Monday 25th August. Caen to Verneuil Sur Avre
What a day!  85 miles. Started off from the ferry port in Caen at 0600. Arrived hotel 12 hours later. It rained solidly all day long, plus gale force winds which were mainly from the side but occasionally head on. Sometimes like a film set where you see winds driving rain across the set in waves!  We were soaked to the skin by late morning and had to ride to keep warm. We stopped for lunch in a restaurant somewhere with very slow relaxed service so this made us rather later as well.  We left puddles all round our table!  Once again the distance was greater than I had calculated (I'm not believed any more!) and I think we were all heartily glad to see the Hotel du Saumon when we eventually got here at 1900hrs (local time)..
The hotel is excellent though. Right in centre it what looks a lovely classic French town. The Bedroom is big with two singles and a double and they have taken all our soaking clothing and shoes etc to dry. Hope they manage it or it could be a naked bike ride to Chartres today!  The food in their restaurant was first class as well so all in all a very good end to one of the toughest days cycling we've ever done! I think I earned my sponsor money today!
It was reminiscent of the 'real' Tour de France though. A couple of lovely days in England followed by serious rain in France - so we are in good company! Hoping for a dryer day for what we hope should also be a shorter day to Chartres.