Most Inspirational Moment
On day 2 we had a 26 kilometer climb followed by a 30 kilometer decent, tbh I was a bit worried about the climb as I had never done anything like that before, I didn't need to be worried, the way I felt standing next to the tizi n test pass sign is unexplainable, a true highlight of my life so far, and the realization that I am cabable of that was off the chart. This is just one inspirational moment, there were lots. :)
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Ritchie was ace, he loves cycling and bikes so this wasn't just a job to him, he was very passionate about cycling, would spend his lunch breaks doing running repairs to keep the bikes in ship shape condition. He was also very good at inspiring you to get the best out of yourself, if you were happy taking in the scenery, he would leave you to it but if you like to push yourself out of your comfort zone and work on your technique and fitness he would see this and give you endless hints and tips and get you to challenge yourself. he even had a few of us having a little drafting race with each other that left us all buzzing like never before :) I would also like to add that we met the atlas decent leader Liz one night and her enthusiasm matched Ritchie's, it is very clear these guys just love what they do.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I would say just do it. I took my own shoes and pedals but don't feel this is necessary, it was my personal preference but plenty of people did it with trainers just the same. There's not to much I can say about the required fitness for the trip, it is a cycling holiday after all but peice of mind can be had with the knowledge that you can sit in a backup vehicle any time, but, and this is a big but, the fitter you are then you are more likely to get to the checkpoint first which gives you the first choice of the ace Moroccan chocolate bars.