Riders make a trip from Hinckley to the Eiffel Tower
A GROUP of cyclists have ridden from Hinckley to the Eiffel Tower in France to raise funds for the Air Ambulance Service.
The 12 riders from Hinckley Cycle Racing Club spent 20 hours in the saddle as they made their way from the band stand in Argents Mead to the Paris landmark, with only one puncture along the way.
They raised about £1,300 for the good cause through paper sponsorship forms.
Their first day on the road was the longest, as they had to go 170 miles to catch the overnight ferry from Portsmouth, but they stuck to plan and reached their breakfast stop, at The Limes Farm in Farthinghoe, and their lunch stop at the Honesty cafe at Bucklebury, on time.
By then they had covered 110 miles but had another 60 to go, stopping every 20 miles or so for refreshments from their support van.
A very sharp descent took them into Portsmouth which was quite a contrast to the tranquil countryside they had previously been riding in.
The bikes were loaded into the van and the team boarded the ferry for the overnight crossing to Le Havre.
As the riders unloaded their bikes for the second leg of the journey, they made sure to remember to ride on the other side of the road and go around roundabouts anti-clockwise.
The day was already warm and set to get hotter.
Unfortunately they missed a path they needed and ended up off course, on the wrong side of the River Seine and going away from the town where they were due for their next stop.
They were hoping for a bridge to get across but there are very few across the Seine in northern Normandy and the small ferry was out of action.
Eventually they reached a suspension bridge which even had a special lane for bicycles and tractors for them to use.
A welcome break was had in La Mailleraye sur Seine in a lovely boulangerie and cafe, where they tucked into baguettes and cold drinks.
The next leg went through the Foret de la Londe-Rouvray, which provided some welcome shade from the heat of the day as well as some steep climbing but lovely descents.
After the woods, the cyclists rode on small lanes through farmland and tiny villages and stopped again in Elbouf to meet the van.
By now it was 31C and they were keen to just get to the hotel so they stuck to the main roads with the supplies van leading the way.
The hotel for the night was at Mantes-la-Jolie and they sneaked their bikes into their rooms, showered, ate and went to sleep.
They had done 110 miles were getting close.
For the final stretch, they got up early to avoid the heat of the day and any traffic and got back on the road.
They took advantage of the quiet time and stuck to the main roads, and had time for a stop in Saint Germain-en-Laye before the final few miles.
As they navigated the outskirts of the Capital, they had to stick close together until they came out by the River Seine, with the tower visible in the distance.
A few more streets and they had reached their goal, riding 315 miles and climbing 12,750 feet.
The riders who took on the challenge included Eleanor Mather, Michael Bevins, Ross Dawes, Ian Potter, Peter Bolesworth, Andy Thomas, Simon Thomas, Thomas Barnes, Peter Hobbs, Mark Leahy, Brian Wills, David Staley.
Stuart Pope drove the van for the trip. and support