We are delighted that we achieved all of our goals for our Tour de France in spite of some unhelpful weather : we stayed safe, completed the course, enjoyed it, and raised some charity funds in the process.
It was an amazing experience. The day dawned as 9000 cyclists were assembled in the starting area with thunder and lightening and rain ! The weather dried up a little over the first 60 miles of relatively flat terrain, but as we started the first 15 mile climb (Tourmalet) we quickly ascended into thick cloud which meant no spectacular views from the top - too bad ! Descending was a very fast 22 miles downhill, but extremely cold in the chilling mist with teeth chattering and arms shaking. Luckily the second mountain (Hautacam) beckoned for the last 8 miles of uphill work which warmed us up again though still shrouded in thick cloud. Job done !
We finished in a time of 8 hours 38 minutes, placed 4367th and 4368th overall out of 9000 riders, and have raised lots of money so far for our chosen charities.
The professional Tour de France riders will follow the same route from Pau to Hautcam on Monday 14th July, and the TV coverage should be on ITV4 at 7pm. There you will see everything - but they will finish considerably faster than we managed to, and hopefully have better weather too !
Thanks again,
Helen and Mike
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Thank you for visiting our fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor us online.
We are looking forward to our Etape du Tour with an equal mixture of excitement and anxiety ! It will be 103 miles cycling in the Pyrennees with two mountains to climb (2 miles vertical ascent) and all in under 8 hours. We've trained hard through the wind, rain, snow, sleet, gales, ice, drizzle, hail, and more recently a few milder and sunnier days ! We are supporting Peach as it does so much to help children and families affected by autism, and the people behind it are skilled and determined enough to make it happen. Please help us to help Peach !
So please sponsor us now, it will make a difference to us in our training and on the day, and to people with autism for the duration of their lives.
Many thanks for your support,
Helen & Mike
ps. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Peach will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
