The end of phase two of our trip today and we are ready for phase three, a blast home to Blighty, back for next Tuesday. Phase two successfully ticked off, we have toured the Loire region and are all chateauxed out. What will we do without our meagre (literally) happy hour? AB

Fuelled by Andy's splendid BBQ last night, we plundered medieval Loches today, a mere 20 miles away, not bad considering today was meant to be a rest day! Tomorrow is the start of the big test for D and I's untrained bodies ... 70 plus miles up to Le Mans. What A&A don't realise is that I brought 2 ropes with us ... JS

The troops are a bit subdued today knowing the big push to the coast starts tomorrow. We are all wondering if this will be our last blog entry. Alan, having already sawn off the handle on his tooth brush to save weight, has been seen scraping paint off his bike frame to save a few grammes. We now suspect Jon's new handle bar bag contains a secret battery pack, and this supposed recharging of his Garmin each night is really charging his bike's electric motor's battery. Andy's legs have now stopped peddling under the table in the evenings. DH

The next 3 days could be our finest hour or separate the men from the girls. Andy and I have laid down some ground rules for Joanne and Davina.. Sorry J and D. We can carry no passengers. If a member of the team falls by the wayside , a small memorial will be left in the form of a bicycle clip and a small pile of stones . The remaining members will push on. Jon and David may have come prepared with bungee cords for a free tow but Andy and I stopped off at a typical French village shop and purchased a couple of grenades and Bowie knives. Unfortunately I was unable to secure any OAP discount on small arms , unlike my travelling companions. Foggy. Compo and Clegg need to be home by Tuesday as they have to be at the post office to pick up their pension..... Will they make it? Watch this space! APL