Day 1 - Land's End to Okehampton

30mph winds battering the tent throughout the night saw to it that I basically had a sleepless first night. Add to that that the tent is on the small size lengthwise, even for a short-arse like me so I was constantly being alternately smacked in the head... or the feet... by the tent walls, which made for an uncomfortable and disturbed night.

My tent was quite near the base camp generator and I was worried about noise so I popped in my trusty earplugs in the hope they would keep the generator & wind noise to a minimum. So glad I packed them - the generator was turned off at 22:00, but turned back on again at 02:00 this morning!

At 07:40, and after breakfast, I set off.

I had a dry start but it was very chilly and there were still winds of ~25mph so it was quite blustery. Fortunately, those winds were behind us most of the time, with just the occasional side wind so we got lucky.

The rain waited until about an hour after starting out and when it came, it was torrential!

Grit and mud covered the roads which were treacherous and really slippery.

I passed seven riders with punctures and there were three crashes during the day, two of which were severe enough that the riders aren't able to continue and have already had to depart for home.

I was really cautious today but am mindful that I need to continue to be. The thought of crashing out is a very scary one, especially after all the hard work and training it's taken to get here.

I rode with Martin, an Allianz colleague from London who is doing the ride just for fun (yes really!) for about twelve miles, taking it as easy as could, still being somewhat dubious as to what my body and ribs in particular could cope with.

There was a hell of a lot of climbing and by the end of the day, I was absolutely caked in mud and soaked through. Unfortunately there aren't any photos of me at the finish to show what a state I was in - but I survived Day 1!

This evening, I had a back massage, which while it doesn't feel like it gave much benefit, it was a good idea in so much as there was no pain from my back or rib cage which I take as a good sign.

We had our evening briefing at 20:30 and were treated to a visit from Hugh Dennis (Mock the Week, Outnumbered, The Now Show) who did a bit of a comedy sketch for us and who will be joining us on the ride tomorrow (Day 2).

A further treat for the real enthusiasts among us is that tomorrow evening, we will be joined by Mark Cavendish and on Monday (Day 3), he & team Dimension Data will be taking part in the ride.

Yet more good news delivered at the evening briefing is that tomorrow, base camp is at the Bath University Sports Training Village and we will be using the student accommodation rather than tents so we will not only have a roof over our heads for the night but an actual bed too - luxury!

I am now very, very, very tired so I am off to collect my clothes and shoes from the 'drying room' (tent) in the hope that they're dry and then I'm off to bed.

Day 1 Stats
Start: Land's End
Finish: Okehampton

Distance: 106 miles
Climbing: 2,963 metres
Average speed: 14.5mph

Duration: 7 hours, 18 minutes