I did it! On Sunday, July 6th I raced over stage 10 of this year's Tour de France; 169 km of mountain roads in the Pyrenees. It was pouring with rain all day, most of the climbs were actually in the clouds and the highest peak was liberally covered in cow muck -  yum yum! For me, only 8 hours and 51 minutes of hell! 

I finished 4,916th of the 6,178 who completed the course, having probably spent longer than was absolutely necessary contemplating the meaning of life by the side of the road... and I'm none the wiser. The winner of our event finished in 5 hours 38 minutes. And the pros? Winning time of 4 hours 19 minutes - but hey, they had a nice sunny day!

I'm aiming to raise at least £1500 for Racing Welfare - we're well on the way, please give us a hand!

It's not about the bike! Nor is it about me... you probably don't need an excuse to make a donation to Racing Welfare, but if you do, this is it!

What is Racing Welfare? Racing Welfare is recognised as Racing’s leading welfare charity, supporting all the unsung heroes who form the backbone of the racing industry. These include not just stud and stable staff, but also gallop men and racecourse staff. I chose this charity because they look after those working behind the scenes who may not be helped by more high profile racing charities.

Who am I? Charlie Elsey, a 49 year old, possibly overweight former racehorse trainer turned mad-for-it cyclist and director of Stable IT.

What's the event? L'Etape du Tour - every year 8,000 amateur cyclists get to race over one of the mountain stages of the Tour de France, a few days before the pros.

The 2008 race is about 105 miles through the Pyrennees, from Pau via Lourdes (no time to pray for a miracle)  to Hautacam. After the 25 mile climb up the Col du Tourmalet (highest road pass in the Pyrennees - miracle required about here!) the race finishes with an 8 mile climb to the ski resort at Hautacam.

How hard is it? It's one of the hardest days of the Tour de France, the toughest pro cycling event there is... how hard do you think it is?

Often 40% of the entrants in l'Etape du Tour don't finish in time...

Will I finish? The pros will do the course in about 4.5 - 5 hours. The amateurs are allowed 10.5 hours - I hope to finish in around 9 hours, even if I have to walk!

I've been training since the New Year, and I'm in better shape than when I started. My training peaked on June 8th with the 125 mile ride from Highclere to the Meon Valley and back - painful but completed!

Please support Racing Welfare. I hope to raise at least £1500 from my day of suffering in aid of Racing Welfare and the outstanding work it does to help those working, past and present, in the thoroughbred industry...

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Racing Welfare 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.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support.

Charlie Elsey