Rapha say "Yes!"

Well this makes me excited all over again. I met with Aleda Fitzpatrick of Rapha Cycle Club today by chance at the Clubhouse in soho. I decided to tell her about the plan. She loved it. Her reaction was exactly what I would have hoped for because she is someone I have a lot of respect for. Aleda leads the RCC in the UK and as far as I can tell she is loved by every member she meets. She always has time for me and spent an hour today talking through the plan and offering advice on kit. I have been on a few group rides with her and she is an impressive athlete too, easily matching or beating the pace of the fastest riders on the ride. That ability matched with bike handling skills means she has great control of group rides, something that is often a hard task. I asked Aleda if Rapha would support me in some way, perhaps through discounts on the kit I will need. She says she can make that happen. We also discussed an ambitious idea about mobilising (literally) RCC members across the continent to help me along the way. That may be totally unrealistic, but one or two friendly faces en route could be a massive help.