D4: Derby-H89, Luton

110 miles

Last day, a treat up at 5.30 to start even earlier to coordinate arrival time

Finally, a pink sunrise as we head south, limbs complaining aggressively for the first hour

Familiar landscape of the gently rolling Midlands, cut hedges & farms

A cheer rings out as we pass into the National Forest & then Northamptonshire, penultimate county

Some atrocious motorist behaviour today; more fool you!

Final stop at a garden centre outside Northampton thinking of the group finale

Darkness falls again and it is head down, immune to pain, knowing we can finish...& there it is!

A swarm of 17 hove into view whooping & cheering with a mass lift of bikes above heads

A predictably unpredictable odyssey of highs & lows with an amazing team

Thank you to all our crew & well-wishers; we turned the pedals but you greased the wheels...

If you dream big, miracles can happen; hard work is the oldest trick in the book!

Day 3: Burnley-Derby

92 miles 0730-1745

Really slow, unpleasant start straight up to Todmorden, feet sodden again

Overhauled uphill by a lady on a mountain bike?  Says it all!

After two hours in, things dried out & we were back to silly jokes again

Accidental but perfect little pause for two minutes at 11am, traffic stopped & total silence in post-industrial Manchester outskirts...led to massive  terrain kickups through Glossop towards Derbyshire.

Eventually dropped into the Midlands by cover of darkness, eight in a line powering through again!

Day 2: Carlisle-Burnley

130kms on the road 0745-1800

Incredible day of landscape through the Lakes & York Moors

Some severely bleak spells across the moors, roads running rivers & howling winds

All boasting sodden feet by lunchtime

Gradients up to 17% testing all of us with 17 happy, tested & jovial faces

Top class food & cheering from the orange angels...

Sponsorship totaliser almost exceeding the terrain & heart-rate monitors

More please...!

D1 Glasgow-Carlisle 170kms

All 17 eagles have landed