Tour de Charlie '15 - Paris to Hemel June 20, 2015 00:00

A dedicated team of cyclists took to the saddle in June 2015 to mount an epic cycle ride from Paris to Hemel Hempstead, raising over £10,000 for Charlie’s Gift. The 19 - strong team of friends, known as Charlie’s Heroes undertook this amazing challenge, riding a phenomenal 220 miles in just four days!

The intrepid team of cyclists, headed up by our Trustees Jason, Kyle and David, assembled beneath the iconic Eiffel Tower on Thursday 11th June, before waving ‘Au revoir’ to Paris and beginning their mounmental cycling challenge through rural France. From Paris the team made their way north over the river Seine and up into the Normandy countryside. Two days later and with 120 gruelling miles under their belts, the ‘heroic’ bunch finally made it to Dieppe for their ferry crossing to the U.K.

Back on English soil, the team mustered up all their pedal-power to tackle the peaks and troughs of the unforgiving Sussex Downs, taking in the steep incline of the infamous Ditchling Beacon! For the next two days the saddle-sore cyclists took on 100 miles of Great British roads, tracks and tow-paths of London and the Home Counties, before reaching their final destination of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire on Sunday 14th June!

Trustee Jason had this to say about their Anglo-French cycling challenge, ‘We have had an amazing few days of cycling through France and the U.K and I couldn’t have wished for a more fantastic group of guys to ride with. At times it felt as though the terrain would beat us, but through sheer determination we all made it safely home.’

Jason also added this about their fundraising efforts 'I am delighted about the amount we have raised for Charlie’s Gift. £10,000 will make such a difference the number of children we can now support locally with grants. I’d like to thank everyone who has donated’.

(Day 1) Thursday 11th June - Paris to Gournay–En-Bray

Our intrepid group of cyclists will be setting out bright and early from beneath the iconic Eiffel Tower, hopefully all managing to stick to the cycle tracks around Paris and not ending up in the Seine! Unlike last year’s rather ‘soggy’ cycle challenge, which saw numerous canal-plunges when our Heroes took on the unforgiving Grand Union Canal towpaths of the U.K. The group will then be making their way 75 miles north to rest their weary legs overnight in Gournay-En-Bray.

(Day 2) Friday 12th June - Gournay–En-Bray to Dieppe 

No lie-ins for our Heroes as today they will be cycling against the clock, negotiating 50 miles of tractor and sheep-filled lanes of the Normandy countryside, in time to make their ferry crossing from Dieppe at 4.30pm! 

(Day 3) Saturday 13th June - Newhaven to London

Back in Angleterre with an overnight stay in Newhaven the guys will need to muster up all their pedal power to tackle the peaks and troughs of the Sussex Downs. After 70 miles of Great British roads and tracks, our cyclists will reach London, for their final night of the trip. 

(Day 4) Sunday 14th June - London to Hemel Hempstead

It’s not over yet for our saddle-sore cyclists! Homeward bound, the guys will make their way back through the Home Counties via the towpaths of Grand Union canal (again!), to reach their final destination of Hemel Hempstead some time on Sunday afternoon.