Just about ready for our epic cycle ride across Spain - 600 miles from Bilbao to Barcelona and then up the coast to Perpignan.

I've been tapering my training this week - in other words I've been watching telly instead of getting out on the road.

One consolation though is that I am bound to be better prepared than my mate Martin who is accompanying me on the ride - or more likely dawdling off the back somewhere a couple of miles back.

He hasn't been out of his front room since Christmas. He's got one of these computer simulated gizmos that allows you to cycle up Alp d'Huez while watching Arsenal on the telly and rehydrating on cans of Fosters.

He reckons he's done 1400 miles without turning the handlebars, applying the brakes or getting wet. He might be fit but the chances are he's going to crash turning left out of the hotel in Bilbao or he'll crash into the back end of the first Spanish bus to stop at a red light.

At least he's got his bike serviced this year. Last year he didn't bother and his front brake blocks pinged of coming down the Pyrenees.

I wouldn't have minded but I was in front of him and as we were descending at 45mph all I could hear was a vague shrieking inviting me to get out of the way quick. Apart from that and the 8 punctures he had in the first 3 days he looks after his bike well.

The sponsorship is pouring in. More than £2,300 pledged so far for the Birmingham Heart Transplant fund. I'm doing this because my former partner at work Roger Peachey had a heart transplant last year and they looked after him really well. I'm also raising awareness of the importance of organ donation Now it's down to business. We fly from Stansted to Bilbao early Monday having dismantled the bikes and stowed them in padded bags.

When we retrieve the bags at the other end they will be covered in the inevitable footprints and therefore we have set aside the whole of the first day for reassembling the said bikes and looking around for a bike shop to repair the inevitable damage.

There should be time for a few San Miguels before we turn in ready for the Picos Mountains on Tuesday Hasta el lunes (until Monday) STEVE THEAKER