mooleur

Well here I am, all recovered and ready to get back into training following the 2013 HotChillee London to Paris ride. Yes, that's over 100 miles a day for three days, finishing in epic style alongside 400 odd fellow velocipedes along the Champs Élysées, finishing up to a huge reception under the Eiffel Tower. It was quite the experience, completely different to the adventure of the Alps, so here goes; It's Wednesday afternoon and my friend Mark and I arrive with bikes and bags at Imber Court, we're relatively early but the start line is already busy with energy and excitement. I chat to my fellow cyclists and ride captains, swap advice and prep my bike ready to put in the lockup for the morning. My hands, by this point, are already shaking with nerves. We're greeted with a fantastic opening speech by the HotChillee guys, introducing the likes of Fondriest, the two Mansells, Downing and Roche and also some guys who I have grown to appreciate over course of the event s...

About time for an update on my endless plight to seeking glory! Let's not beat around the bush, how's the racing going? Well, I'll start from the beginning and work my way up. I'd like to cover as much as I can if anything to help encourage any ladies out there that might be feeling a bit too nervous to take the plunge. I posted about my first couple of races a few months ago, a big crash on a warmup lap and some end of table finishes - pretty unspectacular start. So far I've not come last place yet, which to me is an achievement in it's own. I've raced alongside some truly amazing women such as the likes of Boddy and Barnes from MG Maxifuel, the CTC and Wyndymilla girls, could go on but really I'm namedropping.... it's quite something to be able to say I've competed with women at this level! That's one thing I will credit the small competitive field for, it gives us newbies a fairly humbling chance to try our hand at riding with the wom...

Hey guys! Random earlier than normal but actually still late post. For those of you that don't know, I'm riding to Paris on the HotChillee Londres-Paris bike ride in two weeks, in the very same works team that got me on the bike in the first place. Last year we managed to raise a couple of grand for UK Youth, a charity which does great work with many disadvantaged but bright and talented kids across Britain. The ride itself is over 300 miles long and lasts for three days, it's tough and it's lumpy and I can tell you now my bum is going to HURT. We finish up in Paris for a Grand-Tour style mass finish which is sure to be absolutely thrilling. Luckily I've been placed into Group 2, this means I can attempt to contend for the women's GC, which should be interesting and very challenging! Let's not diverge from the real matter at hand though, many people are doing this huge challenge because they are trying to raise awareness for their chosen charities, ...