Day 17 - Biarritz to Lourdes, 36 miles

Time to leave the coast behind and head in land and to the Pyrenees. Following the advice of a fellow cyclist the day started with a nice 10 mile ride along the coast to Bayonne where I caught the train to Pau. Nice place Pau and ex host of the French GP on its Street circuit and still host to Formula 3 which they were setting up for in a couple of weeks so second race track I've now riden round.

After leaving Pau it was 26 miles of a steady incline to Lourdes at the foothills of the Pyrenees. As the Pyrenees started to come into view it reminded me a lot, for people who have done it, of when after about 40 miles cycling from London to Brighton Ditchling Beacon appears on the horizon and you think sh@t I've got to climb that.

Arriving into Lourdes a place if I am honest I knew little about apart from it was an important place for Catholic pilgrimage but with 6 million visitors a year this place is popular! A bizarre place which apart from the church and old fort is very tacky with every shop being nic nac stores selling Virgin Marys. However the evening service which is attended by several hundred people all carrying candels is something to be witnessed and very moving.

After saying a few words for a friend of the family my own thoughts couldn't help but turn to my very good friend Brian who was Catholic and my dad who are both sadly not with us. Brian and my dad were both huge Leicester fans so being where I was and the thoughts that were going through my head it couldn't have been more apt that due to Spurs drawing Leicester completed the miracle and won the Premier League. I know two people who will be having a party tonight!Leggi altro