Two of the 20 cyclists currently taking part in the Betfair Lifecycle Challenge had to be rescued by the back-up team after they misunderstood a sign and took a wrong turning soon after they left their accommodation in Austria this morning.

The mistake would normally have been noticed within a few kilometers but the unfortunate pair saw cyclists wearing yellow shirts ahead of them and thought they were following the rest of the team.

They did not realise their mistake until they were almost 60 kilometres off course. They were escorted back to the route by the back-up van and had to work doubly hard to make up for the lost time.

Yesterday was relatively without drama and all the participants had much to be thankful for when they crossed the Hungarian border and reached their accommodation - a school by a lake in Austria.

After supper, Mass was celebrated by Fr Silvio Bezzina, who is one of the back-up team, and quite a few of then walked into town for an ice-cream.

The relatively short day and flat countryside afforded a chance for them to recover from the strain of the first days although most of the cyclists legs are already festooned with the white, turquoise and pink strapping tape used by the physiotherapists.

 The cyclist who had to drop out earlier this week is currently helping the back-up team and his morale is being kept high by all the others who hope to see him back on the road in the coming days.

The participants of the challenge remained in Austria on the 5th day of their 2,000 kilometre journey going up and down a series of gentle hills that led then to Eibiswald 165 km away.