Next year

Well I've sown the seed for the next Tour de Amateur event, we'll see if it takes.

We'll work out the details in due course but here's the idea:

A dawn to dusk race from Swindon northwards, around the time of the summer solstice. We'll equip ourselves with GPS and see who gets the furthest north by sunset. No support vehicles, carrying your own supplies.

I think that idea's got some real miles in it.

I think we have all probably had our fill of the multi-day, long distance challenge for now. Being away from Hannah and my kids has been tough emotionally. Doing day upon day of cycling is tough physically. Watching Spencer cycle off on his own without waiting for you again and again is tiring and frustrating (I lost it with him for a second year running). Constantly badgering friends and colleagues for sponsorship is a real pain, and not something I ever feel comfortable with. So all in all I think this thing has reached a natural conclusion.

The one beacon of hope in all this (besides the tremendous amount of money raised for good causes) was a throw away line I said to Spen earlier. He was talking about his mate Matt probably wanting to go riding when he gets back, Spen joked about Matt playing with the big boys. I joked saying Matt doesn't know that he's messing with a two-time veteran Tour de Amateur. In that one line though, I feel like this has taken on a bit of a life beyond this Tour. I'd like to keep challenging myself like this, there's something to be said for meeting a challenge head on, for not giving up when your body is begging you to. The most memorable points from London to Paris and from this tour haven't been the towns and cities we've seen or the food we've eaten (some of the most satisfying meals have been eaten sat at the side of the road), they've been being with my brothers pushing each other on when it's seemed impossible to carry on because of the heat or the rain, wind and hail, to climb the next hill when your legs haven't any more climbing in them.

Perhaps a race isn't in the spirit of brotherhood I've been extolling, but I think deep down we'd each like to see what the others are made of, and nothing will quite show you that like some 18 hours in the saddle!