Whats the Challenge and The Route.
THE CHALLENGE
On the 27th June 2015 at 8:30pm BST, 10 cyclists will be attempting to cycle from London to Paris in just 24 hours. The team will start at Marble Arch in central London and finished cycling along the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe - a mere 265miles!
This is was not an organised charity event and therefore as a team they have decided to support a local charity.
Given the timings and the Ferry crossing this will see the team needing to maintain constant average speed of 15mph, whilst tackling issues of traffic, weather, nutrition and the lack of sleep.
THE ROUTE
In England
London to Dover: 80 miles
Stage 1:
London to Sittingbourne
Stage 2:
Sittingbourne to Dover
Ferry
Dover to Calais by Ferry
In France
Calais to Paris: 185 miles
Stage 3:
Calais to Flechin
Stage 4:
Flechin to Doullens
Stage 5:
Doullens to Crevecoeur-le-Grand
Stage 6:
Crevecoeur-le-Grand to Pontoise
Stage 7:
Pontoise to Paris
Blogs:
Dave Schindler's Blog of the Ride
I would like now to tell you that I loved every moment of the ride and that it was far easier than I imagined but this would be pure lies!!
The ride started a little later than planned due to traffic and the fact that London Pride was on the same day, so by the time we set off, and Adam has built his bike, we were already 45minutes behind schedule. The joys of London Traffic continued and we slowly made our way out toward the A2, as dusk set we found ourselves reaching Kent and despite publishing the routes on here I didn’t realise that we were going down the side of the A2 or how big the A2 is, (4 lanes of what essentially is a motorway). Some scared times and despite the rubbish on the hard shoulder only one puncture for the entire team. – This would as it happen is the only mechanical on the trip!
We made some time up on arriving in Sittingbourne and decided to have a quick stop and push on as the ferry wouldn’t wait for us! So by this time Darkness has fell and we continued and soon found the next stretch of dual carriageway but this time with the joys of the support van shielding us from behind.
We some how arrived in Dover slightly ahead of time.
Loading the bikes and boarding appears easy, and some giggles had as we passed passports to the front, and the funny ones around the bus! Then a change of clothes and food, before using my foam roller first as a pillow and then to ease the stiffness out the legs!
The journey restarted in France the weather was still warm 15degrees at 5am. The Journey through France is pretty much a blur of hills, climbs and heat. My memories are of club cyclists out giving words of encouragement and also us trying to convince some French cyclist to come to Paris. In broken English and French his parting message was with a shake of the head – No No Parie, Silly. The temperature by mid-day was reaching 36/37 degrees and there was no shade and no place to hide on the bike. Stops increased merely to reload water and get going again. I’m told in France we went through 130litres of water. The 3rd French stage was hard just because of the heat, being a tad over 15st I was in a dark place as were many others and this is where friendships and a sense of team came through.
In Le Grand there was the most amazing sight I have ever seen, by the van was a natural well with the pump handle which squirt out ice cold water. We bathed our head and caps to try and cool down. This was the only time doubt started appearing in the team of the time limit, after we had lost time through stage 5. We were told fundraising had reached £6300, therefore in my head I had 6300 reason we needed to make this.
The rest of the ride was going well with the heat continuing to take its toll, but maintaining the average speed, which with the afternoon progressing was creating some breeze which helped. Well until this climb appeared, that just looked like something from the tour. There was a look around and the sound of “we will regroup at the top”. The group split down and I found myself on my own. The first time on the ride with my own thoughts and the first time I thought will I make it up this climb without walking. (May have been quicker but my thoughts went back to the reasons why we were doing this and my uphill battle became insignificant as I knew this would end, and I’d be okay).
The ride and the evening came to a close as we entered slowly into Paris with the large building creating some much need shade and made temperature drop. It felt as so we were aimlessly weaving through streets, when we took a right, and in keeping with the rest of the ride at the top of a small cobbly climb was the Arc in its glory with the sun beaming down on it, like god had put on the spot light to say it’s here guys.
Climbing the final cobbles I could feel myself welling up from what we had achieved, and a sense of accomplishment, which seemed far from where I was 12 months previous with cycling and dreading a 110mile ride, and yet to have completed a sportive. Standing by the Arc bike a lofted – I was a proud man or myself and the team.
Pete had truly micro organised a fine challenge, and the support team where amazing and I will be forever grateful. Without the organisation and support we would have been 10 roasted turkey’s somewhere in the middle of Northern France. Thank you all for amazing memories!!
I would like now to tell you that I loved every moment of the ride and that it was far easier than I imagined but this would be pure lies!!
The ride started a little later than planned due to traffic and the fact that London Pride was on the same day, so by the time we set off, and Adam has built his bike, we were already 45minutes behind schedule. The joys of London Traffic continued and we slowly made our way out toward the A2, as dusk set we found ourselves reaching Kent and despite publishing the routes on here I didn’t realise that we were going down the side of the A2 or how big the A2 is, (4 lanes of what essentially is a motorway). Some scared times and despite the rubbish on the hard shoulder only one puncture for the entire team. – This would as it happen is the only mechanical on the trip!
We made some time up on arriving in Sittingbourne and decided to have a quick stop and push on as the ferry wouldn’t wait for us! So by this time Darkness has fell and we continued and soon found the next stretch of dual carriageway but this time with the joys of the support van shielding us from behind.
We some how arrived in Dover slightly ahead of time.
Loading the bikes and boarding appears easy, and some giggles had as we passed passports to the front, and the funny ones around the bus! Then a change of clothes and food, before using my foam roller first as a pillow and then to ease the stiffness out the legs!
The journey restarted in France the weather was still warm 15degrees at 5am. The Journey through France is pretty much a blur of hills, climbs and heat. My memories are of club cyclists out giving words of encouragement and also us trying to convince some French cyclist to come to Paris. In broken English and French his parting message was with a shake of the head – No No Parie, Silly. The temperature by mid-day was reaching 36/37 degrees and there was no shade and no place to hide on the bike. Stops increased merely to reload water and get going again. I’m told in France we went through 130litres of water. The 3rd French stage was hard just because of the heat, being a tad over 15st I was in a dark place as were many others and this is where friendships and a sense of team came through.
In Le Grand there was the most amazing sight I have ever seen, by the van was a natural well with the pump handle which squirt out ice cold water. We bathed our head and caps to try and cool down. This was the only time doubt started appearing in the team of the time limit, after we had lost time through stage 5. We were told fundraising had reached £6300, therefore in my head I had 6300 reason we needed to make this.
The rest of the ride was going well with the heat continuing to take its toll, but maintaining the average speed, which with the afternoon progressing was creating some breeze which helped. Well until this climb appeared, that just looked like something from the tour. There was a look around and the sound of “we will regroup at the top”. The group split down and I found myself on my own. The first time on the ride with my own thoughts and the first time I thought will I make it up this climb without walking. (May have been quicker but my thoughts went back to the reasons why we were doing this and my uphill battle became insignificant as I knew this would end, and I’d be okay).
The ride and the evening came to a close as we entered slowly into Paris with the large building creating some much need shade and made temperature drop. It felt as so we were aimlessly weaving through streets, when we took a right, and in keeping with the rest of the ride at the top of a small cobbly climb was the Arc in its glory with the sun beaming down on it, like god had put on the spot light to say it’s here guys.
Climbing the final cobbles I could feel myself welling up from what we had achieved, and a sense of accomplishment, which seemed far from where I was 12 months previous with cycling and dreading a 110mile ride, and yet to have completed a sportive. Standing by the Arc bike a lofted – I was a proud man or myself and the team.
Pete had truly micro organised a fine challenge, and the support team where amazing and I will be forever grateful. Without the organisation and support we would have been 10 roasted turkey’s somewhere in the middle of Northern France. Thank you all for amazing memories!!