Welcoming cheers from the wonderful volunteers as you enter the control refreshes you. The happiness of making it to the control and the exuberance of the people recharges you. And as you enter the control, it is amazing to see the zillion cycles in different postures – some elegantly poised with the seat tip on the horizontal bar in the bike parking, some sleepng on lawns, and some resting against the poles. I drop the bike as close to the control station, carefully noting down the spot. As you step in to the control station BEEP! The RFID ensures you are recorded, and your friends see you the tracker. Bet they must be relieved, happy.

At one the control (Titenniac) due to a software bug possibly, the beep did not make us visible in the tracker. And my family saw the hole in the tracker they thought I missed this control. The volunteers on the tables on both sides of the room congratulate you welcoming you with a lovely smile. Brevet card stamped, the stamp at each control wonderfully unique. “5844 people started and 4512 finished. At least 4512 people have passed through each control-PHEW! The cheery welcome is reserved for each one of them! Beautiful isn’t it? PBP is not just about distance and time. It is about wonderful people, fantastic roads and lovely scenery that makes it an amazing experience. It is not just about pushing yourself to meet time targets, it is about absorbing the wonderful positivism that seeps into your soul, lightening the body and making you fly!