Tour Report

Copy of our Team Report...

It all began one long and particularly dull day during my summer placement in July 2009... as the afternoon dragged slowly by and it began to dawn on me that I probably faced 40 or so years of such afternoon’s to come, I was overwhelmed with a sudden urge to spend my final summer post-university doing something stupid. Now, slightly over a year later, I’ve just cycled to Africa.

The first challenge was to recruit a willing volunteer to accompany me. This turned out to be easier than I feared, and, after they realised this wasn’t just one of those ridiculous schemes thought up in the pub, one by one five school friends declared themselves ‘in’. Although all keen sportsmen of various persuasions, none of us had either ever done any remotely serious cycling before, let alone any kind of ‘ultra-endurance’ event, so I think it's fair to say that deciding to cycle almost 2000 miles to Africa was quite ambitious! The first few meetings were spent deciding on a broad plan of action which concluded, for all the wrong reasons, that we'd cycle (we didn't fancy running), from Cambridge (we lived there), through France and Spain (to get a tan), to Casablanca (alliteration) in 28 days (back of an envelope maths based on the fact two 2 of us had once cycled 80 miles in a day).

From these inauspicious beginnings the project gradually morphed into something much more ‘professional’; amidst a background of what must have been several thousand emails, we slowly designed and launched our website, arranged Ben Hayward to provide bikes, appeared in the papers and on the radio, secured corporate sponsorship, ordered kit and even began doing some cycling... and before we knew it, a stupid conversation in the pub 12 months ago had turned into reality, and the six of us, resplendent in our newly made team kit, and astride shiny bikes, were being waved off by a not inconsiderable crowd from Marshall's Group HQ, our main sponsor, to set off for Africa!

Our route took us from Cambridge to the south coast, across The Channel, down the West coast of France, over the foothills of the Pyrenees, onwards through the searing mid-summer heat of central Spain to Tariffa, the southernmost tip of Europe, across the Mediterranean into Africa, and finally from Tangiers in northern Morocco to our final destination: Casablanca. We travelled without support, carrying all our own equipment, including tents, and eventually completing the 1700 miles in 27 days.

The whole journey was very tough, yet it was an incredible experience in so many other respects, from the day to day challenges of keeping the bodies and bikes well-oiled and well-fed, to the frequently stunning scenery, the often incredibly helpful people we met and the and the rollercoaster of emotions experienced in such a challenge, it is definitely something we will never forget. For me the most the most enjoyable leg of the tour was cycling in Morocco.  Although we encountered temperatures in the mid 40s, poor road surfaces, inaccurate maps and a language barrier, we were greeted at every turn with cheers and shouts of encouragement from the locals to keep us going.  It was not all plain sailing however, and aside from running repairs to body and bike, we had two bad crashes, sadly losing one the team to a broken collar bone in the first, just a few miles into Spain. Overall though I think we’re all enormously proud of what we have achieved and the feeling in the hours of reaching the finish made it all worthwhile.

The main element of our trip was of course raising money for Acorn House, The Sick Children’s Trust centre in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. Acorn House provides ‘home from home’ care on the hospital site for the families of seriously ill children and we’re delighted that, thanks to the generosity of friends, families and sponsors, we have been able to raise over £8,000 for a truly worthy cause.

Finally, the team are very conscious of the amount of support and goodwill that we’ve enjoyed in completing our adventure, and we’re all enormously grateful to all those who have helped us in anyway, and made the whole trip possible.

George Dean, September 2010

Epiblog

With the team now back in a gloriously gloomy England and struggling to re-adapt to 'normal' life after spending far too long in each other’s company, it seems about time for an final entry on the blog summing up the last 6 weeks. If what follows appears a bit clichéd etc. (it will) then please accept my apologies...

I think I speak for all of us when I say the trip was an incredible experience on a number of levels and something I hope I’ll never forget. The ride was a year in the planning and four weeks in the riding, and at every stage we had an enormous amount of fun and faced a series of unfamiliar challenges which make the entire process seem more than worthwhile. For me the highlight was undoubtedly the Morocco leg of the journey, particularly the day we cycled 95 miles in temperatures that reached the mid 40s. The low point was obviously losing Nat to a broken collar bone, and we were all gutted that fate denied him the chance to finish the ride. Overall though I’m really proud of what we achieved, to get a team of guys who had never done any cycling before 1700 miles across Europe in midsummer to Africa was a stupid idea...

It pains me to repeat what Doble said in the previous blog but I feel I must; we were hugely lucky to be given the opportunity to take on this challenge, and we would have been unable to do so without the help of a great number of people and organisations...

Firstly thanks to all our corporate sponsors; Marshall's Motor Group, Orwell Truck and Van, Pemberton Greenish and Anspear, who between them paid for our camping equipment and ‘sat nav’ system and also boosted the amount we raised for The Sick Children's Trust. Ben Hayward cycles also deserve another mention for providing not only all of our kit at a very generous rate but also several hours of invaluable advice (had we known any less about bikes when we left there is no way we would have got to Portsmouth let alone Casablanca).

Lots of other individuals have helped us in various ways in planning for the trip, of which I’m sure I will fail to mention some, but particular thanks to Pimpers for doing the website, Sarah for doing the artwork, Adam Hart-Davis for being our ‘honorary patron’, Nick for printing the shirts at the last minute, the Pembertons and Gimsons for accommodating us on the ‘Tour de East Anglia’, the Gimsons / Stanfords for providing maps, everyone’s immediate family for general advice / support / hosting team meetings etc... and everyone who had to endure the six of us talking about the best route through Spain or the most efficient way to load bikes and other equally tedious things for much of the last year...

Thanks also to those who helped us whilst we were away, Rhoda and Peter for accommodating us on night one, Rory's godfather Steven and his family for giving us a wonderful rest day in Hossegor, Xanti our friend in the Basque country, Steve in Broxborough (the best mechanic in England)... and above all others Jeremy Davidson, who stands out as the man who made most difference to us, in his own words he 'lived every kilometre' as he took a month’s leave from work (at least I hope he did...) to calculate out the best possible route south, find the location of every campsite and bike shop on the way and hand out regular pearls of ‘Jeremy’s wisdom’, though we never did actually sleep under a bridge...

The main purpose of the ride was obviously to raise money and awareness for the Sick Children's Trust. So far I’m delighted to say our total stands at over £7,000, £2,000 more than our original target. For all those who have donated, we would like to say a huge thank you on behalf of both ourselves and The Sick Children's Trust. We’ve tried to be conscious throughout that people can get inundated with requests for sponsorship so we’ve tried to be sensitive to that, but have been overwhelmed by how many people have come forward with generous donations. Having said that... if anyone was waiting to see if we managed to complete the ride before they donated, the justgiving page is open until December at http://www.justgiving.com/cambridgetocasablanca... To show how much it means I’ve included an extract from an email from  Stephen Masters, a trustee of Acorn House, The Sick Children's Trust home at Addenbrooke's:

"Your justgiving total of nearly £7,000 will make a real difference, as I mentioned to you when we met on June 9th it costs about £25 per room per night. So £7,000 is 280 nights. That is enough to cover the cost of one room for over 9 months!"

Finally... thanks to the five idiots who came with me. When I first had the idea I thought I'd struggle to find anyone to come with me, let alone enough to form a team... and everyone contributed to the organisation and planning and the work whilst on the road, all in all it was an absolute pleasure. Hopefully I never have the need to say anything so nice to them again.

The good news is that I can now renounce my status as a 'blogger' and hopefully never write one again... that is until we start preparing for Cambridge to Calcutta 2020... 


Hope you have enjoyed reading about the trip everyone (Alice).

Over and out,

GD

P.S. If anyone comes across this blog and is thinking about doing something similar, or if anyone wants us for any other reason please send us an email at cambridgetocasablanca@googlemail.com

The Final Chapter

As we came to amongst the surf bums and euro trash of Tarifa campsite, the usual morning lethargy and mutual hatred gave way to a palpable air of excitement. The end in sight and with little knowledge of what Morocco would bring, team C2C boarded the ferry to Tangier: we couldn't wait.

Once out of the port and winding our way through the streets of Tangier, we felt separated from the European leg by more than a half-hour ferry. Narrow, bustling and an assault on the senses, we were surrounded by the beeping of horns and the broad grins of Moroccans who were clearly better informed than us of what lay in store. Passing the first evidence of many that a crash had just occurred, we pedalled tentatively out of the city, glad to be safely away. All, that is, apart from the indefatigable Hugh, quick to inform us that the streets were busier and the donkeys more aggressive in North London, and continuing to flash a wave, a stupid grin and a terrifying wobble at any passing locals.

Once out of the city and with the first few nervous runs in the bag, we settled into a rythym, with the quality of both roads and drivers surprisingly good, and we soon completed the short day to Larache. Even on the coast, however, the heat was worse than expected, and much would depend on finding the "cracking coast road" (as your tubby correspondent unwisely remarked) that would allow us to avoid a punishing detour inland the following day.

To cut a long story short, the cracking coast road either doesn't exist or is pretty well hidden, so cheers to anyone who has briefly considered putting up a sign post before deciding it was too hot and naffing off for a mint tea. It was left to us, therefore, to man-up and take on the 95 mile trek away from the coast and back to Kenitra. It would be a long day and it looked as if there was a steady headwind, but surely it couldn't be as hot as Salamanca, Seville and the barrens in between...?

Under the baking sun, with a headwind like cycling into an enormous, unrelenting hairdryer, the sweat pouring off us and burnt instantly away, we toiled through a morning session that felt never-ending. Dragged along by an incredible set at the front from Ed (perhaps the strongest cyclist standing up to be counted at just the right time) we staggered through the forty miles to lunch, to be greeted by numerous bottles of water for which we were thoroughly ripped off, and a brief respite from the sun. Whilst the heat in Spain seemed to come from the road itself, in Morocco the enormous, blazing sun was the order of the day, and following a timely puncture in George's rear tyre and an 8 mile set that was by far the hardest we had ever worked for our miles, things were looking pretty daunting. Some of the team were feeling pretty sick and tempers were frayed, but gradually the wind eased and the heat began to dissipate, and with Ed still pounding away at the front the tide began to turn.

In the fading light, and with our hardest day looking behind us, the legs seemed to acquire new energy as we surged to the finish through the outskirts of Kenitra. Then, suddenly I heard the now unmistakeable sound of a big crash and shouts of stop from Hugh and George, turning just in time to see Rory and his bike - now separated - emerging from an enormous pothole and flying into the verge. Jogging back Ed and I feared the worst, as Rors appeared to be clutching his shoulder in exactly the same way as Nat had in San Sebastian. Thankfully, however, it appears Rors had the good sense to leap his handlebars like a dolphin, absorbing the impact almost entirely with his head and saved by his helmet. With a bruised shoulder and a touch of road rash he battled on, and, tired, shaken but unbowed we finally staggered into a hotel in darkness, but safely in Kenitra.

After knocking off a casual twenty-five miles the next day, we were on the final straight, with Casablanca in our sights. Convinced that something would go catastrophically wrong, George was pacing and muttering to himself, whilst Hugh, increasnigly resembling a Butlins holiday camp supervisor, insisted that he should cheer up and that we should perhaps complete the tour in silly hats. During the last miles to meet Nat, whose collarbone was thankfully on the mend enough that he could come out and join us at the finish, time slowed to a trickle. For George, who throughout has hated  every moment of cycling, the pain was almost unbearable, but after an insufferable fifty miles we eventually came to the outskirts of Casablanca. Dodging the horrendous traffic through the sprawling suburbs, we were constantly cut-up by cars, lorries, scooters qnd donkeys, Ed and I having a particularly nasty run in with three of them attempting to overtake a truck. Although just another day in the big smoke for Hugh, chanting away and nattering to passing drivers, for George boredom turned swiftly to terror as he was forced to hand off a pedestrian attempting to give him a high-five in the middle of a motorway.

After a few miles, however, the towering figures of the Hyatt hotel and Nat hove into view and we realised, ecstatically and disbelievingly, that we were here. Exchanging hugs, kisses and firm handshakes and delighted to be reunited with Gimson, we celebrated cycling 1700 miles from (most of) our homes in Cambridge to a place where there are camels. It didn't sink in then, nor will it for a while, but at least we don't have to do any more bloody cycling.

Although it hasn't been easy, it would have been impossible without the help of people too numerous to mention in full, but they know who they are and that we're greatful. In particular, thanks to the bike shop owners who have fixed the steeds along the way, especially Steve on day one, and to Shanti, the lovely Basque cyclist who stopped to help us when Nat broke his collar bone, calling the ambulance and driving us and the bikes to the hospital. Also thanks to our families and friends for their aid, support and encouragement both before and during the trip. Most of all, however, a heartfelt thankyou to everyone who has donated over the past few weeks. The total so far stands at an amazing 6894 pounds, and there could be no better motivation to keep turning the wheels than such incredible generosity.

It leaves me to finish with a few profound words from Ed Pearson, great cyclist and thinker:

"Guys, just keep pedalling and you'll keep going".

We made it...

Details to follow soon but just to let everyone (Alice) know we arrived succesfully yesterday.

On the brink...

A very quick note (Arabic keyboard) to say we ahave nqde it to Rabat, just 55 miles shy of Casablanca, where we hope to arrive tommorrow afternoon. Morocco has so far provided a real challenge in terms of the overhead conditions (extremely hot), wicket (potholes), umpiring (unmapped roads) and opposition (hazardous drivers).

Despite this everyone is in good heath and excited qt the prospect of finishing tomorrow; Day 27, oe ahead of schedule.

Full match report to follow shortly

GD

Not bad for a fat lad...

Cambridge to Casablanca survived a testing final two days to secure victory over a resurgent Spain side. The team currently rest in Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe recovering from an arduos fightback from the Spaniards.

Leaving Seville, the previously anonymous Spanish wind entered the game with a vengence, and with Hills returning from the gasworks end, runs were suddenly very hard to come by. Suffering most was the previously unshakeable Davidson, requiring regular attention from the physio for saddle sores throughout the day, he then hit ´the wall´ ten miles from the overnight destination of Arcos de la Fontera. With his muscles depleted of glycogen and the wind reaching force 4 levels he looked in trouble, but gritting his teeth he ploughed on, and eventually limped to the finish.

The final day of Spain dawned even windier, and with energy levels already low, punctures galore and Dean´s bike finally beginning to suffer from a month of torrid abuse, the team faced their toughest day yet. With twenty miles to go until lunch and the wind continuing to rise, morale was perhaps at it´s lowest ebb since the loss of Gimson almost two weeks previously. Step forward Thomas Brian Doble. In the manner of his hero, Andrew Flintoff, Doble produced a potentially series winning spell of cycling. Just as Flintoff, despite a career threatening knee injury, produced defining spells in the Ashes of both 2005 and 2009, so Doble cycled through the pain of his own dodgy knee and dragged himself to the front of the peleton. Shielded from the wind by his sizeable frame and inspired by his talismanic prescence the rest of the team found the going easier and suddenly the twenty miles before lunch was gone in the blink of an eye. As Flintoff himself once said, ´not bad for a fat lad´.

With the south coast of Spain now appearing on the horizon the team once again sniffed victory and inspired by a combination of Doble and caffeinated bevarages knocked off the remaining runs after lunch to secure a hard-fought victory over Spain adn the series against Europe.

Tomorrow the team depart for Africa and a 4 day test against Morocco, hoping to arrive in Casablanca on Friday 13th(!). Fast bowler Hugh Pemberton commented ´Spain has been tough in many ways, especially the loss of wicket keeper Nathaniel Gimson, with the heat subsided and the wind increasing I´m looking forward  to the challenges that lie in wait in Morocco, woof´.
 
Jonathan Agnew, for TMS, in Tarifa

A commanding position...

The Cambridge to Casablanca team have moved into a commanding position in the first test match against Spain, and currently reside in Seville requiring just 130 runs in the next two days to secure victory. Overcoming the fall of the big wicket of Gimson early on day two, the team have recovered well, posting some impressive totals over the five days of 88, 90, 59, 70 and 60 miles respectively. The much feared heat of the Spanish quick bowlers, reaching 40 degrees in the last few days, has restricted runs in the afternoon session but runs have flown freely in the cool of the morning and early evening against less challenging bowlers, allowing such good totals to be compiled with ease.

That said, the last week has not been without incident, and today was the first day in five that the team have not been forced to visit a bike shop for running repairs. Most of these stoppages can be attributed to Hugh ´Niggles´ Pemberton and Ed ´The Puncture´ Pearson. Without a puncture in the first 14 days of cycling, Ed managed to have three in two days, the second caused by an errant tyre leaver that he had left inside the tyre from the previous repair. In more positive news the resurgent form of Tom Doble has been a joy to watch for all concerned, after a series of low scores against France and a testing opening spell in Spain, the team were worried as he bedded down for his siesta on day two. However on reawakening he appeared to find a new lease of life and has been the stand out performer of the last few days. Despite his improved cycling ability, his pompous gland has continued to swell to potentially dangerous levels.
For those interested in the wicket, the team have been on the same road, the N630, since the last report from Salamanca. The N630 can only be described as a road, a batsman´s paradise, 600km of straight hard tarmac stretching between Salamanca and Seville, with barely a car on it. The biggest challenge for the batsmen has hus been maintaining concentration in the long stretches of barren and often featureless countryside, whilst putting up with Pemberton´s relentless and moronic chanting from the back of the peleton, only occaisonly punctuated by the odd Sierra, pilgrim, cow and roadside brothel. An interesting break did occure with a visit to a government-run modern art hostel pilgrim centre thing sourced for us by logistics co-ordinator and 7th member of the team Jeremy Davidson. (I can´t descrie how strange the place was - so look at the website; http://www.embalsedealcantara.com/).
Today the team completed the alloted days miles in record time, arriving in Seville at lunchtime, giving a rare opportunity for the team to absorb some culture. In true ´Brits abroad´style the chosen culture was not Spanish, as the team quickly found the closest Irish bar and settled in with a round of recovery drinks to watch the England Pakistan test match...
With victory over Spain looking assured thoughts have been turning a potential final against the unpredictable Moroccan side littered with hazardous drivers but lacking in the hills or distance of the Spanish side. The team have also been boosted by the news that injured national treasure Nat Gimson will be flying out to join the team in what has become known as the ´David Beckham´ role, in which he will prvide motivational speeches and general positive input from the sidelines, though some critics have questioned whether he has the ability to look so good in a Marks and Spencer suit... vice captain Ed Pearson commented, ´we´re remaining fully focussed on the task in hand which is completing this test match against Spain, we know the heat that the spanish bowlers are capable of generating and being Engish an middle order collapse is always possible, but I´m condfident that we can close this game out over the next two days. I´m sure the input of such an experienced player as Nat Gimson will be invaluable´.
Jonathan Agnew, for TMS, in Seville.

A cheeky equalizer

Bloodied but unbowed, with Nat safely home but certainly not forgotten (weak impersonations of his husky voice and originial one-liners ring out constantly across the Spanish plains) team C2C set out from San Sebastian along the now familiar coast road with a score to settle. After something of a phoney war through imposing valleys a gruelling 600m climb ensued, in baking sunshine up beautiful, vertiginous roads. Finally, sweat pouring from Hugh´s brow like a waterfall, we reached an idyllic lake and began to feel were back in the saddle.

The mountains have slowly given way to increasingly arid plains, and whilst there is some disagreement as to the terrain difficulty (Rory: "flat as a pancake, mate", Doble: "Oh My God") the heat is ratcheting up constantly. The miles, however, have just kept comnig as we grind our way into central Spain towards Seville. The crowd in the increasingly sporadic campsites has got weirder, and more Dutch, their camping equipment generosity and funny accents making our stays all the more enjoyable and surreal.

I write from sunny Salamanca, where we have dived for respite from the heat of the day, and with 1000 miles for the tour passed today the mood in the camp is elated - Spain has been dealt a solid blow and with a couple more good days we might finally be heading towards the home straight and Morocco.

Spain 1 - 0 Cambridge to Casablanca

Spain has proven to be tougher than feared and inflicted the first casualties of war early on day 2. After a hostile opening spell from some steep hills outside San Sebastian the team had 20 miles on the board when disaster struck.

On a downhill section Pemberton lost control and skidded into the middle of the road. Gimson, following behind, had no time to react and rode straight into the wreckage of hugh´s bike, catapulting him off and into the road as well. Whilst Hugh managed to survive with only cuts and bruises, Nat was clearly in a lot of pain. After a helpful spanish cyclist stopped and called an ambulance Nat was rushed back to san sebastian where x rays confirmed a broken collar bone and the end of his innings. Despite the spanish doctors refusing to adminsiter painkillers nat dealt with the pain pretty heroically and is flying home this morning... the team are obviously gutted to have lost a member, and mood is low but determined. This afternoon we press on as a 5, more determined to make Casablanca than ever... We hope Nat has a good journey and a swift recovery, and that anyone in Cambridge tries to entertain him over the next few weeks whilst we are away.


We´ll give more details as soon as we can, but for now we have to arrange for Nat´s bike to be shipped home and get ready for this afternoon´s cycling (Ed need´s breakfast).

GD

SPain

Just a very quick note to say we are in Spain. It is hot and hilly but the bikes are fixed, 60 miles yesterday 84 planned today....

Days 5-9 - Adventures in South West France

Hi everyone, just to echo Rory below, very sorry that the blog has not been updated for so long, but internet has been scarce...


We're currently on day 9, a rest day in Hossinger, a trendy surfers town near Biaritzz where we are being exceptionally looked after by rory's godfather Chris and his family. The day has been spent tending to our bikes and getting some rest (read playing cricket) before we venture on to Spain tomorrow.

Mood in the camp is high, and confidence up after some excellent cycling over the last few days. Being over a week in and into southern france there is a real feeling that progress has been made...There is however also a slight feeling of trepidation amongst the troops, akin to an army who know that so all they've done so far is march to the battle, the real fighting begins when we encounter the fierce heat and mountains of Spain. This is our Hastings...

The last few days cyling havce been very good, covering 79 on day 5, 89 on day 6, exactly 100 on day 7 and 93 on day 8. Before you are too impressed I should mention that the terrain has been somewhat flat, and by soemwhat flat i mean the last 200 miles has made the slight gradient from Marshall's out of Cambridge seem like a Himalayan foothill, and the rolling hills of Brittany seem like Everest itself. It's also been somewhat mild, which has gone down in different ways with different members of the team. Those commited tanners amongst us (Messrs. Dean & Gimson) it has been somewhat of a travesty, but it has almost certainly saved Doble £20 on another pot of sunclay to plaster his delicate skin from the rays.

Other than the Boulangerie's of western France, which as Rory has stated have increased revenue by 10% on the journey, the quality of the road also deserves a mention. Quite simply they are flat and quick, this is like batting at the WACA on a hot day witht he ball coming quickly onto the bat and any touch enough to send the ball flying to the boundary. Despite these conditions we've managed to get ourselves in the odd spot of bother... Doble's over-active pompus gland has shown no sign of delfating despite the constant medical attention of the rest of the team, and despite eating enough to feed most continetns for a week Ed has suffered one dizzying sugar low which forced the team into accepting an early lunch whilst he replenished his stocks, we've alos had a couple of falls, mostly due to being clipped into pedals, and once in my case due to cornering too quickly... the other main focus of the last few days has been an attempt from myself to make the team more 'efficient' in taking stops... but despite my best attempts it seems none of us can multi-task and we are consigned to never leaving until half an hour after someone says lets get on our bikes... at least i can say I tried.

Finally I should also mention that our morning puffy eyes are on the decrease and the team are starting to sleep well in the tents kindly provided by Marshall's, and the bikes from Ben Hayward are also standing up well to the test, if occaisonly in need of a bit of tlc from their riders.

Anyway, I must go to grease my bike and go to the bakers, but thanks for reading and we'll try to update soon - thanks for all the texts and everything from home, it's great to hear from you when faced with another 60 miles of the day...

GD

Days 2-4 : Fulham to Guemene-Penfao

Dear readers - I apologise that we have not been able to update the blog since day one. Internet has been pretty hard to come by - in some towns we've struggled to even find open restaurants, let alone wifi and internet cafes.

Day 2: Fulham to Portsmouth

Team Member Doble decided he'd already had enough of cycling, and instead went to a job interview in London. The rest of the team had the hardest day's cycling of their lives, through both the north and south Downs. The ferry from Portsmouth was almost missed, but in the end we snuck on, meeting Doble at the port (who had taken the train). After some cricket out on deck, the team bedded down, preparing for their first day cycling on the continent.

Day 3: St. Malo to Dinan

Disaster struck - only 20 miles inland from the French coast, Pemberton's knee gave way, and a rest day was called. Hugh was inconsolable, but a decent day was had - a particular highlight was a visit to the public swimming pool, which enforced speedo-wearing, catching Pemberton out, who was forced to buy a pair from a vending machine.

Day 4: Dinan to Guemene-Penfao

After passing a fitness test in the morning, Hugh decided he was OK to cycle, but the team decided to take it easy and do a shorter day, so we did 60 miles to Guemene-Penfao, our intended campsite for the night before. Hugh, unfortunately, came down with a serious stomach bug, and ate only lettuce for supper, spending most of his time going to and from the loo. The team was kept up late by the Breton Under-11 Karaoke Open.

Daily Routine so far:

0700 reveille - Grandmaster Dean and his Lieutenant E. G. Pearson sound the wake up call. Dean, Gimson, and Pemberton suffer from 'fat eye' thanks to sleeping outdoors, and no-one is able to take them seriously for at least an hour. The team, sleeping in pairs on a 'squad-rotation' basis, get out of their tents, wash, pack away the camping stuff, and try their best not to rile the leader, Dean, who is particularly vicious before his morning coffee.


0800 depart to nearest boulangerie - A croissant is taken before proceeding 20 miles to breakfast.

1000 breakfast - Coffee is taken in a small French town bar. Dean becomes slightly less grumpy. Huge amounts of carbohydrates are bought and consumed

1400 - Lunch - Consists of bread, more bread, and some brie. Navigator Pearson moans about not having had enough to eat.

1700 - Pearson calls another food break

1930 - Arrive campsite. Set up tents, wash (paying particular attention to parts in direct contact with the saddle), wash clothes

2030 - Find a small, cheap restaurant, and eat everything they have. And then order a round of croque-monsieurs for pudding.

2300 - Pass out in a tiny tent, listening to our Great Leader Dean's Funny Stories/Campsite Linedancing and Karaoke/Hugh's Gastro-Intestinal Fireworks

Day One

Under a grey, foreboding sky, the Marshalls flag fluttered a stiff south-westerly breeze, as one by one six nervous yet excited cyclists arrived, to finally embark on their journey to Casablanca...

Firstly, we all have to say a huge thank you to everyone who turned up to see us off and wish us well. It was great to see so many family and friends, and a real boost to receive a further generous donation to the SCT from Francis Laud and Jonathan Barker of Marshalls.

It was a day where on the whole the miles didn’t come easy. The initial anticipation quickly turned to contemplation of the challenge ahead in the face of a strong headwind, the excited chatter dissolving into concentrated silence, punctuated by an ominous rusty-weather-vane creak emanating from the bowels of George’s bike.

After a quick lunch by the river it became increasingly clear that Deano had stymied his bike in about six places. This can only be put down to his riding style, akin to a very large ape on artificial stimulants, riding a little pink Barbie bike down a steep hill. Eyebrows furrowed – in itself a huge effort of will, they weigh a tonne – George bravely struggled on, until we ran into a game-changing stroke of luck in the form of Steve, a Metallica t-shirt wearing, cycle-mending legend who has become the first of many heroes we’ll need to bail us out along the way. Swiftly diagnosing and fixing the problem long-after his shop had supposedly closed, and charging us only for parts, Steve quickly realised the problem – Dean had broken his entire bike. Despite this, we were only delayed for an hour, just long enough for Eddy to make friends with a snake. No, I’m not kidding, in a scene we weren’t expecting until the souks of Morocco, a random lady pitched up with a bright red corn snake. I thought we were hallucinating, but pictures will be forthcoming, I promise.

The afternoon passed largely uneventfully, though cycling through London was an irritating and at times slightly terrifying experience. Notable moments included George – apparently on a self-destructive mission today – almost disappearing under a bus attempting to signal ‘fifty up’ (mileage) with the bat, and Nat going down like a shot walrus in a catastrophic spd-pedal cock up. Seriously, it was like someone had chopped down a wobbly redwood in the middle of Enfield, classic.

Despite this, we eventually made the 71 miles to Katie’s house in Fulham. For those of you that don’t know, Katie Matthews is the long-suffering girlfriend of Our Glorious Leader, and general First Lady of C2C. Katie and her parents Rhoda and Peter put on an amazing spread, and one last night in a proper bed left us feeling refreshed in a way we’re not likely to experience again any time soon. We also got to pop into the Hurlingham club, where Eddy got pretty excited over some well-mown tennis courts and a pretty cricket pitch. Which is nice.

All in all, a predictably eventful but generally successful first day, but only because of the great people who have supported us, from loved ones to complete strangers. So thanks again family and friends, Marshalls, Steve from Cycledealia, the snake lady and of course the amazing Matthews family, we couldn’t have done it without you.

Next stop Portsmouth and the Continent!

Over and out.

Final line up announced

Following a comprehensive victory in the final warm up game against the East Anglia Invitational XI the Cambridge to Casablanca team are pleased to announce an unchanged line up for the upcoming tour of Europe and N. Africa. Vice Captain Ed Pearson was pleased to confirm that any doubts over the fitness of Tom Doble had been cleared by a strong showing against East Anglia; "I have every faith in Tom, certain newspaper reports had suggested that he was carrying some extra pounds and might not be up to the rigours of full first class game, but he bowled his fill allocation last week and bowled some pretty fiery spells in the nets this week".

The team will be looking to bat first on the flat wickets of the south of England, with opening batsmen Rory Davidson and Ed Pearson looking to make quick runs to get the side off on the front foot, the only concern could be a stiff breeze that could knock them off their game. Behind the stumps Gimson has also been in good form, though the bowling, if Doble's fitness does fail, could be exposed. The team will be relying heavily on Pemberton to bowl the hard overs uphill and into the wind later in the series, particularly against Spain, however rumours continue to dog the man with a a party reputation. Even this week stories circulated that Pemberton was seen falling out of a nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning, he has since been unavailable for comment.

Despite these distractions however the team seem in buoyant mood. This journalist personally has doubts about the capabilities of the side to cope with searing heat and steep hills in foreign lands, which they are simply not prepared for. Though they did what was asked against a weak East Anglian side that is no test of what is to come, I predict a close fought series". Dean however share's no doubts, "I'm completely confident that we'll arrive in 28 days times. It is a tough challenge but the team is in good shape and I'm sure we'll win".

The final team is as follows:
T. B. Doble
E.G. Pearson
H. Pemberton
R. W. Davidson
G. E. J. Dean
N. H. S. Gimson

Jonathan Agnew writing for the BBC in Cambridge.

New Sponsors Announced

It is with great pleasure that the Cambridge to Casablanca squad can announce two new sponsors.

Joining Marshall's, Orwell Truck and Van, Ben Hayward Cycles and NYK logistics are Pemberton-Greenish Solicitors (http://www.pglaw.co.uk/) and Anspear, a division of Pearson Publishing (http://www.pearsonpublishing.co.uk/education/).

Sponsorship officer Nat Gimson commented "we're delighted that Anspear and Pemberton-Greenish have got on board, without the support of such companies this trip would simply not be possible".

The Tour de East Anglia

To the Giro D’Italia, the Vuelta a Espana, and of course “La Grand Boucle” itself can now be added the Tour De East Anglia – the only endurance cycling championship to involve a time-trial ferry crossing and very few hills.

The much-awaited three day training ride from Cambridge to Burnham-Overy-Staithe (on the North Norfolk coast), to Aldeburgh in Suffolk and back, encompassing 260 miles of some of Britain’s finest countryside – and the fens – began at 3pm on Saturday 15^th July. The mood in the camp was upbeat, a heady cocktail of excitement, anticipation and the merest hint of trepidation: if this didn’t go well, our chances of making it to Casablanca in one piece would look decidedly slim. For my part (it’s Tom here by the way), my relative lack of training due to late-finishing exams has left a bit of a fitness deficit, and just the thought of a disapproving look from “Our Glorious Leader” George was sending shivers up and down my spine.

Pre-match nerves? We shouldn’t have bothered. In beautiful sunshine and with a generous tailwind we cruised the 80 miles to balmy Norfolk in under four cycling hours, with an average speed of over 16 mph and little in the way of stops. This was a lesson in how much fun the trip will be on those rare moments when the ground is flat, the legs are fresh and the breeze is favourable. Cruising up to Hugh’s house, barely five miles away from our spiritual home Coastguard Cottage (Rory’s gaff), we were greeted by a crowd of friends and family brandishing masses of BBQ’d food. As George administered a bit of sports massage I reflected on a day of pure cycling heaven.

The next morning dawned with the realization that a big day lie ahead. Having benefitted from some sage advice from our elders and betters (Jeremy Davidson – “I’d leave the tents and just sleep under a bridge”) and a surprisingly comfortable night in our small but perfectly-formed tents (thanks Hugh), we devoured a fantastic breakfast and embarked on the 95 mile hike to Nat’s grandparents’ house near Sizewell, a stones-throw from Thorpeness. After a slow start ironing out some early niggles and faced with a stiff breeze, the miles began to disappear and before we knew it we had reached Reedham, a picturesque village in the heart of the Norfolk broads. Armed with a pub-lunch and some local knowledge we crossed the broads by ferry and continued to pound southwards. By the end I was beginning to tighten up, but eventually we made it to Richard and Elspeth Gimson’s beautiful house overlooking the beach. After what can only be described as a bracing dip in the sea, we yet again shovelled a truly ridiculous amount of wonderful food. George put in a fabulous performance with the plate, tearing up the formbook to outstrip the resident champion Ed by three huge helpings to two. Whilst Ed licked his wounds and George settled down to a bout of serious indigestion, the rest of the team just managed to catch extra time where despite outrageous flair on and off the ball the Dutch were cruelly denied in the World Cup final (Hup Holland!).

Over dinner, Nat’s grandpa mentioned that Thorpe Ness received so little rain it in fact qualified as a desert. Unfortunately for us, all of that rain proceeded to fall in the ensuing 8 hours. Whilst the tents held up pluckily, we set off chilly, damp and poorly rested for the 85 miles home to a warm bed and an isotonic beverage, and unfortunately worse was to come. A couple of hours in, the heavens opened again with a truly biblical downpour that turned roads into rivers and made cycling uncomfortable at best, and dangerous at worst. Taking immediate cover and fashioning impromptu waterproofs from bin bags (a resounding success for which I humbly take full credit) we were eventually forced to stop for an extended lunch whilst the rest blew over. The final leg was mercifully conducted in glorious sunshine through the beautiful Suffolk countryside, and despite a leg-sapping late-afternoon “mountain stage”, by the time we cruised into Cambridge the mood in the peloton was resurgent.

Overall the trip was a fantastic experience, and far more enjoyable than we expected. Both kit and legs seemed to withstand the test, and as I write I can barely contain my excitement for the real thing. Throughout the preparation we have all been encouraged by the fantastic response to the expedition on the Just Giving page, and we all hope as a team that we can do justice to everyone’s generosity in the weeks ahead. Finally I must give a tremendous vote of thanks to Ceri and Giles Pemberton (Hugh’s parents), and to Richard and Elspeth Gimson (Nat’s grandparents) for putting us up and providing truly epic sustenance.

Over and out. 

We're on the BBC website...

The BBC have very kindly written a follow up article on their website following our radio interview.  This can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8822000/8822550.stm

We were on the radio...

Listen to the team on the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Breakfast show...

47 minutes in to today's (Thursday's) programme...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001p96t

We're on the Radio...

The team recorded an interview this morning with Jez from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Breakfast show to be aired tomorrow between 7.30 and 8.00 AM.

You can listen at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/tv_and_radio/ or at 96FM

'Grand Departure' Date Set

The squad today issued a press release ahead of their 'grand departure' next Sunday 18th July at 9.30AM from Marshals Motor Group on Newmarket Road.

"Six young cyclists from Cambridge are setting off on a 28 day expedition to Casablanca, Morocco in the hope of raising £5,000 for Acorn House, The Sick Children’s Trust hostel at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The team of former Perse Students, Nat Gimson, Tom Doble, Hugh Pemberton, Rory Davidson, Ed Pearson and George Dean, will be leaving Marshalls Motor Group on Newmakert Road on Sunday morning at 9.30AM. Team member Tom Doble said ‘Marshall Motor Group have been an extremely generous sponsor of the team by helping to fund essential kit for our venture. We’re unbelievably grateful for their support and very happy to be setting off from their site. Without the help of Marshall Motor Group and our other sponsors;  NYK logistics, Pemberton-Greenish Solicitors, Ben Hayward Cycles, Orwell Truck and Van and Anspear, this trip would not be possible’.

The team’s route will  trip will take them first from Cambridge to the south coast, across The Channel, down the West coast of France, over the arduous Pyrenees, onwards through the searing mid-summer heat of Spain to Gibraltar, across the Mediterranean into Africa and finally from northern Morocco to our final destination: Casablanca. Team member Rory Davidson remarked ‘The route was chosen to be tough, being from Cambridge we’re not used to hills or forty degree heat! We’ve all just graduated from University and wanted a real challenge’.

The main motivation is of course charity, and the team recently paid a visit to see Acorn House firsthand. Team member Nat Gimson said ‘The work the Sick Children’s Trust do in providing home from home care for the families of seriously ill children is incredible, I can only imagine how important being close to a young child is when they are unwell, and Acorn House makes this possible for hundreds of families a year in Cambridge. It’s entirely funded by donations, so it’s easy to see how important the money we raise will be, it will be great motivation when the going gets hard on the cycle!’