Finally, some flat roads.
107.7 Miles, 3,180 ft of Elevation / 173.3 Km, 969 m of Elevation
Start: 07:06 Finish: 15:03 Moving Time: 6hrs 30mins
Ride Across Britain: 43% Complete
They said you will have your low moments and that everyone has them. Mine came late on the evening after Stage 4 when I was meant to be writing this entry, in our campsite at the centre of Haydock racecourse.
I decided to shelve writing and get some sleep. About 20 yards away a huge floodlight powered by a noisy generator kept everyone awake. One woman took matters into her own hands and turned it off, to a smattering of applause from people in tents and surprise from people using the light to brush their teeth.
Despite this commotion I passed out and woke up at 4am feeling much better and ready for Stage 5. Perhaps I had just been tired after going beyond my limits four days in a row.
The day itself took place under two different skies, one cool under mist and fog, the other under blazing hot sun.
This was genuinely a flatter day, so we ate up the ground to the first pit stop and powered on. Mostly on narrow country lanes, we made our way through Staffordshire and into Cheshire.
Then, finally, the traffic. For the first time in our ride, long tailbacks of cars and lorries blocked progress and huge groups of cyclists formed between or alongside them. Progress seemed glacial compared to the speed we were making before.
We used some London cycling experience to make headway and escaped back into the countryside, where really bad roads rattled our bones as we tried to enjoy the views. We arrived at Middlewich Football Club for the second pit stop and drank cold cans of coke sitting in the shade of a hedge.
There was one more stop planned: to see my aunt and cousin in the car park of a garden centre on our route. I hadn’t seen them since well before the start of the pandemic and they are knowledgeable about cycling, as my cousin used to be a mechanic for pro racing teams.
It was a great lift to see them, even if it could only be brief, so that we could leave before seizing up.
33km (21 miles) remained on mostly flat roads but with some traffic. I found these last sections each day the hardest. Everyone was keen to get home and fast groups formed, which it felt impossible to back down from. Plus, we already had more than 140 km (90 miles) in the legs.
I just clung on to a group with Ed and we made it to Haydock for some entry-level corporate hospitality and another night under canvas.
The Cycling Eagle 