Day Twelve 16/8/06 - Clermont L'Herault to Montpellier - 30 Miles and the end of the road....

All good things come to an end, and indeed the bold and beautiful journey of Team Buzz through France has reached the end of the road. At 3pm today, we passed into the city limits of Montpellier, to be greeted by friends and yet another champagne shower for the Bon Homme.

The journey totaled at 894 Miles, six miles shy of 900, and it has to be said the curtain was lowered not a moment too soon. The journey today, while short compared to previous days, seemed like an age as we wound up and round the last hills of the Pyrennees. Knees have become strained and fragile among the Team and we were forced to keep the pace down to that of a sunday ride in the park.

Tonight we headed into town for a slap up meal, and had the pleasure of running into none other than two-time world player of the year, all time world cup top scorer and all round top chap Ronaldo, who was in Montpellier on pre-season business.

The next couple of days will involve recouperation in Montpellier, time on the beach and potentially a Big Mac. We'll then head to Paris for the weekend, and a chance to raise some more money with leg waxing on the Champs Elysees.

It's been a great trip, hopefully you've enjoyed reading as much as we've loved riding, I'd encourage anyone who fancies a challenge to put something like this together, all agree it's been very worthwhile and very enjoyable.

This is the Team Buzz blog signing off, thanks for reading and your donation to our charity of choice, Cardiac Risk in the Young.For more information on the charity please visit the website, http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/. All proceeds have gone to C.R.Y. If you would like to make a donation to our cause, please go to http://www.justgiving.com/teambuzz. All amounts are welcome, and we implore people to give whatever they feel appropriate, as all donations are vital in us reaching our target.

Once again I'd like to thank Charlie Watson for fixing my bike up numerous times at a minutes notice prior to departing, Lucy Jones & Lucy Smith for organising a great fund raising shin dig before we left, which raised loads of cash. Ashley Mustafa and Will Lewes at Halfords of Newbury who helped us in a BIG way on the technical side of things, and also Doug Delbridge of Graphic Signs and Design of Newbury for all the signwriting on our stylish van.

I'd personally like to thank Keith and Nick for cycling all this way with me, it's been a great blast, and Jonny & Jo for there invaluable support, it hasn't always been a bed of roses for them looking after us. My father Nick Dee-Shapland gave us all kinds of logistical support,including the fantastic Team Buzz van, so many many Thanks.

Day Eleven 15/8/06 - Carcassonne to Clermont L'Herault (Lac Du Salagou) - 75 Miles

Well, a day earlier then planned to to my generous underestimation of each days mileage. This means that as we sit here confined to the Team Buzz van, rain pouring for the first time in several months, we've actually cycled a total of 864 Miles. Upon reaching the 850 mark, the Team broke down, weeping like babies and collapsing in heaps.

Today was incredibly eventful, featuring our first and second crashes of the trip. We had managed to travel 800 Miles without incident, and much like London buses,two come along at once. We started the day with a swim in a mountain lake, very nice but exceptionally cold at half 8. In fact it was more of a dip than a swim, the water being an interesting brown colour, but it certainly woke everyone up.

The first four miles of the ride were the best of the day, as they were all downhill on the side of a mountain. We all agreed that this was probably the most fun downhill of the trip, amazing views over the side of the mountain into the valley below as we cruised rounds the bends and along the straights. Unfortunately upon reaching the bottom the sun went in, and we found ourselves riding along the botton of the valley against a head wind. The following two hours of the day were spent riding against an outrageous headwind which seemed to sap energy with every stride, requiring us to stop regularly to refuel with our favourite snack of oat bars and dried apricots.

It was at this time that our first crash of the day and indeed the trip came. A call was made for a pit stop to check the map, and following a cheeky overtaking maneouvre, Nick decided that the time to stop was right there, right then. He therefore locked his brakes on, irrespectively of my being just behind him. Needless to say, I ploughed into his bike at quite a speed and we both hit the floor. Luckily cuts, bruises and grazes were the only injuries, though my front wheel lost 2 spokes and my gear derailer is slightly off kilter. And my watch strap is broken.

Team Buzz & The Pyrennees

The wind eased and we were able to make good speed for the rest of the day through one of the valleys of the Pyrennees. The scenery here looks a lot like South America, with big mountains covered in vegetation and deep grey clouds overhead. The weather here hasn't been really sunny for a few days, and it was clear that rain was on its way. The heavens opened at around five PM, making the ground treacherous for racing bikes with slick tyres.

And hence came our second, or my second, crash of the day. Again Calamity 'Brie' Branch was involved, and this is his actual account of events: "On rounding a hairpin bend in treacherously wet conditions I decided to undertake Chapeau (Mark) on an obscenely tight inside line. The satisfaction of doing so sent me into a frenzy, howling like a banshee. I looked over to see Mark's distracted face fall dramatically into the tarmac as his bike slipped from underneath him. Thankfully both bike and rider were reasonably unhurt, and Chapeau was in a forgiving mood. All forgotten over an evening meal of pasta and sausages expertly rustled by J P Rudd (who is still fuming after spending over an hour trying to fix Mark's bike)."

The Pairaknees

Reasonably unhurt meant a bent gear lever, a bent brake bolt (typically a hard part to damage) and slightly damaged faith in the sanity of a certain team mate. Harsh but perhaps fair.
And so we now face the last day, which might see us exceed 900 Miles as we roll into Montpellier. It'll be sad for the journey to have to end, it's been emotional and I think we've done what we came to do.
Leg waxing may ensue tomorrow to raise more cash, and the possibility of the Ventoux has now become rather remote, as 26km of uphill followed by the same down should only really be done with a bike in which you have full faith, and mine has taken some hard knocks. All to be decided tomorrow, once the rain has gone and we can see all obstacles in our way.

Top Buzz.

Day Ten 14/8/06 - Toulouse to Castres - 60 Miles

Our day started as we woke up in our prison camp like campsite, which we left briskly at around half ten to head into Toulouse. Unfortunately, the general population were either in work, or still asleep in their usual work-shy manner. Hence there was a complete absence of people to lure into a leg waxing event, and so alas my legs have once again dodged a stripping, though I'm assured there may still be time yet in Montpellier.

Today saw us bid farewell to one of the Team's technical crew, as Jo had to return home to her work with more advanced primates at Bristol zoo. We thank her sincerely for all her help on the trip, assistance which has eased our efforts in cycling by taking away the hassles of tents and buying food.

We took the same carriageway that we were on yesterday for a few miles, but once we had made some good ground it was time to head into the Pyrennees. Though they are not the Alps, they are still rather harsh on the knees. However, the sights once we made it mid way up Montagne Noir were fantastic, as you can see. We spent the rest of the day rolling along in the foothills of the Pyrennees, getting slightly lost at times, for an hour in once instance. What started out as a road became a gravel track, which then turned into a dusty thoroughfare, and in turn became a path, eventually leaving Team Buzz to push through undergrowth to finally emerge in someones garden.

Finding the road again we continued on, gliding through hillside towns, with old chateau's and mountain streams. Our campsite for the night was very difficult to find, and is located high in the hills, with about three other tents in total. the view from our pitch looks out over the whole valley, and tomorrow we hope to be able to go for an early morning swim in 'Lac de Montagne', a man made alpine lake just a few miles north.

Our total miles for the journey now lie at 775, and so we are just 75 miles from the hallowed 850. We should come very close to reaching that with tomorrow's cycle to a town with another Lake, with the last day of our journey and finishing line in Montpellier on Wednesday. The team are very excited about reaching the end of the journey, as aches and pains are starting to creep into play. Moral remains high, and there's no doubt the lure of the beach in Montpellier is a motivating factor of a quick pace tomorrow. Though there's still the matter of the Ventoux.

Day Nine 13/8/06 - Tonneins to Toulouse 95 Miles

'My God! That's the A-380!' Keith explodes with delight at seeing a new big airplane, Toulouse being europe's aerospace Mecca.

We arrived in Toulouse this evening following a pretty gruesome ride from Tonneins. The route I had mapped out had, as previously, tried to avoid long stints on main roads due to them being both incredibly dull and rather dangerous. However, as we are now in the Midi-Pyrennees, there's actually little option.

Keith had two punctures this morning, bringing our trip tally to a total of 5, which is actually a pretty low score considering the mileage. We eventually started out trying to take a short cut from Tonneins, but found it to be fairly excruciating as it led up hill and down dale and up hill again. At this stage of our trip the novelty of reaching the top of a hill begins to wear off when your knees feel like each stride is shearing the muscle clean off.

As a result, following ten miles of knee shearing in the lower pyrenees, we opted for the N113, a duel carriageway that is, while being a bit dull, completely flat. This then helped us make a great pace, but didn't make for as interesting a ride as we have recently had.

Our campsite this evening is something like a prison camp. It's on the outskirts of Toulouse, and as we entered we had to enter a key code to get through the gate and walk past rather over-friendly guard dogs. Barb wire lines the fences and there are open fires burning in oil drums. None of this is exaggeration, and worst of all the neon golden arches of of McDonalds are glowing just over the barb wire to our right, a physical manifestation on the moral barrier we have placed against such food until after our ride.

We also need to say a big thank you to Mrs Anne Pistol. That's not her real name, as unfortunately we don't know it, but we met her in the Bordeaux campsite. She was here for a world pistol shooting championship in which her cousin was contesting (he's no.5 in the world apparently). She came over for a chat, and on hearing what we were up to, offered to do a collection at the Italian meal the contestants we having that night. In total she raised around £50, a great contribution, so thanks once again.

Tomorrow we're up early to head to Toulouse centre for more leg waxing antics, full gory details to follow.

Vive le Buzz. Allez le Buzz, c'est maintenant.

Day 8 12/8/06 - Bordeaux to Tonneins - 73 Miles

The tough part about today is where to start, as all are agreed that today was the best yet. It started early, at 8am, when we rose from our slumber on a campsite on the pretty outskirts of Bordeaux. We realised that our hefty supplies of cards detailing our cause and our packs of veet needed to be used to their fullest potential, as we were now moving towards the final third of our journey.

And so, in a style befitting the A-team, we manned up the van and rolled into central Bordeaux to spread the love of Team Buzz and make people aware of what we're all about. We parked up at one of the city's great statues, a pillar with a winged angel atop, and trouped out on our bikes and buckets to hand out leaflets. We then proceeded to deal out the cards quicker than a Las Vegas Croupier, finding plenty of really friendly American and English tourists, along with warm French citizens, who were more than willing to hear what these Bon Hommes where preaching. We also bumped into some folk from Kintbury & Marlow, which are both not far from Newbury.

Anyone who took a card and has now logged onto the blog to see what it's all about, welcome, and thank youfor your time in logging onto and checking this site out. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think, we'd love to hear from you.

We passed out a load of cards, managing to drift towards one of the city's main shopping areas, a busy pedestrian only thoroughfare where we then set a bucket upside-down in the street and offered passers-by the opportunity to tear a strip of leg wax from then legs of Keith and Nick for the great price of one euro (It's my turn in Toulouse).

This was HUGELY successful, with people from a range of countries and all ages queueing up to claim their chunk of flesh. In total we think we must have raised about 100 euros, or £75. The boys have confirmed it's agony, so I really can't wait for my turn. Suffice to say we made quite a scene, though it was a little discturbing to see just how sadistic some people could be.

We didn't actually start cycling until 4pm(!), but we made an superb pace, riding the first 60 miles in just 3 and a half hours. We slowed down however, as the scenery has been among the best we've seen. The massive Garonne river wound along to the left of us, while a tree lined canal lay on our right, and our road zig-zagged through fields of sunflowers (dying again) and vineyards covered by a clear blue sky.

We arrived in Tonneins at 8pm, and it's turned out to be a very pleasant, sleepy town on the banks of the Garonne. We passed through and asked a couple of local lads for directions to the Municapal Campsite where Jonny and Jo were waiting for the van. To cap off a great day, it turned out, incredibly, that one of them had just been to Bordeaux and had seen our leg-waxing hi-jinks in the streets. This was quite a result, and needless to say made for much amusement.
A real coincidence, and a BIG hello to Younis and Akim.

Great Buzz.

Find out more about C.R.Y.

Welcome to the Team Buzz Blog!

This summer four brave young men will attempt to conquer that which few have even dared conceive. On Thursday 3rd August 2006 these chosen few will commence what will likely be a grueling two week cycle ride from Cherbourg to Montpellier via La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Toulouse, the journey being in total 850 miles long, requiring immense physical endurance along with astonishing mental stength to complete. The intention is to raise as much money and awareness as we can for the charity C.R.Y. For more information on the charity please visit the website, http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/. We have set our sights high in terms of what we are hoping to achieve and the amount we hope to raise, the minimum being £5000.00. All proceeds will go to C.R.Y. If you feel you are able to make a donation to our cause, then I can assure it would be very gratefully received.Should you choose to make a donation, please go to http://www.justgiving.com/teambuzz. All amounts are welcome, and we implore people to give whatever they feel appropriate, as all donations are vital in us reaching our target.

Once again, thank you very much for your time in reading this letter, and for your valuable support of this worthwhile charity

Day Seven 11/8/2006 - Jonzac to Bordeaux - 70 miles

We arrived in Bordeaux this evening, having travelled through glorious wine country all day. We saw some incredible vineyards, as this is one of the better wine regions in France, and even took some time to sample some. We had resisted sampling cognac all day yesterday, with signs every mile or so offering degustation (tasting).

Today Team Buzz's resolve was sadly not so strong, and so we called into a Maison du vin in a town called Bourg, where they have a collection of wines from the region, and on a daily basis allow tasting of a different Cotes de Bourg vineyard's produce.

Today was the turn of the unaptly Chateau du Taste, and we had the owner trying to sell us a magnum worth. We allowed him to explain the qualities of his produce as he poured out sample after sample of his plonk into tasting glasses. Now neither one of us could claim to be an expert, in fact I can just about tell red wine from white, and so all of it more or less tasted the same. It was however fascinating to listen for half an hour what he had to say about his wines, even though it was all in French and made no sense at all.

A few samples later we rolled on down the Northern bank of the Dordogne river, and then crossed over into the city of Bordeaux. It's a very pretty city once you get inside, some great old architecture and a fantastic cathedral in the centre.

We also got a response from some of the cards we handed out in La Rochelle, and it appears there are now in fact French readers of the Team Buzz Tour De France Blog (Bonjour! Ca va?). Tomorrow we are heading into Bordeaux city centre, to give out more cards and to hopefully raise some money through Team Buzz having their legs waxed. Which is apparently not very painfull, but will raise a fair bit of cash by charging people a euro each to tear a strip. Hopefully the french ladies & gents will take delight in inflicting pain on young Englishmen, and pay handsomely.

Prior to the trip it was muted that we would, if things all went according to plan, we would upon finishing our Tour in Montpellier, consider attempting to cycle Mont Ventoux, the second most challenging of all the cyclable Montains in France after the Alpe d'Huez. So far things have gone very well, and so touch wood on Thursday of next week we will be trying to cycle it. The climb is 26 Km uphill, and once on top, obviously the ride down should be great fun. For details you can go to www.grenoblecycling.com/MontVentoux.htm.

Lovely Buzz

Day Six 10/8/06 - La Rochelle to Jonzac - 85 Miles

They say a change is as good as a rest, but in Team Buzz's world, only a rest is as good as a rest. The day off in La Rochelle was incredibly constructive, and we seized the opportunity to replenish our energy levels. Plenty of seafood was consumed, Moules Mariniere et frites being the dish of choice. We also gave out plenty of cards informing people of our quest, so hopefully there are now hundreds of french folk reading this blog.

Team Buzz is now ready for the second leg of our tour, and we're hoping it will be as good as the first leg. However, while our achievements in the first leg were admirable, the feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Nick now has a slightly gimp leg of his own. Our technical team have confirmed it may turn gammy.

The day off meant that our start this morning from La Rochelle was a rejuvenated and energetic one. The miles of wilted sunflowers serve as evidence of how hot and dry this summer has actually been.

The populations are stilL sparse, and it's great to be able to leave a city behind and cycle for an hour without seeing anyone. Although those we do see are typically farmers, and while the weather may be sunny, their dispositions are far from such. We have taken to waving and dothing our caps at people we see, and most do respond with absolute bewilderment.
We are still continuing south towards Bordeaux, and should arrive there tomorrow night.

Today however we have been riding through Cognac country towards Jonzac, and along with the sunflowers there are now vineyards a plenty. In the heat of the midafternoon, shortly after passing through the town of Saintes, Team Buzz took the opportunity for a brief stop in one of these vineyards for a siesta. Unfortunately we overslept a little, and were caught by an angry farmer doing the rounds.

Fortunately after some fast talking, we befriended him, particularly when we offered him a taste of our own 'vintage', the delightful crunk juice. He declared it to be an instant classic, and has named the wine he will be producing this year 'Vin de Buzz'.

I also received a call from Kick FM 104.7 (on the FM dial), a local radio station from Newbury, who conducted an interview with me on what we're up to and our cause. I told them all about CRY and its cause, along with giving people details of our blog. It will go out on Sunday between 8am and 1pm, so if you're in Newbury or have digital radio, keep an ear out.

While on air the DJ also asked me if I had time to freestyle some rhymes, and naturally I busted some ill raps over dope beats for the rest of the afternoon. Record deal to be finalised tomorrow.
We hit a great pace for the rest of the afternoon, avoiding the temptation to stop off in the plentiful wine and cognac producers who all seem to offer free tasting. Time will tell if these offers of free samples can be resisted for the rest of the journey.

Day Five 8/8/2006 - Notre Dame Sur Monts to La Rochelle - 105 Miles

I write this update a day later than usual, as today (Wednesday 9th) is a rest day for the team in La Rochelle, where we arrived yesterday evening at around half seven. It was a long day, much longer than expected both in terms of distance and time. The journey in total took us 6 and a half hours and itbecame obscenly hot around 2/3pm. As with yesterday, we spent most of it cycling into a headwind as a result of the flat expanse that it the Loire Valley. The team all have ailments and afflictions that really need a day of rest to hopefully ease slightly. My left knee is starting to ache, as is my shoulder, which as times feels like Jimi Hendrix is playing guitar solos with my tendons.

The day's rest could not come soon enough for some, as yesterday, in the heat of midday, on the side of a dusty road, Nick once again collapsed, and myself and Keith were forced to carry the urchin from the road and to a nearby windmill in the hope of finding some solace. Predictably they turned us away, and we were forced to labour onwards, Keith carrying him on his back.
Every small town has its own character, usually built around a church in its centre. As you can see in the picture, they're beautifully made and very well maintained.We called on this one to see if any one could help us in our quest, perhaps further wise words from a man of the cloth, but again, none was to be found.

I would love to be able write about some of the interesting things that happend to us, but due to the zombie-like state we were all in, none of us really noticed much of what was going on. Picturesque as the countryside is, it can becomes monotonous under these conditions, and over 105 miles this indeed begun to be the case. Only thepromise of a feast at La Rochelle, where a number of our family members had flown out to meet us, enabled us to keep going.

There has been little mention so far of the behind the scenes member of team buzz. Jonny Rudd and his girlfriend Jo are responsible for fixing our breakfasts, putting up the tents and driving the van ahead to the next location. The quality of much love and respect for their dedication, particularly in finding campsites despite most seemingly being booked up.

Make a donation!!

Should you choose to make a donation, please go to http://www.justgiving.com/teambuzz. All amounts are welcome, and we implore people to give whatever they feel appropriate, as all donations are vital in us reaching our target. Once again, thank you very much for your time in reading this letter, and for your valuable support of this worthwhile charity, http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/ .

Also special thanks go to Ashley Mustafa and Will Lewes at Halfords of Newbury who helped us in a BIG way on the technical side of things, and also Doug Delbridge of Graphic Signs and Design of Newbury for all the signwriting on our stylish van.

Day Four 7/8/06 - Redon to Notre Dame de Monts - 93 miles

'I feel completely f*@+ed!' Nick Branch starts to feel the pain after 85 miles.

Today was the day we broke through the 300 mile mark for the trip, but it wasn't the onlybarrier that Team Buzz went through. I regret to report that at 6pm today, just past a town named Pornic south of St Nazaire, after a distance of 85 miles, the last twenty of which were spent riding through a flat expanse of oyster beds, one of Team Buzz was broken. The salty sea winds had been racing across the muddy Loire basin for a chance to rasp at our hides, while the Gallic sun mocked us from above. After what seemed an age, we finally found refuge in a small town named Bougneauf Sur Retz, and it was here, in the car park of a kitchen tile wholesaler, that the first member of Team Buzz tested the quality of said tiles as he collapsed onto them in a heap, pronouncing the above obscenity.



Fortunately we had with us a concoction we have entitled 'Crunk juice', a delightful blend of Red Bull (we have plenty), Orangina, Body Fortress Whey Protein Powder (chocolate flavour) and mineral water. I ran a tincature of this potion over the mouth of our fallen comrade, and no sooner had it passed his parched gullet, he sat up prostrate with every muscle tensed, leapt upright and ran to his cycle, ready to complete our journey.

Our starting point Redon seems like years ago now, which is fortunate as the town is pretty much one big industrial estate. Even the campsite was on an industrial estate. We moved out at day break and headed south towards the coast. On the way we stopped briefly at an obscure town named Thehillac, a place where they have abandoned all forms of Western religeon andopted to worship the footballer Zinedine Zidane. We had hoped to run into the great man himself, but he was not to be found and instead all we found was a rather manifique painted muriel onto a wall, though we left with the distinct feeling that our paths may yet cross in time.

It's French holiday season, so all the towns and villages are empty, as it seems everyone has gone west. Reaching the coast at St Nazaire filled us with mixed emotions, as we soon realised that we had to cross the Loire estuary, and the only way to do so was to cross a bridge not unlike the Severn bridge, except this is actually sloping on either side and is in effect a man made hill. Some hairy moments ensued as we crossed the bridge, particularly given the crosswind blowing against us.

We struggled to find a camp site with every one being fully booked, again due to the entire country seemingly being here. We managed to get a site in a field thanks to a kindly old French gentleman named Alan, who sorted it for us to join him and a few other campers in a small field. They were all very interested in our cause, and proceeded to attempt to ply us with whisky and Pernod of all things. An Anglo-French football match ensued, which naturallyTeam Buzz had enough energy in reserve to win convincingly, thanks in no small part to our wonderful crunk juice.

LE MAP!

Just thought I'd put a map on the site so that you can all see where we are and where we're going.

Day Three 6/7/06 - Combourg to Redon - 73 miles

'I'm finding cycling to be such a tremendous buzz!' Nick Branch loves the buzz.



Awaking today in beautiful Combourg, we soon realised that the cool and cloudy skies of Normandie had now given way to a far hotter and unforgiving climate, and that we would soon be riding in a testing heat. The countryside was postcard rural France, with plenty of abandoned farm houses and endless fields of various crops, Brittany is a good region for maize, apparently. We kept an excellent pace, increasing our average speed to 13.6 mph.

At lunchtime we rolled into a small town named St Peran, and it was here we found a real opportunity to both immerse ourselves in the local community AND show what the Team Buzz can really do. As luck would have it, on this very day there was a cycling competition happening within St Peran, involving teams from the local area doing laps round the town. Never the sorts to shy from a challenge, we took up the gaunlet and competed head to head against some real hardened cyclists who in addition hadn't just cycled 120 odd miles in two days. The moment was made even more special by a chance meeting with seven time Tour De France champion Lance Armstrong. He asked to join Team Buzz, but he'd never hack the pace, so we had to let him down.

Needless to say, the three lads from Team Buzz got a one-two-three finish, shaming all of the local supposed cyclists in doing so. We were guided to a podium and and showered with champagne, but it was at this time that, much like the exploits of Floyd Landis in the recent Tour De France, that glory quicked turned to shame. Prior to the race we all partook in blood testing, and we were informed by marshals that the levels of Red Bull in Keith's blood were, as they put it, 'Narcotique Astonomique'. Retrospectively the signs were there, his eyes are completely blood-shot, and he shakes uncontrollably. We were marched out of town, Team Buzz's reputation in tatters.

The rest of the day consisted of cycling in a heat that would be unsafe in your local sauna. Lesson learned, tomorrow we will be up at seven and off by eight to avoid such temperatures. This evening we have had to dine on pizza et vin, as we were unable to get any food from the usual shops due to it being Sunday, and what with the national adversity to work, everything was closed. An early night is required, though with the three lads of team buzz falling asleep where they sit, there's actually no option.

Day Two 5/8/06 - Granville to Combourg via Mont St Michel - 55 miles

Following yestersday's gruelling 80 mile journey, today was intentionally a slightly shorter trek of 55 miles from Granville to Combourg via Mont St Michel, an Abbey built on a small island, listed as a world heritage site. While riding along the causeway we were greeted by a benedictine monk named Xavius, who offered us blessings and council. He uttered a brief lamentation and chanted that his prayers were with us on such an arduous and spiritual journey. Though he really didn't like the look of Keith.

We departed at half nine this morning, and rode around the coast along a fairly long and incredibly dull straight road. We've quickly learned that main roads make for quick times but are lacking in scenery.

Upon reaching the lunch point of Mont St Michel, the team found it's energy flagging considerably. The solution was found in Red Bull, a substance actually illegal in a number of European countries including France. The company were kind enough to give us 3 cases of this excellent tasting, perfectly safe and completely natural sports drink. Unfortunately due to the quantity we have acquired it has led to Keith becoming addicted and consuming dangerous levels, exceeding seven cans today alone.

The hour break we had at Mont St Michel was spent constructively, as we handed out a pile of the promotional cards Nick has made giving details of the trip, including the blog webaddress. He put together 300 in english and 300 in french, roughly explaining that 4 youngmen were heading to France to cycle north to south. The french translation was done by Nick's boss, whose french he maintains is good. However it would appear that in fact the cards explain in french that 'This summer four musketeers will pedal mountains and work Cherbourg to Montpellier for charity'. The only hope is that they have some comedy value for the world reknowned french sense of humour.

After the Mont we headed on for 20 miles to Combourg, our overnight location, which really is as picturesque as small French towns get, with a wonderful chateau over looking 'Lac Tranquille' surrounded by a few bars and shops. Keith's over the moon as he's managed to complete a successful trip to the lavatory, and is once again regular, something that had been of real concern to him since Thursday.

A good day, everyone in one piece, with a carb heavy meal of steak and pommes de terre in our stomachs and the haunting verses of Xavius the monk repeating in our heads.

Day One, 4/8/06 - Cherbourg to Granville - 80 miles

'Like England but they speak funny' Technician Jonny Rudd's musings on Normandie.

And so it begins. After all the world's top cyclists had written off the hills of Normandy as being uncyclable, I can confirm that the regions callous undulations were little challenge for Team Buzz. Though a nine mile hill climb out of Cherbourg was a cheeky way for the tour to commence, the crowds of frenchmen lining the streets to cheer us on kept spirits high and our minds focused.

The overnight journey over from Poole was a fairly uneventful, as ferry journeys usually are. We arrived in Cherbourg at 6.30 am, and commenced our cycle at 8am sharp. We made good time to our first checkpoint, and were suprised to find that on arrival French President and cycling fanatic Jacques Chirac had turned out to meet us. The chat was informal, he's not one for small talk, but he paid for our breakfast and wished the team well (pic left).

It was a testing day for the Team Buzz's technician Jonny. Having to mend three flat tires in the space of an hour will test anyones patience, but for a person who hasn't slept due to relegation to our cabin floor last night, it meant for an edgy afternoon to say the least.
Flat tyres weren't the only sore issue of the day. Any one who has ever cycled a great distance will understand the intense chaffing that can occur it certain areas. I'll say no more, but to anyone considering a journey such as this in the future, Vaseline is aprerequisite for a smooth trip.

Reflecting on the first day at this evening's base in Granville, it was a bold first step covering a hearty distance, and it has tempered the Team's appetite for the struggle that lies ahead.

Now Theo Walcott is backing Team Buzz!!

Having only just joined a top class team in Arsenal FC, Theo Walcott has now given a nod of support to another winning side in Team Buzz. With our Tour De France just days away, Theo kindly agreed to meet up with us in his own time, since the mandate of the charity for which we are riding is a cause which he himself believes to be a worthy one. The Charity for which the Tour De France is in aid of, Cardiac Risk in the Young, aims to raise awareness of heart defects in the young as well as making simple heart scans mandatory for young sports men and women.

Theo's own experience of the importance of such testing stems from the time when he and a close personal friend and colleague at the Southampton FC Youth Academy, Adam Lallana, were both called up to the England Under-17 side. The England Medical Staff carry out standard heart checks on all young players, and it was with such a scan that an irregular heart beat was sucessfully detected in Adam. Following a successful operation Adam was able to return to playing football and pursuing a bright career with Southampton FC.

Special thanks for making this meeting possible go to Theo's parents, Don and Lynn Walcott. We were made to feel exceptionally welcome at Theo's home, and we wish him all the best in his future with Arsenal and England.

John Inverdale backs TEAM BUZZ!

Sunday 30th July, High Wycombe, Team Buzz was granted an audience with BBC TV & Radio presenter, sports officianado and all round top chap John Inverdale. John is a patron of C.R.Y. and has given his valuable support to the charity for the last three years. Despite his busy schedule and very little notice he agreed to meet up with us, and so Nick and Mark Dee-Shapland along with Nick Branch loaded up the Buzz wagon with the bicycletes and made their way to Wycombe for the meet.

Seemingly like everyone involved with the charity, John Inverdale became aware of it's work through a personal tragedy. "A friend of mine died on the Rugby field, he suffered an unexpected heart failure. His son died of the same condition 10 years later." As with the majority of those whose loss is attributed to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, a simple heart scan could have identified the problem, and it is for this reason that C.R.Y. and its patrons, such as John Inverdale, promote such testing, "Long Term it should become mandatory for young sportsmen and women."

John's career in television and radio has given him the opportunity to meet some of the world's top athletes, and with Sunday being no exception, he had this message of support for us - "I wish the guys the very best of luck, especially as one of the bikes looks like the one I had at university in the 70's."

As if giving up his personal time on a Sunday was not enough, John has also offered to sponsor Team Buzz personally, though he did have some words of warning for the boys "The hardest part of the trip would be passing the thousands of fantastic french bars and not stopping at any of them." Wise words from Mr Inverdale, which may perhaps be most relevant to the team's Irish contingent.

Training Day One - Sunday 23rd July - Bristol to Newbury - 70 miles

On Sunday 23rd July Team Buzz embarked upon it's first full training ride. The route wasn't too gruelling, however, and we managed the 70 mile journey in just under 4 and a half hours. Much like the team's disposition, the weather was sunny and warm, and there weren't too many hills involved. We travelled west out of Bristol along the A420 to Chippenham, there joining the A4 and following its gentle undulations all the way to Newbury. Highlights were Keith and Nick being 'bumped aside' by the same slightly erratic driver at a set of traffic lights (no injuries incurred, only pride) and a strange south african gentleman trying to buy one of our bikes at a garage outside bath. We also managed a formula one-fast tyre change following a puncture, a result of sterling team work.

A range of pictures are below for your viewing pleasure.

Nick Branch - Bee Gees Superfan, Calne, Wiltshire

Cruising past the white horse near Marlborough

Rolling through Wiltshire's Hills

Quick Pitstop

The TEAM BUZZ Van - Prestige Vehicle, Newbury, Berks

What's it all about?

Welcome to the Team Buzz Blog!

This summer four brave young men will attempt to conquer that which few have even dared conceive. On Thursday 3rd August 2006 these chosen few will depart from the comfort of Bristol, and journey to the south coast to meet a waiting vessel. This craft will then depart and head due south to the town of Cherbourg upon the Northern coast of France.

Their arrival in will signify the commencement of what will likely be a grueling two week cycle ride down the west coast of the country through La Rochelle and Bordeaux . Upon reaching the Dordogne they will then follow a South Easterly course through Toulouse , eventually reaching their destination of Montpelier and the Mediterranean.
In total the journey will be 850 miles long, and will require immense physical endurance along with astonishing mental stength to complete.
More expansive details will be made available on our own website (to be constructed shortly), however the simple intention is to raise as much money and awareness as we can for the charity C.R.Y.

For more information on the charity please visit the website, http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/. This charity has been chosen for personal reasons, having lost my sister to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome in August 2005. However, it becomes clear upon visiting C.R.Y.’s website that everyone who is associated with the charity has had some personal experience of the affects of the condition, and that likely their awareness of it only came at the expense of a loved one.
We have set our sights high in terms of what we are hoping to achieve and the amount we hope to raise, the minimum being £5000.00. All proceeds will go to the ‘C.R.Y. Claire Dee-Shapland Memorial Fund’. If you feel you are able to make a donation to our cause, then I can assure it would be very gratefully received.

Should you choose to make a donation, please go to http://www.justgiving.com/teambuzz. All amounts are welcome, and we implore people to give whatever they feel appropriate, as all donations are vital in us reaching our target. Once again, thank you very much for your time in reading this letter, and for your valuable support of this worthwhile charity

The TEAM BUZZ Tour De France is dedicated to...

The beloved memory of Claire Dee-Shapland, who passed away in her sleep of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, the condition that C.R.Y. works tirelessly to raise awareness of, on August 20th 2005. Claire is remembered for her wonderful sense of humour, her positive attitude towards her life, and the way in which she touched our lives.

SPONSOR US NOW!!

If you want to sponsor us, just click on the link below and pledge now!! Every donation counts, and your support is so valuable to this worthy cause.

www.justgiving.com/teambuzz

Team Buzz Tour De France 2006 - Meet The Team!

Mark Francais Dee-Shapland
“That’s the last word”

Born: 7th April 1981, Newbury, Berkshire
Height: 6”4
Weight: 12 Stone
Nickname: DSDS
Ambition: To make the world a better place

“The idea for this trip came to me in a vision one night in Paris. I sat in a restaurant near the Montmatre named Le Lara Le, accompanied by the beautiful Evelyn Mulhern. We had been writing poetry by the Seine, and I had penned a ditty on the great feats of man kind. Evelyn remarked that no one had yet dared to cycle through France, it’s highways and byways being to treacherous to traverse. Upon saying that I bid her farewell, got up from the table, left a tip for the garcon and took the next flight home to plan the Team Buzz Tour De France.
Though the distance sounds like a long one, horse steroids and amphetamines are excellent for muscle growth and stimulation, and will enable me to ride the 850 miles within 3 days. I should reach the South of France by Tuesday, giving me a week and a half in the sun to wait for the others to catch up.”


Jonny Paul Rudd
The Van driving Man
“Fish have feelings too”

Born: 1st June 1981, Dudley, Brum
Height: 5”11
Weight: 10 Stone – getting bigger day by day
Nickname: Gamesmaster
Ambition: To merge my reality with that of X-box. I would be a god.

“I originally joined Team Buzz as I believed it to be associated with the Royal Society for the Protection of Bees, an organisation dedicated to protecting one of nature’s most glorious creatures. I have a deep love for animals, particularly apes, hence my enthusiasm to work with Keith. Fish are also my friends, and to swim as free as a Kipper would be truly wonderful.
In my past time I love to play X-box, and I can honestly say that my hours of play haven’t in any way distorted my view of reality. I look forward to Turbo boosting my way through France in the Team Buzz Rip Roaring Race Machine, and I know a special code that skips past half the route and takes me straight to level 3 in Montpellier. I have a lot of respect for the guys who are Cycling. It’s a difficult thing to master, and requires great determination. Again, if you tap the X button fast it’ll speed you up, and right trigger increases your energy.”




Keith Steven Mulhern
Team Buzz Light Relief
“A gentleman and a scholar”

Born: 3rd January 1981, County Kilkeith, N. Ireland
Height: 5”10
Weight: 11.5 Stone
Nickname: The
Ambition: My next pint of Guinness

“Basically as regards to said Team Buzz addendum, I am one o’ the founding members of Team Buzz, and were present at its original inception one cold winter night in November 2001. Suffice to say, whereby, I be the hardman of the team, a ruthless decision maker and ambitious enforcer of me own will, ta be sure. Basically I takes no prisoners, and I is known for being succinct and speaking exactly what’s on me mind, and giving it to you straight. As regards since moving to England from Ireland at the age of 6, I’ve embraced my new homeland and love getting involved with some proper common, and have adopted a broad middle English accent and a passion for football and chess. Suffice to say, I am the bulldog breed, confirmed by the tattoo on me grundle of a British Bulldog. What I lacks in humour me makes up for in aggression, all part and parcel of growing up on the tough streets of Greenwich. And I loves planes too.”


Nick Thierry Branch
Team Buzz Poet Laureate
“Team Branch sounds better”

Born: 3rd January 1982, Newbury, Berkshire
Height: 5”11
Weight: 7 Stone
Nickname: Stubby
Ambition: To devour a KFC family in one sitting (including 4 fries, Coleslaw, Beans and 2ltr bottle of Coke.

“I’m the newest and youngest member of Team Buzz, and I’m rather reluctant to participate as no-one will heed my call for it to be renamed Team Branch. I work as a photographer for an exotic magazine in Bath’s red light district. My commitment and resolution to the Team Buzz Tour De France is made more extraordinary by my wooden peg leg, lost in an horrific tin opening accident, that I’m determined won’t hold me back. My strict diet of Lamb and water, along with KFC’s chicken sizzler range, has turned my once grotesquely overweight body into that of an Adonis, irrespective of my wooden crook and artificial perineum. My training his been rigorous for this trip, and the 2000 metre uphill cycle to the Bedminster KFC has proven to be invaluable preparation.”

Special Thanks go to:
Nick Dee-Shapland; Charlie & Amy Watson; Lucy Jones; Lucy Smith; Richard Baker; Missy the Cat.