Cycle to Cannes 2011 completed

What I need to do is upload one seriously large amount of photos and extra text now I'm back on a seat that's more than 4 inches wide and with a qwerty keyboard.  Headlines are that Team Aedas crossed the finish line on Tuesday afternoon.  Overjoyed and exhausted.  I'm proud and humbled to say I completed every stage.  1500km.  Mentally and physically an exhausting task and without doubt the hardest thing I have ever done.  A personal thanks to the sponsors who so kindly supported this worthwhile charity event.  Desso, Mosa Tiles, RLB and those who also made personal contributions.  This generous sponsorship has secured well over 1 Million pounds for charity.  This is beyond doubt, truly epic and will have wide reaching positive effects for those less fortunate and in need of a hand.  Thank you to family, friends and colleagues, old and new.  A truly successful and positive Cycle to Cannes 2011.

Rolled into Dijon at around twenty hundred, sorry cant make French keyboard do numbers.  A real slog today, completed every stage since we left the uk so really feeling it.  Breaks are really short, five minutes if you are doing the whole day and a twenty minute lunch.  Thats literally a pee break as discrete as possible, get water, eat a banana and get other goodies for the route.  Weather has been glorious, sunny bright days, day break over champagne region was great.  It gets cold in about two minutes once the sun drops for the day.  The motorcycle outriders performed another sterling effort and shut down roads for us to roll into our final stop in Dijon.  Beef stew and chips.  Now bed.

French Connection

French Connection did an advertising canpainge `this is the man` In fact its this cool customer.  Kieran from Rapha and fellow cyclist.  Met up with us yesterday for a quick brew or three before we set off.  Saved my bacon with some really nice Rapha goodies so I can have a proper crack at doing this event.  Really appreciated as it was freezing closer to the channel.  Will be testing a few products as I go but with this riding its a pleasure to put sonething on that you know is going to perform and be comfortable for hours in the saddle.  Tomorrow Im looking for comfort and fit for 13 hours.  Keep you posted.

Day One

Technology is against me on this one, I think they have a dial up connection in Northern France or everyone is blogging it up this evening.  Even the keyboard is against me, its not qwerty, its azerty.  Keys all over the place.  First leg complete.  Early start from the flat at the Barbican. Left at 7 after a quick bite to eat and couple of good strong coffees. First task of the day, to get 2 bikes, 2 boxes and around 40kg of kit to Greenwich park tea room. Freezing cold on arrival. A nice warming coffee and supportive words from the Aedas marketing team, thank you. A few snaps, some words from Nick Hanmer and the teams and were off. Steady pace towards the coast. Generally cloud cover with a couple of warmly welcomed rays of sunshine.  The peloton slowly shaping up, weve got days to work on that, with team leaders doing a great job to keep us in shape. The motorcycle out riders did a fantastic job, superb to roll through lights and over roundabouts in one tight pack with the outriders looking after our safety. Very tour de France. Cold winds blast us on the final approach to Folkestone and the pace really picks up. Glad of The extra baselayers, thank you Rapha. Pulling up to the hotel, so far so good.

Evening beforebefore

Typing this on a phone is no mean feat but here we are. Stop over in London before the off tomorrow at 9am. A quiet chuckle to myself as my buddy Kate does the sensible thing of a quick read i tap around on a phone trying to second guess what Im trying to spell, crazy. Should be reading something but Ill push on. All packed and were ready to go. Two taxis booked. Phone buzzing with each key press. Its time for bed.

Countdown

Tomorrow evening we travel to London for an overnight stay before an early start from Greenwich on Thursday morning, register 7.30, set of 9am.  Bikes are already residing in London with some kit so its just an alarming amount of personal affects to lug down tomorrow evening.  Weather has got surprisingly cold over the past couple of days so lets see how we bear up in Northern France.

Interface FLOR

A big thank you to Helen Field, Interface FLOR who has kindly sponsored the Cycle to Cannes event and my pending exertions.  Thank you very much for your support of this event.  Fantastic.

The Snaps

Lovely font

The rabble

Estates Gazette Update

(photos Di Jarvis, © Cycle to Cannes)

German Gymnasium, 3 weeks to go

Riders meet at the German Gymnasium, Kings cross for a bacon buttie and chat with 3 weeks to the off.  A few snaps to follow with next blog.  Estates Gazette video diary below.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid38780360001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAEBSEKE~,WufPw0pqWJjC9jTcghU_0Tr0MWLVE4om&bclid=37450169001&bctid=782675583001

Sponsorship

Thank you to property and construction consultants Rider Levett Bucknall who are supporting the ride.  This is fantastic news for Cycle to Cannes 2011.

Mark Weaver, managing partner for Rider Levett Bucknall in Birmingham added: “Rider Levett Bucknall is delighted to be part of such an amazing initiative that will attract much fun, attention and raise money for charity at the same time.”

Sponsors

A big thank you has to go to two major sponsors who have kindly aligned themselves with this major event.  Desso and Mosa Tiles.  Well known and respected, it is fantastic news that such strong companies with robust portfolios are involved with Cycle to Cannes 2011.

Partner in crime

Representing Aedas we also have my buddy, Kate Eagle, marketing coordinator and organiser of the ever successful 'Aedas Presents' events that run every month.  Coming up tomorrow (10th) we have http://www.aedas.com/Asia/News/Aedas-Presents-Shadow-Maps
Kate has participated in a range of sporting conquest including a Triathlon in Barcelona and is an avid fitness fan, running, cycling, swimming.  Makes me feel tired typing it.  Kate will be pace setting and leading the peloton throughout... 

The Charities

C2C's main objective is to raise money and awareness for 5 main charities that event sponsorship and backing of family, friends and companies alike will greatly benefit from.
The charities,
LandAid
Tom's Trust
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Multiple System Atrophy Trust
Article 25
More details http://www.cycle2cannes.org/charities.php

C2C 2010 Review pics



   




 

 

 



  

Bike aquired

A big thanks to Gavin, 'Spinwell', http://spinwell.co.uk/  Managed to strike an agreement and lovely bike acquired that I'm sure is up to the task, its just whether I am.  Gavin was looking for a new project so the Pinarello FP1 was up for grabs, with a heavy heart I think.  Gavin, again a big thanks as I was in a bind, you really helped me out with this one; strapped for cash since Christmas, this managed to just slide in.  I owe you a few drinks.  Cheers Gavin.  All; click through to the website, really nice low key affair with some tasty merchandise to boot. 

Begin

3 weeks ago I was invited to cycle from London to Cannes and initially saying yes with only a track bike as mode of transport, the search was on for something with two brakes and gears; quiet realisation that doing this fixed wouldn't be the best idea. 

Ebay, although exciting and a chance to own a classic proved fruitless with the usual outbid scenario, mishmash of parts and worry that the classic would bust en route.  The search for something reliable, probably modern and more likely to get me from A to B starts.