The day after the hardest day was made much less hard when Becks rejoined the group. No one who knows her was surprised. And in spite of painful road rash and a healthy dose of PTSD regarding her recent crash, she simply (insert yet another Britishism here) smashed it. And she smashed it with a smile.
Then all there was left to do was make our way quickly and scenically down to the beauty and extravagance of the Cote d’Azur. The quickness of bombing roads with impossibly beautiful views, and narrow roads was intoxicating. And we all loved the last real descent of the trip.
It was long and smooth enough for me to catch this vid of Jimmy pass me like I was standing still (I was doing 37 MPH).
But I’m not the only one who was sorry to be going so fast. Of course we just wanted to get to the potato chips and massage tables that were waiting for us in the next cool French town up the road when we were hot and hurting and still had 50 miles to go, but none of us wanted the trip to be over.
It just feels so good to be together. To be connected in a simple yet meaningful way. And that’s why these little posts aren’t only about the riding.
Just check out the smile of joy on my roommate’s face as we stand holding his kids after stage 9 (and as he shows off for the camera in the photo below!). Nicholas had just started riding only weeks before joining us in Lyon and he was amazing. Especially after the two hard days we spent in the mountains. He even admitted to me that he thought about giving up. But, instead, he was enveloped in the positive vibes we were laying down across France. In fact, after seeing how tired he looked in the early days, these photos of my friend Nicholas may be some of my most favorite photos from the whole trip. The London to Monaco ride is always more than just a ride.
We came together to help raise money for Blue Marine foundation (and donations are currently over £200,000 and growing with your help) and a million other reasons. Events like this are so powerful because they provide us with physical challenges, natural beauty, and a welcome respite from the static of email, conference calls, and Powerpoint decks with 300 slides!
And we were treated to regular doses of Jimmy on the massage table that are always onfleek!
What could be better?
