After a gruelling 6-day journey, Ben finally pedalled into view and was welcomed by the TCi team at Sizewell C.
Having been waved off from TCi’s office in Barnstaple, riding over Exmoor to reach Hinkley Point C before heading towards Lyme Regis to pick up the Old Chalk Way, the journey took him from the Atlantic Ocean and Bristol Channel to the English Channel and then to Suffolk’s North Sea coast during some of the hottest days of the summer.
TCi’s teams at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C were on hand to cheer him on, but the ride itself was undertaken solo, camping along the way.
It didn’t all go to plan, however…
Things became tougher than expected when the rough terrain of the original off-road route proved impossible for Ben and his fully-laden touring setup to maintain any reasonable progress. He realised that if he was going to make it at all, he would need to reroute and use some roads.
Following a similar path, Ben continued on tarmac for the most-part, but after the first two days had begun to suffer unusually with severe saddle sores. He now needed to push hard to reach Sizewell and limit time spent in the saddle. After some much needed help to get over the worst hills of the 4th stage of the Old Chalk Way, he pushed on into East Anglia, completing more than 550km (330 miles) of cycling by the time he reached Sizewell.
Ben commented on the achievement, by saying; “I’m never doing that again, it was horrible!” but admitted that he was pleased to have finished it. “I considered turning back several times, but thanks to the messages of support from sponsors, family and friends, I was able to carry on, despite realising that I’d met my match on this one!”
The challenge has raised more than £650 (£830 with Gift Aid) for Breast Cancer Now. Check it out here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/nuclear-pedal-power-station-challenge
