After two long years of waiting, today the Babble Ride Across Britain peloton returned to Land’s End to begin a nine-day journey up the country.
The air was thick with anticipation this morning, and plenty of nerves, as riders lined up at the crack of dawn to begin today’s 105 mile to Okehampton.
The first wave set off at 6:30 on the dot, lead out by Babble CEO Matt Parker, who this year is hoping to finish his ninth Ride Across Britain. Within an hour, all the riders had left Land’s End, and the ride was truly underway.
Whilst for many the defining hills of the Babble Ride Across Britain lie further north, Cornwall often catches riders off guard with its relentlessly steep terrain. No climb lasts more than a few hundred metres, but what Cornish hills lack in altitude they more than make up for in gradient! This leads many to conclude that Cornwall and Devon are amongst the hardest stages of the whole ride.
After riding through Penzance past St Michael’s Mount, riders reached Pitstop 1 where they could enjoy a hot coffee, nutritious snacks courtesy of Perkier, and top up on sports nutrition from High5. They then continued across the county, skirting along the edge of Bodmin Moor and crossing the border into Devon.
Despite heavy rain in the last few days, the we were treated to ideal conditions this morning, with overcast skies and cool temperatures. Unfortunately, this gave way to heavy rain later in the day. With more rain forecast tomorrow as the route heads towards Bath, riders are tucking into a well-deserved hot meal ahead of tonight’s briefing before heading to bed for some rest.
