Day one London to Dover 79 miles

After a cooked breakfast of pale eggs and nameless sausages plus burnt toast for Ben we assembled on the edge of Blacheath common in biting wind. Parkinson's group photo or two and mass briefing later we head off east straight into a low and bright sun down early London streets full of traffic lights and hit our first hill... That strung us out but made it possible to start to make friends with fellow riders, more later. First watering stop after 20 miles at 9 am  and no problems. Now in lovely country lanes just emptying of the school traffic.  Head of east meeting some small lumps and crossing m25 to the Weald lunch at midday after about 52 miles. Lunch sumptuous and filling  Excellent and made more friends. Ride onto next stop pretty level lulling us into a false sense of security the lumps over the downs after tea were wicked, cheeky and downright purgatory.  Made it to Dover by 5 pm waited 3hrs for ferry got tobcalais and after a massed tours of the roundabouts of Calais reached our hotel at 11 French time.