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disembarkation the pelotons conducted a quick sweep around to the East of Ouistram to visit Pegasus Bridge and the Merville Battery, before having a well-earned breakfast in Courseulles Sur Mer. After this a competition seemed to develop between the pelotons to find the most picturesque places in the blazing sunshine to have lunch or
a cooling ice cream. The stunning scenery and smooth roads (compared to around the College!) was a delight and a far cry from the fighting in the bocage post D-Day. The team arrived in Caen at the end of the day after another successful days’ riding to meet up with the rest of ACSC (loafers) to commence two reflective days of battlefield study.
The return leg back to Portsmouth began with a short but enjoyable ride back up to Ouistram from Caen (some of the more accomplished riders looped back round to Arromanches) prior to catching the evening ferry back to Blighty. Friday morning arrived with good old wet and windy British weather and
so the team knuckled down for a tough ride back
to Shrivenham. The rain failed to let up all day and at one point a peloton had to cycle uphill against
what was best described as a river flowing down the lane! Despite a host of punctures, and being soaked through, every peloton made it back to the College in good time. The week had been hugely enjoyable as well as educational both from a cycling and historic viewpoint. It was not lost on any of the team that the sacrifice made by both Allied Service personnel and the Normandy population 75 years ago allows us to conduct such a great event each year and long may this continue.
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