We were taken by coach after breakfast to Blackheath. After a coffee break we then set off in small groups and wound our way through London to arrive in Whitehall Place to the applause of a gathering crowd.

At the Cenotaph the Headley Court team formed part of another wreath laying ceremony. Once the ceremony finished, the rest of the riders all followed them through the crowds and into Horse Guards, where the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt spoke to us all on the importance of Headley Court and the bravery of the members of the Armed Forces.

The 300 riders raised £1.5 million pounds for Help For Heroes, a staggering amount. For me it had been an enjoyable and stimulating cycle ride, made remarkable by the many wonderful and inspirational people I met and chatted to. I am already considering what to do next – the desert beckons!

55 miles

We set off early for our final day’s ride. We had to be in Dunkirk by 1.00pm. It was a lovely early summer morning and we saw the sun rising over the mist laden fields as we swept along the country roads. It was dry and the sun was soon the hottest it had been on the ride.

By 8.00am we felt we were in need of a chocolat stop. As we entered a likely looking town, we had to stop at traffic lights. Trying to anticipate the lights turning green, I failed to unclip my pedal and gently fell over. After much laughing we found a small tabac and sat in the sunshine with our steaming mugs, watching some of the other early riders struggle past. Then again at about 11.00am a mass of riders descended on another tabac to enjoy coffee and chocolat, by now getting the idea behind the ride!

Eventually we reached Dunkirk, where we were given lunch and then boarded landing craft from a ramp on the port. Four of these landing craft took 70 cyclists each out to HMS Bulwark, which was waiting in deeper waters. We entered the hull of the ship at the stern, which had been lowered into the sea, the water drained out and we were aboard. The Captain and the crew of the ship, a combination of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, welcomed us.

The memorial service on the flight deck was conducted by the ships Padre and one of the riders, Richard Burge, read an extract from his Grandfather’s diary; he had been rescued on D day. A wreath was thrown overboard in remembrance. Another moving occasion.

We were then given cakes and ale and some went on tours of the ship. The ship arrived at Dover Harbour, we were embarked again on the landing craft and then taken to ‘invade’ the shingle beach. The reception was fantastic, with locals and supporters watching as we walked off the craft, surrounded by the Royal Marines and waiting press. The Red Devils then gave a spectacular display, parachuting in formation into the sea.

All of us then came together for a celebratory supper. Unbelievably, it was chicken again. There were some excellent speeches and a most amusing auction. The items sold included Rory’s cycling shirt, a pair of Royal Marines cycling shorts and Peta (The Suns page 3 girl)s shorts and bicycle!

76 miles

With the sun doing its best to burn through the mist and the temperature up, we made our way over the River Somme and climbed up onto the plain through peaceful villages, and from now on the roads would be mostly long and straight. We made our way to the Great War memorial at Thiepval.

The gates opened specially for us all as the memorial was closed for refurbishment at the time of our visit. We all made our way up to this most commanding of memorials. Designed by Lutyens and dedicated to the missing, some 70,000 names are inscribed on the arches. The Royal Signals squadron supporting the ride with communications led an especially moving ceremony with four riders officiating. This was one of the highlights of the ride and a first visit for many riders.

Lunch was in the small village of Ransart, where we stopped at a school. The local press came out to see us in the form of an avuncular old boy who insisted on taking many formal photographs just as we wanted to get some food inside us. The legs were noticeably tired today and matters were made worse in that not only did I neglect to find a suitable afternoon chocolat stop, but I also took a wrong turning and went a mile out of the way. The only excuse I had was that I was nattering away to another rider at the time!

The hotel in Bethune we were in was not up to much and when we discovered that the evening meal was chicken, we decided we had earned a decent meal out. So we got into a taxi, had a drink in the square of Bethune and met up with some of the other riders. We charged into the nearest café and all ordered steak. Not a great success, unfortunately – do they still serve horse in France?

81 miles

The day started off bright as we left Dieppe but the rain soon appeared and with it the punctures. We were now in Picardy and on more flat areas but still some shocking hills, one being up a dual carriageway shortly after one of our Naafi breaks. The side of the road was littered with people waiting to have tyres fixed and the backup vans were doing sterling service in the pouring rain. I suffered another puncture, though fortunately I was right by the backup van at the time.

We did stop at Grandcourt, a small cemetery predominantly for Scottish and Canadian soldiers. As we stopped the sun came out and the beautifully tended graves were striking in white against the lush countryside. Apparently the site was a field hospital which had to be evacuated and moved. Therefore all of the graves are named as the soldiers were identified when they were admitted. After, we had some fairly steep gradients to climb and just before lunch there was an especially steep hill, which had most riders pushing themselves to their limits.

After lunch we carried on pedalling into a head wind and the rain. I went on to recce a chocolat stop in a roadside café, utilitarian enough to allow us to drip and perspire all over the table. Then onwards, by now entirely soaked through, though I had plastic bags over my socks to stop the wind-chill getting to my toes. I also had fun ‘draughting’ behind and then in front of the fittest of the Headley Court team, a sailor who had lost his leg below the knee. Mind you, I gave him 25 odd years! Then we arrived in Amiens. This is a large industrial town, so much so that as we entered we were greeted by the organisers and told we still had six miles before we reached our hotel. The evening meal was chicken.