Day 22:We are now halfway through the six stages in the Rockies and if we are honest they have been a doddle compared with what the cyclists have faced before. Today’s ride from Montrose to Gunnison was reasonable straight forward for a mountain stage. Two passes the highest of 8500 feet were the highlight. The scenery gain was spectacular.  | | Jane and the police, smiles this time... |
For the second time in a week the police stopped Jane. Martyn the cameraman filming for Sky News often pushes ahead and takes some film from floor level, a passing motorist had reported him injured. The officer arrived to ensure everything was ok and was extremely pleasant ensuring that all the cyclists were fine. They advised they were just taking five a minutes breather "take 10" she said "and I'd better cancel the ambulance that's booked as well." After posing for photographs she was off. Tomorrow the ride reaches its highest point the 11,312 ft of Monarch Pass. Jane's as well as she's been for a week though it will still be a huge relief to get to Pueblo on Tuesday, we are 1400 miles and a third of the journey done. Day 21:Yesterday was the fastest average daily speed at 12.1 miles per hour which wasn’t surprising as there was only one tough climb and many miles of decent. It has helped all the riders to have had two easier day and the fact we’ve got another rest day after the Rockies are finished on Wednesday should help further. We are in the town of Montrose which is much bigger than we imagined. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to have been in the wilderness for three weeks and then reach a town with a mile-long strip of chain restaurants and shops. Yesterday we started from Telluride; you know you are in an exclusive area when Sotheby’s are one the Estate Agents. The property prices seemed to start a million dollars and some well the page was barely wide enough to accommodate the digits; it was easy to see why it was popular. We had to camp some miles away as RV’s weren’t encouraged in the town. It is primarily a ski resort snuck well into the surrounding mountains; the town itself reminded me in some respects of Ambleside just a lot more pretentious. We are heading off today into what may be three very tough days culminating tomorrow with the climb over Monarch Pass the highest point of the ride. Motorists are still causing major problems so we’ll need some luck. Day 20:It was good for everyone to be back on the bike after the disappointing day. These next six days are when the ride crosses the Rockies so everyone was prepared for a tough day. In comparison, to what had been faced in both Nevada and Utah, it was quite a pleasant surprise. Heading out of Dolores the ride headed off up to Lizard Pass a 49-mile climb which sounds a lot worse than the reality. Jane had been extremely fatigued on Tuesday and although we she’d had a rest day we didn’t know how she’d cope so it was could to see her reach the 10,000 ft summit without incident. Once the Rockies are completed it will be a weight off all our minds. The climbs have been unremitting in the last three weeks and I can’t begin to understand how Jane’s continuing with the ride. She’s showing reserves of strength I didn’t know were humanly possible. Day 19:Today was a gruelling 84-mile stage and at the end of nine strength-sapping days Jane was emotional at the finish. We have had the good fortune to meet some lovely people in the States, however a hard day was made more difficult by the actions of three individuals. Early on in the day Jane was riding on a road with loose chippings when, passed by a group of four lorries, the middle wagon deliberately diverted to the middle of the road to where there was a greater amount of chippings so he could try and spray the riders as he passed. At the speed he was travelling it was a deliberately motivated reckless attempt to try and injure the cyclists. Secondly they were tailed and leapfrogged for 90 minutes by a police car. Eventually he put on his lights and pulled the cyclists over, telling them not to cycle on the highway, but on the hard shoulder. The shoulder was a narrow strip of road mainly containing debris and would have caused numerous punctures and would have been dangerous. The police officer was belligerent and not wanting to be arrested we agreed with him, so as not to give him an excuse for further action, his manner was spoiling for a fight; courtesy was at a minimum, it was certainly not a pleasant experience. Finally driving through Lewis the occupant of a pickup truck threw a full coke bottle at the cyclists deliberately aiming it at them so as to try and injure them. Who needs to encounter these sorts of people when cycling; whatever the cause or whoever the person is. One thing for certain is that it’s not as cycle friendly as continental Europe. Whether that’s because cycling is so ingrained in the national psyche, or whether a lot more people cycle who knows, but for sure the time, space and welcome given to cyclists is better. Our initial experience of Colorado has not been good but let's hope they live up to their reputation of being a cycle-friendly State. Day 18:When we arrived in Hanksville on Saturday night Jane faced a mammoth 140-mile leap to the next town on Blanding; there was nothing in between. Prior to coming to America we made the decision to stop on Sunday when the cyclist were tired and drive on to Blanding get up Monday morning and drive back to where they finished. Because the conditions became too dangerous they stopped after 56 miles. Mentally it’s always better to be over halfway but to continue would have put the riders at risk. So yesterday Jane tried to leap the remaining 84-mile to Blanding; at 7am it was already over 100 and chances of success seemed remote. But at 3pm Jane rode into town heavily fatigued but with a glow of satisfaction that only reaching a target can make. Jane’s been awesome over the last three weeks dragging reserves of strength from we don’t know where. The landscape defines the length of daily rides and the two other groups cycling decided not to drive through, but to camp at Hite. The following morning they were shaking scorpions from their clothes, one group so concerned about record-breaking temperatures set off at 2:15am. After 450 miles of unforgiving roads the last two days have exacted a toll on everyone, today is another 84-mile ride, a deserved day's rest tomorrow; the Rockies start Thursday! Day 17:You know you are fighting the odds when you encounter a heatwave in the South Utah desert, it sound prepostorous but sadly it's true. It's headline news as the temperatures are breaking records. Yesterday as the cyclists were crossing Glen Canyon the heat was intense climbing to above 120 degrees. It was over a 100 by 10am and this morning it seems hotter. It became impossible cycling in early afternoon as it was impossible to keep the riders' body temperatures under control. They stopped for some food at 12:30 and waited half an hour drinking fluids in the hope of carrying on for the afternoon. They set off again at 1pm but managed 7 miles uphill until 2pm before stopping again to try and reduce body temperatures; but a collective decision was made that it was too dangerous to continue. The stretch or road we are on, the last stretch of Utah before Colorado is barren desert where there are no safe water supplies. The riders had been tempted to go for swim in the Colorado river but on arrival there is a drought and river was too strong a term; the locals advised it was unsafe as populated by poisonous snakes. There's no let up in the conditions predicted and it seem inevitable that the ride will slip behind schedule. As an aside this is the hottest year on record in the United States. Global warming, carbon emissions! Day 16:This was Jane’s longest-ever ride today an awesome 10 hours and 13 minutes in the saddle to cover 96 miles across the higher slopes of Utah from Escalante to Hanksville. Setting off at 6:30 she was cycling all day in temperatures reaching 105 degrees. The locals in Escalante said it’s a journey that couldn’t be done by anyone; they knew nothing of Jane’s health. Jane was concerned at not slipping behind a schedule which is extremely punishing. She’s spent 40 hours of the last 5 days in the saddle. When Jane arrived at the stage’s finish she was fatigued but in remarkably good humour. Martyn and Ryan immediately open a beer to celebrate, Jane didn’t partake she felt a little sick after coming down from altitude. We’ve passed the 1000 mile marker, we’re not thinking about how long's left. On a day of landmarks Jane’s now spent over 100 hours in the saddle and reached a ride top speed of 48mph today. There’s no rest with a tough 70 miles tomorrow and the Rockies looming at the end of the week. Day 15:First and most importantly, the e-mails, and letters of support over the last few days have overwhelmed us - thank you to everyone who has taken the trouble to contact us, we really appreciate it and it's given us a huge boost. Being so far from home, not knowing whether the ride's a success, doubt set in, and the messages make a difference We know that tomorrow is going to be a crucial stage, 94 miles with a 25-mile climb to a 10,000 ft peak. There are no services or buildings in between. On the back of the weeks Jane's already had it wasn't what we would have wanted but the landscape is the deciding factor deep in Utah. As it is on Sunday we have nowhere to stop so we have to travel 70 miles on and come back to start the day. Tomorrow is a major landmark as it will be 1000 miles in, only 3200 to go! Jane's been riding brilliantly over the last two days, I can't say too much as it look like nepotism so that will do. I hope next week is better than this, the Rockies loom from Wednesday for five straight days, at least she should have some cycling legs. I don't know if we will make New York if we don't it won't be from a lack of effort from Jane. | 
