On Friday 13th of September, I will be cycling into the sunset from Bordeaux to Paris with my remaing 3 (out of originally 4) "Where is the Derny" team mates and 46 other riders, aiming to complete it in under 24 hours.

Last staged in 1988, Bordeaux-Paris is one of cycling’s ‘lost classics’. Its status as the toughest one-day race in France was something of a misnomer, given a significant part of the race dubbed the ‘Derby of the Road’ took place during the night, making the near-600km parcours all the more grueling. This year marks two anniversaries in this once great race’s history. Not only is it 25 years since the race was last run, but it is also 50 years since the legendary Tom Simpson became the last Briton to win the race, the finish line in the Paris velodrome in 14 hours. To commemorate his achievement, in 2013 Rapha will be recreating this great race as the Bordeaux-Paris 2013 Challenge, a team cycling event run over the famous Bordeaux-Paris route and, crucially, ridden through the night. The aim of the ride is to raise £250,000 for Ambitious about Autism

This is where you can help me and Ambitious about Autism by digging deep. You may know someone with autism – a family member, a child of a friend or neighbor or someone in your community. The statistics are staggering:

• 1 in 5 children with autism has been excluded from school
• Over 40% of children with autism have been bullied at school
• Only 15% of adults with autism are in full time work

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you so much for your donation.