Day 4: Ay to Bar-sur-Aube (130km)

Dear Blog Followers, thank you for checking in on our progress. I can confirm that we are indeed now in the deep south of Champagne region at Bar-sur-Aube, quite an exotic location for those of us who rarely venture south of the Montagne de Reims - which we left this morning after a fantastic dinner at Bollinger (very many thanks to our hosts, Jerome, Stephen & Hervé, who last night breached protocol to treat us to possibly the first ever pasta dish served in Madame Lily's dining room, it was exactly what we needed). This morning began at 10.00am (special late start dispensation granted following yesterday's exertions and rather a bad night for myself, probably caused by a PSP 22 overdose yesterday afternoon). We had a glorious morning heading south down the Cote des Blancs passing through all the Grand Cru Chardonnay villages at a steady brisk pace before crossing the N4 and heading down to Salon at which point Hannah hit the front of the bunch for a major stint that left us strung out behind , breathing heavily and with Alan's heart rate monitor bleeping alarmingly. I was also enjoying the largely flat stage with sweeping downhills stretches allowing some top speed testing (63.3km/ph today), these conditions also tempting Patrick to periodically surge off the front despite his sore knees. After a superb lunch at Arcis-sur-Aube we had a testing 30km dead straight run down the D441, followed by a pleasant stretch around the Lac d'Orient and then the big wind-up down into Bar-sur-Aube for the expected bunch sprint finish (modesty forbids any further comment - but I would like to take this opportunity to thank my lead-out man Jon). Well done everyone and a particular well done to Alan whose chain did not fall off, (not even once), today. Average speed for the ride now 25.1 km/ph (thank you North-East wind). Tomorrow we leave Champagne and head down to Burgundy - the Cote d'Or awaits! a