The one cyclist forced by injury to drop out of the 2,000 km Lifecycle ride from Prague to Sarajevo yesterday joined the rest of the team for the last leg to savour the joy of completing the 11-day marathon.
The first across the line was a jubilant William Hili, who has attempted the challenge seven times and completed it four times.
The cyclists had set off bright and early from Mostar, where they slept overnight, and cycled 165 km through the beautiful Bosnian countryside, spending hours pedalling along a narrow lake that winds through narrow valleys.
The last day of the Betfair Life-cycle Challenge, which raised funds for Mater Dei Hospital’s renal unit, was a bitter-sweet one for the participants. The incredible sense of achievement was tempered by the knowledge that they would soon have to go home after taking part in an adventure that began with their registration last April and got going in earnest when they set off from Prague on August 14. Before their departure from Mostar, the mood was, if anything, subdued. One cyclist said he was glad it was over because he felt his body was falling apart; another said she could not wait for it to be over as she was utterly exhausted and on the point of collapse.
Another expressed the feeling of many when he said he was disappointed that it was over but that his legs really needed a break.
A cyclist who bought a bike just the day before he registered for the challenge intends to give it to his training buddy as soon as he gets back – although he intends to maintain the high level of fitness he achieved over the past months.
Even the kitchen team was sad, although they were relieved that all had gone so well with the food and that the group had been such a brilliant one.
One managed to overcome his pain and exhaustion enough on the long trip to appreciate the scenery, saying it was the best of the three trips he has come on.
Just about all claim that this will be the last LifeCycle they do – but there is always a question mark at the end of the sentence. The satisfaction of taking part in this challenge soon overtakes the urge to ask over and over why on earth they were doing this.
The team is due back tomorrow at 10.10 p.m.