Day 2 - Saumur to Limoges (193 miles)

Photo 14: The sun coming up on day 2 of the Challenge

Photo 14: First view of the Chrome Domes double-decker bike

Photo 15: Still not sure how they got on and off safely!

The end of day 1 had one last twist which was finding the accommodation!. We were staying at a holiday camp by a golf course and finding it in the dark turned out to be harder than everyone imagined. In the end there were dozens of vans driving up and down dark lanes with the sat nav and Googlemaps saying we were there, but no sign of the camp. Eventually we saw some local French people who gave us directions. We didn't even have to say where we were going they just pointed us round the corner and over a crossing so they must have directed a few people that night!

Day 2 started early with alarms going off at 5:30 am. Breakfast had to be staggered in shifts as the restaurant at the camp was pretty small and we were lucky and had one of the earlier slots at 6:20. As soon as breakfast was done we set Paul off so we were underway by about 6:50. It was a cold dark start as we made our way out of Saumur. The signs were few and far between and although the route was straight, once you'd been cycling for 10 minutes without seeing a sign you started to wonder if you were still heading the right way.

We were clocking up the miles pretty quickly, but needed to get some petrol to make sure we had enough for the mountains at the end of the day. We finally saw a garage and left Kevin on for a bit of extra time while we filled up the van. After filling up we drove off quickly and caught Kevin back-up and then shot ahead 5 minutes to get ready for a change. As we did that we caught up with one of the Chrome Domes cycling their double-decker bike. It was amusing to see the reaction he got as he cycled through the towns. People doing a double take and then cheering him on. He really was an usual sight!