Our Business Excellence Manager, Phil Stocker, is spending the next few days cycling the long journey from London to Paris to raise funds for Rowcroft Hospice. We'll post updates of his journey here.
London to Paris Day One
Le Grand Depart. 197 of us left Selsdon Park Hotel in South London at 7.15am this morning under cloudless skies. Watch out Chris Froome: we're out to catch you. On y va!
Halfway to Dover already! 10.45am and time for lunch...
Actually no cake was eaten... A nice healthy rice/pasta salad instead.
Now 58 miles in and still smiling.
Now at Dover. Long way to come for a beach! And they're better than this in Dorset and Somerset. Those cliffs could do with a clean as well...
Can we go on this ferry please? And perhaps a bit further than Calais...
Just enough time for an ice cream. Of course, this is why crossbar bags were invented!
London to Paris Day Two
Long day yesterday: 107 miles, making it 190 in total so far. That means only 100 to Paris. Yay!
Can we have roads this straight and empty in the UK please?
Look: healthy lunch!
Ah no wait...
How does that song go? 'Sur le pont d'Amiens...' No wait: that was Avignon.
Hotel looks a bit old-fashioned...
London to Paris Day Three
Amiens to Creil: 61 miles, making 250 in total.
Still smiling here: must be before climbing any hills…
First hill of the day
Lunch: no photo of cake today but it was awesome!
More straight, empty roads…
Biggest and best hill - yes, there is a level of insanity where it's possible to enjoy climbing hills… Baking hot as well.
London to Paris Final Day
310 miles: job done! Riding round Paris in a peloton of 200 was awesome! All the crowds were cheering and waving like we were pros (maybe some of them thought we were the pros from the Tour, finishing a day early...)
