Message from Fr Michael

 

We're all back safe and pleased to have another mini-epic on the CV.  Physical tiredness is taking time to disappear, and I feel a bit like Adam who lost a rib for the making of Eve.  Mine is injured from a heavy tumble at a pothole that looked like a puddle and I have to brace myself for a sneeze or a cough or a laugh.  The laughter was particularly repetitive and copious on the journey so I am conscious of fragility.  So much has happened that some of the team will be talking about it at the CWL meeting on Wednesday 20th July at 2.30pm.

Much gratitude to sponsors, supporters and our wonderful physio, Denese, and fearless driver, Malcolm.

Fr Michael

Home safe and well!

This is clearly not a photo of them arriving back at St Joseph's on Monday evening but somewhere else(?) along the route.  While we wait for the remainder of the photos and their daily journals I did manage to extract this from Mike Burton:


EPILOGUE
I understand some of our (ahem!) 'well-wishers' have been having side bets on our fortunes   - OR OTHERWISE(!) Well to put you straight here are the final scores:

DISTANCE TRAVELLED:
Father Michael: 1013 miles.   In view of his cracked ribs Father Michael wisely took the van from two of the late-afternoon food/water top-ups, meaning 15 miles less riding on each occasion.

Mick Claridge and Mike Burton: 1043 miles.

Mike Carney: 998 miles. Just one small cheeky van ride to avoid riding in the dark, fair enough. And of course his 38 mile taxi ride from Aosta, the cost of which would make another good side bet!

BIKEMANSHIP:
Father Michael: Had a dramatic crash and cracked his ribs, unfortunately the conditions were wet and littered with pot-holes.
 
Mick Claridge:  The only Mike not to fall off,  in spite of riding backwards (see earlier photo).   I did however witness a dramatic speedway-style slide whilst he braked to avoid the van he was following on a wet downhill section.   I was just close enough to smell the adrenaline (pheew!) and extract a confession that it was “in anger” and not done deliberately for dramatic effect.

Mike Burton:  Had a clean record until day 18 and simply couldn’t resist jumping up a pavement, while being over-kind to the oncoming traffic (after all they were going the CORRECT way down a one-way street!) He needs to learn from his son how to do this without taking a pavement biriani!  Luckily the pavement was smooth so no grazing was incurred.

Mike Carney:  Managed five falls, including one as he climbed onto the bike and hadn’t even started riding.  We think he has learned from his nasty experience of tram tracks in Montreul, as he was very cautious when we encountered them again in Rome.  His best performance was head-butting a car, but luckily it was unoccupied so there were no financial implications!  Of course we wish his shoulder a speedy recovery.

PUNCTURES:
Mick Claridge:  Four punctures. This is disgraceful as Mick is the only professional mechanic among us. Best stick to restoration and body work Mick, and please don’t get a job at Kwik Fit!

Father Michael: Two punctures. Could have been more, he gave his tyres such a hard time that the rear one de-laminated, so need to bring more spares next time!

Mike Carney: Nil!  Those gravel tyres he imported from Germany were well worth it, and cost 10% less than they would now due to those who voted while we were out of the country, very astute!

Mike Burton: Nil!  Credit to tyres borrowed from a friend and a trusty Giant XC Team bike that has survived many years of punishment by two owners who are far from careful.

Mike Burton