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Cyclist, Audax rider, living life SE9 with Lucy, Rufus, Oisin, 1 big dog 🐕 and a lovely cat🐱

$So a usual Sunday coffee ride ended up going south on a gravel patch where my left side and shoulder ended up on the losing side 🤦 thankfully my ride companions (rich, Steve and Tim) looked after me and walked me back and got the train home with my bike and I got off to a&e. I thought it was dislocated but turns out after a CT scan that’s it’s fractured and displaced - operation time needed, that’s the 2nd time have broken it 🙄 anyway called up 2w later for operation on the Sunday, but the theatre had emergency operations ahead so a day wasted and my spirits were so low as there was only a vague, might be 2-3 weeks time and we’ll call. That call came a week later Monday night and yesterday was in Lewisham at 0730 for the procedure (ORIF). The teams there were magnificent and I had such a positive experience, was actually pleasant! The staff there were so nice to me and I thanked them for that and the sandwich and tea could have been made at the ritz, 10/10. Thanks to everyone that has helped me along the way as my mood has been up and down as there seemed to be no end in sight but my fortunes have changed. Now got a titanium plate so healing should be faster 🤞 my kostume shirt was my prized possession but it can also double up as an emergency sling. Have a new replacement, thanks to Ed 👊 #lewishamuniversityhospital #kostüme by @lambocyclist$

2nd running of the Bat ride which started at 2100 and is a mix of urban, gravel/canal, country lanes with some London landmarks thrown in for good measure. The weather actually behaved itself unlike the daytime, and we had 13 brave souls as you need to ride through the night to the finish and navigate the route. A few punctures meant the group split into 2 but those groups stuck to the end which is great to see. Awful roads around Barkingside and congestion due to an all day party made an impression, and a we kept together as one until a gravel section where puncture #3 caused the split. Dark country lanes back in Essex and the return back into London for a welcome McDs 😊 around halfway.

A lap of the Olympic velodrome and a small tumble at Bow where I mistook a kerb for a drop kerb 🙄 full concentration is needed, still nothing broken. Onwards to complete the bat ears, which includes Swains Lane at daybreak. Western side is good in the early hours and then a mix of roads and paths to get us back into central london and a nod to the 👑. Finished back feeling very tired and very pleased with the way we looked out for each other and contributed to a great overnight adventure. Thanks to everyone that took part and we will be back next year for version 3 🙌 of course there’s no prizes at the end but just great memories and a piece of Strava art by @lambocyclist

So today it’s 30 years since @lucyhunterlam and I got married, and we had such a memorable day surrounded by family and friends, and the evening at the Mitre pub in Greenwich with Planet Earth as our 1st song. Time flies and things are very different now to then in some ways but in others not, but here’s to many more years and anniversaries to come ❤️ by @lambocyclist

Day 19 #touraotearoa2026 and that’s a wrap! 3000km and over 30k of climbing. Big effort to get down here and my target was 21 days, got 18d 9h 50mins 🥳 very pleased with that and I’m so happy it’s done, legs really need a rest and everything else. I had this planned since May so to achieve this and more is beyond. Alex & Di were my guardian angels, I owe them so much for helping me with food, taking the wind, and just really great company. Also Roger, he’s another great guy and we rode as a lovely group, until his mechanical temporarily stopped him. This is a fantastic event and would 100% recommend it to anyone, it’s has it all and everyone I’ve met is very sociable. There’s a lot of very different surfaces here and the wind but it has delivered a very memorable ride and am grateful I have seen an amazing place.

Special Thanks @lucyhunterlam for the daily phone calls, such a great mental help. @jasmijnmuller my coach who gets me to the best place possible and those turbo sessions during the winter and advice pays off when something like this is done. @cycloholidays for changing everything on my bike and the new shimano electric groupset was faultless. @arkane_wheelworks for tuning and checking my wheels for this, the wheels have taken a battering but are still perfect. @infinitybikeseat for the most comfortable saddle, usually I suffer on multi day events after a few days and there’s nothing worse, but after 18.5 days, no issues. @kennettbrothers you have created a brilliant event that showcases NZ 👏

Lastly thanks to anyone that has sent messages here and via WhatsApp/strava, I am rubbish at replying but they help so much, I do read them and it really helps when picking these up, small things just help so much in an event bubble. by @lambocyclist

Day 18 #touraotearoa2026 this was the queen stage, a hard one to get over NZ highest road - Duffers. Early start with Alex & Di, they’re so good to me, seem to be forever giving me their sandwiches and stuff as they’re more organised than me! I owe them a lot. A hard start with a river trail, in the UK a river trail is easy/flat family friendly, here it’s the exact opposite, chance if serious injury or worse is fairly high, just don’t look left and down. Trail got easier to navigate when the sun came out and then ran on empty until Cromwell where a cafe stop got me refuelled for the main event. Duffers is the highest rd in NZ but it’s gravel/compact and steep! So half cycled and half pushed but the views are stunning at the top. Descending is terrifying on that stuff and then went into a 40k Nevis valley which was loose/rock surface with 20+’river crossings. Feet got wet so many times, this section took hours to get through. A last kicker up to Nevis saddle and another hard descent down to Garston. Steak pie and jerky for dinner, was all I had in my bag 😢 but again Alex gave me a sandwich for my dinner 😂 so the hard days are now done and hopefully will be at Bluff tomorrow night 🤞 this has been magical by @lambocyclist

Day 17 #touraotearoa2026 started at Paringa which has a population of 6, we almost doubled that to 10. Said bye to Roger who needs mechanical help so hopefully I’ll see him at the end as he has my Garmin…. Stayed with Alex & Di, they’re great and we’re evenly matched so the group stays together fine. Breakfast at Haast then onto some punchy climbing, Haast pass is hard but the scenery is amazing. We had a lunch stop at Makorora and the lake there is so blue and surrounded by mountains, then the run to the accommodation was by Lake Hawaea so another set of beautiful scenery. Weather is amazing still so taking advantage and putting in the kms. Now just a touch under 2700k and one more hard day tomorrow then hoping to make Bluff on Tuesday evening - the Airbnb is booked anyway 😉 also lucked out on the accommodation as the supermarket and pub are on my doorstep, well deserved as almost 200k done today so cheers everyone 🍻 by @lambocyclist

Day 16 #touraotearoa2026 1st of the 3 hard days so good to get this done. Dry day today but a hard headwind for the last 50k which made it tough. At the coffee stop, I did think my back brake wasn’t working properly so a quick recovery examination revealed there were no pads left 😱 I did pack spares so I managed to change and back to it. Today was a day to visit the glaciers and got to see Fox - or what’s left of it, retreating at a rate. Then a lunch at Fox Town, lots of heiicopter tours and tourists around, then 50k of headwind riding to the house at Paringa with an ice cream stop at Bruce’s Bay which was really nice but very windy. As there are no shops for miles, choices were made at Fox and pot noodle won and yesterday’s corned beef spiced up with home made pickle at the Airbnb. It’s not my usual style but it works and was actually quite nice. Now done 2502km and therefore 498 remain - not that I’m counting. A 200k day beckons tomorrow so now for bed by @lambocyclist

Day 15 #touraotearoa2026 started from Kumara with a nice breakfast but it was wet from the go, a little improvised hack of clingfilm to try and keep the feet dry, worked until halfway. The west coast wilderness trail was fantastic and a real highlight but being so wet the phone stayed under cover most of the day. Went through a place called Cowboy Paradise, surreal and a great memory. Lunch at Hokitita where it was dry for 30 mins, then the rain came down heavier until we finished at HariHari. Got everything done here including washing, drying and cleaning bike so good to go tomorrow with dry weather forecast 🤞 the months of training and mental resilience comes to the front in days like this as they’re just so demanding and the kms tick off slowly. Now at 2350k and 650k left so the end is truly in sight and if the weather turns dry then hoping to hit Bluff Tuesday or Wednesday 🤞 by @lambocyclist

Day 13 #touraotearoa2026 a very welcome breakfast at the excellent Reefton bakery, saw more TA riders like Kylie & Heather, this event is very social. Onto the road and really a recovery/easier day planned in the last forecast sunny day so a lunch stop in Greymouth for a whitebait with fries plate and a berry smoothie, good fuel. Have now reached the West Coast and 2200k done, so counting down now (800 to go). Accommodation at Kumara and met other cyclists so it’s just nice chatting to others and really enjoying the ride and scenery. Still got my 21 day target in sight so have 6 more days to get to Bluff 🤞 by @lambocyclist

Day 13 #touraotearoa2026 an early start from Murchison and the usual mix of gravel roads and hills, staring to see some very nice scenery and the usual crew makes the time go by. Great coffee stop 70k in with someone taking their large parrot for an outing. A great downhill after the saddles - hills, into Reefton for the evening accommodation (above a pub). Mad wit for a bakery snack or two, showered and washed the kit. Evening meal to be devoured here and then a big day tomorrow in the old gold mining trails. Sun is still shining 🤞 by @lambocyclist

Day 12 #touraotearoa2026 started early from Nelson and no resupply until 70k in, was flagging but a well timed apple orchard came to the rescue, nice and fresh 😊 met the gang at the resupply and they had a muffin for me which I shared with Tim who we met earlier in the ride. We stayed as a group through the day and the sandflies became real. Only takes a few seconds and 1 becomes lots and lots! I used my bushman spray but they still find places which you missed 🤦 we met a US and German couple so a very sociable day. Before lake rotoroa there was a quirky stop so had a tea and muffin, and hello to the sandflies, keep moving which is easier said than done while trying to drink and eat. The lake was magnificent and worth the bites. A lovely run up and gravel rd, then a long descent down into Murchison for the motel. Not much here but it’s open so a refuel and go again tomorrow, weather is still good, slightly cooler but dry ✅ 1950km done and a lot of climbing by @lambocyclist

Richard Lam

@lambocyclist