We’re heading towards the Alps and Tyrol, with a great group of six riders taking on the roads of France, Belgium and beyond to Austria and Italy.

The going was all good as we climbed, enjoying the views and the increasingly dramatic road. That was until a Volvo decided to stop mid-turn, with me directly behind it and nowhere else to go. So I did what I could and stepped off the bike, leaving it to gently rest on its side at turn 6. Thankfully, it was nothing serious. Just a scratch, and the bike was sitting there with its wheels in the air! It could have been a lot worse.

All was going smoothly, until we got stuck behind a flatbed that had managed to get itself stuck on a hairpin! What followed was highly entertaining. The crew had to unload a tarmac remover machine, somehow negotiate the awkward corner, and then reload the machine again. It wasn't exactly the smoothest way to tackle a mountain hairpin, but it provided plenty of amusement for those of us waiting behind.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is one of the great motorcycle roads in the Austrian Alps, climbing to 2,571 metres at the Edelweiss Spitze viewpoint. As we climbed higher, the scenery became utterly breathtaking. This is exactly the sort of road you come to the Alps to ride. Huge mountain landscapes, sweeping bends and spectacular views at every turn. And with the morning sun shining, the conditions couldn't have been much better.

400km. France and Belgium. Met my merry band of moto misfits and mischief makers at Ashford Services at the crack of dawn, and promptly...