Everest Challenge

So, day three and we had decided a short cool down ride was in order to enjoy the bikes for the last day.  Google had promised 100% chance of precipitation, but we had our secret weapon – Matthew Salmon, truly a sun god.  I have been cycling with Matthew for three years now and only been rained on once (and we’ve done two days in Wales, similar forecast, 100% precipitation, we had all of 5 drops!)  We let Simon loose on the map – always a mistake, and he had found some ruins to visit followed by a gentle pootle through the vineyards of the Rhone valley with the promise of wine tasting – what could go wrong??  After a leisurely get up, croissant and baguette, we set off in the opposite direction to the last two days.  We start down some quite steep slopes – always a little worrying as what goes down also goes up.  Legs tired from the last two days and my butt feeling like it had been sat on a bed of sharp rocks the last two days, it seemed a strange “easy ride!”  The slopes to

The big day we had all been training for finally arrived-our intended time of departure was 8.00am but factor in Jason – who needs to wake up, cook the bread for breakfast, and then fill up water bottles as the rest of us are actually sitting on our bikes outside ready for the off, and the actual depart is closer to 8.30am.  Legs were a little tired from the day before, and the hills seemed a little tougher.  We leave Bedoin on the D974 and the slopes start immediately.  Not too bad we all think until the wooded area begins and the road signs show an 8-10% incline.  The slope was monotonous and continuous. Jason, tried to stay back to encourage me on but not being able to breathe and legs already hurting he got short shrift, and told to ****** off and leave me to plod on in my own sweet way.  This is a man who has the capacity to talk and breathe no matter what the ascent.  Not to be deterred by my admonishment, I hear him talking to what appeared to be himself – he was doing an i

Well, today saw the end of our Everest Challenge. I am sitting on the tiniest terrace in the cutest AirBnB writing up my blog.  Simon Thomas, Jason Bell, Matthew Salmon, and I arrived at Marseilles on Thursday 27 th Sept 2018, picked up our hire car and set off on our 4-day adventure.  I am with 3 grown men whose excitement, at seeing the red light of the Ventoux transmission mast, was palpable as we drove into Bedoin at 10pm that night - there were suddenly three kids in the car on an adventure. As we arrive the BnB was all we could ask for-La Maisonette du Ventoux-, a ground floor exclusively set aside as a bike park – a cyclists heaven, up a rustic winding staircase to two bedrooms overlooking a typical French courtyard, then up to a further floor of a kitchen, lounge, dining room and terrace. By 11.00pm when the world is thinking of bed, the chaps were thinking of food – where were we going to find somewhere open at this stage, the town looked very s

Welcome to The Butterfly Bulletin! Bringing you the latest  news and a few chuckles from Abicare HQ MAIN STORY The Everest Challenge is starting tomorrow!  The time has come!  The long-awaited Everest challenge kicks off tomorrow! Anne Marie Perry, Matthew Salmon, Jason Bell and Simon Thomas will be beginning their huge task of cycling the equivalent height of Mount Everest! (the height of twenty-seven Eiffel Towers!) This will be completed in 3 rounds of steep cycling! 7 days in and around Salisbury (7th Sept- 14th Sept) Tomorrows cycle starts from  12.30pm  leaving from: The Yew Tree Whitsbury Rd, Odstock, Salisbury SP5 4JE This cycle will be in a loop of 4 so there'll be plenty of opportunities to see the cyclists in action!  If you're around, why not pop down and join in the celebrations? THE ATTIRE Here's the full team in all of their cycling f

The Training Continues... Our fearless leader Anne Marie Perry completed a 7k obstacle course at the weekend to aid her training for the Everest challenge! Well done Anne Marie! JUST FOR FUN! We'd love to hear your funniest caption for the photo above! Send your answers to recruitment@abicare.co.uk

The attire has been designed!  Exciting news! We have confirmation of the cycling shirts for the challenge!  You can sponsor the team here! The Training Continues...