Pedal to Poland, Day 3: On the road to Loughborough

Day 3: We wake in our campsite near Whitchurch and drag ourselves out of our tents. It's a drizzly grey morning.

Today we're making our way east towards Loughborough, the sports university town, on a 120km cycle.

All the lads put in a big effort yesterday so today will be really tough.

The first half of the cycle brings us through the countryside towards Stoke on Trent and quiet has descended upon the group...maybe the enormity of the task has hit home, another 13 days of this to go.

We're off the national cycle routes today and have to travel along the A525 for the first part towards a town called Stone for a coffee.

For the most part it's fairly flat and we cover the first 55km at a canter.

We take lunch by the roadside at Uttoxeter and cheese and ham sandwiches are the order of the day, with a bag of Tayto thrown in for carbohydrate!

The next section takes us towards our destination at Loughborough.

The legs are starting to give out but the head is having none of it. 20km outside the town and we're in the 'pain cave'.

It's a dark place with no stalactites or tour guides.

Loughborough comes into view and a cheer goes up, 'thank Giovanni we've made it'!

The cat is in the (sleeping) bag...in the tent...in the campsite.

Talk tomorrow when we move onwards towards Cambridge.