Cycle2Skye - the full story..June 2010
Having had one eye constantly on the weather forecast for the previous week, it came as no surprise to any of the team when heavy rain started during the afternoon of Wednesday 26th May – and that was only for the photo-shoot outside the British Heart Foundation shop in Aberdeen!!
Proceedings kicked off the following morning with temperatures in single figures and before long the wet stuff had started again. As the route passed along Strathdon and started to climb 2,000 plus feet to the Lecht Summit, the air temperature continued to drop. However the feeling of achievement at reaching the Lecht Ski Centre was only surpassed by the delight of being able to get indoors and shelter from what had turned into a fall of snow! And this was May!
As the snow eased, the opportunity was taken to get a few snaps of the team and the support vehicle (kindly donated by Budget) before heading down the hill towards Tomintoul. As individual speeds crept over 40mph, hail stones the size of Smarties started to rain down and rattled off faces, arms and even managed to fly through the gaps in cycle helmets – ouch!
It was at the foot of the climb which would take us over the 'Bridge of Brown' that the first mechanical problem was encountered with Doug Brown experiencing the first of his 5 punctures. Most of the team carried on to try and maintain heat whilst Doug 'B' and the support team changed tyres in a fashion which would impress many Formula 1 pit-teams.
The last twenty miles of day one were a serious challenge as rain and snow continued and the team were now soaked through.
By 4pm on Thursday 27th May, the entire team had reached Aviemore and more or less, were in one piece. It was with much appreciation, courtesy of MacDonald Hotels, that everyone descended upon the MacDonald Aviemore resort to make use of the jacuzzi, sauna and swimming pool. Sheer bliss!
8am was the start time on day 2 and Douglas MacD led the team North out of Aviemore. Who knows what he had for his breakfast but it certainly contributed towards a pace that can only be described as 'akin to someone leaving the scene of a crime'.
There had been a certain degree of relief that morning to find that the rain had stopped but in it's place was a 20mph westerly wind which, at times was gusting up to 30mph.
Within a few miles, the route turned from north to west and the full extent of the head wind was realised.
The team arrived safely in Fort Augustus but it wasn't without incident as Douglas MacD came close to impaling himself on a Transit van which decided to stop sharply without warning and a speeding vintage car (J.C claims to remember the model when it was first released) nearly wiped out half the team on a sharp bend.
An extended lunch break allowed for the usual energy foods to be taken on board and soon thereafter, we were back on the road again. There was no doubt that the head wind and the climb to Cluanie was going to be tough.
Onwards and upwards – after somewhere in the region of 80 miles of mostly inclines, the team arrived at Cluanie and were glad to learn that the next 14 or so miles were downhill. Unfortunately the rain had started again!
Soaked again, everyone reached Ratagan, Loch Sheil and were keen to replace some of the day's lost protein with a couple of liquid based 'energy' boosters. (otherwise known as Guinness – courtesy of The Pier Hotel).
Rain, snow, hail and wind, what possibly could be thrown at us next? THUNDER – yes, 8 hours of thunder in the 'dorm' which we were sharing at the Youth Hostel. This trip was beginning to test friendships and patience to the limit although Derek, J.C and Gav never seemed to hear a thing during the night as they snored like Olympic snoring champions! Someone suggested they enter next year's 'Britain's Got Talent' or even release a single on iTunes to raise more money for Lucky2Bhere!
Day 3 was upon us and with 180 miles already in the bag, there was a real buzz and enthusiasm as the guys knew that the finish line would soon be in sight. Energy levels seemed to have peaked and before long, the whole team were speeding over the bridge to Skye and we appeared to be getting faster and faster as the miles were clocked up.
The team soon arrived at Sligachan, a wee bit ahead of schedule, and confused the heck out of the film crew who were standing by to film a piece for 'The Outdoor Show' and who were eagerly waiting the arrival of the more elite cyclists who were competing in the Skye Mor event. They soon realised they had the wrong group when we hot footed it into the 'Slig' hotel for a market research project on the local protein drink produced on the premises.
The last 9 miles flew past and the elite cyclists flew past us and then there it was....
'Welcome to Port-Righ'. Made it, safe and sound, only the hurdle of Saturday night in Portree left to worry about!
The reception and hospitality in Portree was simply amazing and humbling. A true testament to Skye hospitality and a memory that will not be forgotten.
With an event of this scale, there are many, many people who need to be thanked for the varying degrees of assistance they have provided in making this possible. The team would like to express their thanks and gratitude to everyone who has helped them in raising over £4,000 for Lucky2Bhere and £2,000 for The British Heart Foundation.