Page 76 - The Cormorant 2018

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cycling was no problem for this ‘special’ band, it was just a pity that their maths let them down, finishing the week on a decidedly un-round 570km.
The real heroes of the Ex were the 10 Ride Leaders, who spent the preceding 3 months dragging people out on training rides in order to prepare them for
the adventure. This wasn’t always easy, with lots of squinnying about essays and other nonsense getting in the way of what we were all clearly at JSCSC to do: cycling! Chapeau ladies and gentlemen!
Likewise, the 8 members of the support crew deserve special mention, without whom the Ex simply would not have worked. Like mum and dad, they picked us up when we fell, applied plasters and antiseptic cream and made sure that we were fed and watered. Thank you support crew!
Cycling around Normandy offers unique insight and appreciation into the terrain over which the Allies fought following the D-Day landings. Able to negotiate the small villages and roads at much
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slower speeds (much, much slower speeds for some) and with far greater visibility than from the back of a coach, it offers an entirely different perspective. The 44 cyclists who took part will certainly attest that Hill 112 is definitely a hill. They were also able to visit numerous smaller sites and memorials, including those specific to their regiments and corps, keeping alive the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Finally, to top their achievement, 74 years after the Allies’ failed to close the Falaise Pocket,
44 students from ACSC 21 achieved it on bicycles, stopping for pizza half way; it was a far more civilized affair than in 1944!
The 44 cyclists
who took part will certainly attest
that Hill 112 is definitely a hill. ◆◆◆