are officially two days into their epic journey from London to Paris, and what a day it was! With sore legs, aching muscles, and a few bumps along the way, the riders are now in full swing with the end in sight as they navigate the beautiful countryside of France. Yesterday's riding was a tough one, but it was full of adventure, teamwork, and even a bit of cake fever!

An Early Start on the Ferry

The riders were up bright and early, already moving around the ferry at 05:30 AM to prepare for their next stretch. After a good night’s sleep (for some), they fueled up with breakfast—Roland opted for the buffet, loading up on those extra carbs that would surely come in handy later on. At precisely 07:00 AM, the ferry docked, and the team was making its way through security, officially stepping foot on French soil.

Jim wasted no time getting into the spirit of things, fully embracing the beautiful French language with enthusiastic messages for the team. "Bonne route aujourd'hui tout le monde! Bienvenu en France. Allez, allez, allez!!!" became his mantra, and the team couldn’t help but smile at his efforts.

Cake Fever and Hill Climbs

The first leg of the day was thankfully, relatively uneventful, though the team was starting to physically feel the cumulative miles. Their planned stop at Maison Chaudemanche in Dives-sur-Mer turned out to be a bit of a disappointment as they arrived and found it closed. But fear not! Mike saved the day by discovering a quaint local café, Le Café Du Rocher, run by Pascale and Sylvie. This little café turned out to be just what the riders needed, sparking an impromptu cake-fest that left everyone devouring their weight in delicious French cakes as well as leading to one of the teams being renamed into team cake!

Post cake, the groups powered through the scenic French countryside, and were cheered on by supportive drivers tooting their horns in solidarity to the brightly dressed Splunkers. Their jerseys do make them stand out somewhat.

The Fast and the Furious

As the day progressed, the pace began to pick up. Ed’s group was on fire, setting a blistering pace for the last leg of the day, racing at an impressive 29-30 km/h. Correction: they actually averaged 39.9 km/h! This wasn’t just a leisurely ride; this was team cycling at its best, with riders rotating leadership every minute, pushing themselves to the limit. By the time they reached the hotel, they were clocking in with record times, but not without some risky situations.

So focussed on their riding a couple of the cyclists accidentally missed a crucial turn on their way to the hotel, accidentally ending up on a dual carriageway! Their high-speed detour was apparently “very fast” and slightly terrifying, but thankfully they managed to make it back in one piece. Meanwhile, Roland took the crown for top speed of the day, clocking in at an impressive 66.3 km/h. Jo’s app, however, claimed she hit 60 mph—a stat that left everyone scratching their heads but thoroughly impressed.

Uphill Struggles and Navigational Mishaps

Not everything went according to plan, of course. As the riders trickled into the hotel, finally able to rest and recover, there was still one group that hadn’t made it, one group of riders were yet to be seen. This group was facing a particularly challenging hill climb that was staggeringly steep, long, and unforgiving. Just when they thought they had conquered it, a malfunction of one of their cycle computers sent the group round the village and back to the start of the hill. Yes, you guessed it: they had to climb the same brutal hill AGAIN. 

However, as you know by now, we have not only been following the rider with the safety car, but with their data, utilsing Splunk! We have been able to contact the riders based on their positions, group sizes, detours and anything else that is anomalous in their data having seen them on our dashboard. As you can see from the below picture, we were able to see exactly where the remaining team were, as well as see the gargantuan hill and the fact they did it twice. Some think they were showing off trying to make the already epic challenge more challenging.

All that to say, the grand old Duke of York would be proud, but the riders were less than thrilled.

Bike Drama and Hotel Shenanigans

After a long day on the road, and once they were all in, the riders were more than ready to relax. However, they were met with a small snag: the hotel had a strict “no bikes in rooms” policy. Understandably, the riders weren’t thrilled about parting with their two-wheeled companions, but Phil Butler stepped up, using his best diplomatic (and sales) skills to convince the hotel staff to let the bikes stay in the rooms. With Roland translating, Phil’s charm worked, and the team could sleep soundly knowing their bikes were safe.

Meanwhile, the “Cake Group” (now officially dubbed after their earlier pastry binge) spent the evening reminiscing about their sweet treats, only to segue into a conversation about pasta. After two full days of riding, who can blame them for craving all the carbs?

As the riders settled in with beverages in hand, Jo shared a dream she’d had the previous night, a nightmare about falling while clipped into her pedals. As a result, she rode the first 90 km of the day unclipped, just in case her dream was a bad omen. Luckily, once she felt confident enough, she clipped back in and carried on without incident.

Ending the Day in True Splunker Fashion

The team’s ride ended on a high note as they crossed the historic Pegasus Bridge, a moment that sparked memories of the film and added a touch of reflection to the day. After that, it was all about getting refreshed and ready for the final leg tomorrow.

Phil, after his heroic efforts today, treated himself to a long, relaxing shower—so long, in fact, that he managed to flood not only his room but the hotel corridor as well! Mark, the safety car driver meanwhile, had the toughest day of all the participants, owing to the fact air conditioning was not working (!) but after a day like this, even that couldn’t dampen his spirits.

As we wrap up this Day 2 post, the riders are now resting and preparing for the final push to Paris today. Join us again tomorrow for the next update as we track their journey to the finish line!

In the meantime, don't forget to follow the ride live on london2paris.livehybrid.com for real-time updates on their progress, speed, and much more. Let’s wish them a good night's rest and a smooth ride tomorrow!

See you tomorrow!

Want to know more about the bike ride?

• Read all about the background of our Splunkers' journey here
• Find the recap of  Day 1 here