I will be taking part in the Marie Curie Cancer Care Cycle from London to Paris and see the final day of the Tour de France

This long weekend challenge links two great European cities, London and Paris, covering around 300km in just three days. And what's more, we will have the chance to see the cyclists ride in for the finale of the amazing Tour de France. I will be enjoying the cycling experience of a lifetime.

Help me to raise vital funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care whilst cycling through historic towns, sleepy villages and rolling countryside towards the city’s most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower.

The Itinerary

Day 1: London – Dover | 116km

Our starting point is the London borough of Bexley. It’s an early start through the built up streets of south-east London and north Kent.

There is likely to be a lot of traffic around so we’ll cycle slowly, single file and keep close together. We will regroup following this first section out of London.

After 16 miles/26km we reach the city of Rochester, home to the second oldest cathedral in Britain and and once home to Charles Dickens.

From this stage of the day our surroundings start to become less built up and congested. We cycle on narrow, winding roads with high hedgerows either side.

Much of the route from Rochester onwards is through small towns and villages along the edge of the North Downs; a designated 'Area of Outstanding Beauty', and over the Pilgrims Way; a route used by pilgrims on their way from Winchester to Canterbury. Having cycled a large chunk of today’s distance, we stop for lunch.

After lunch we continue cycling on small roads, there will be uneven surfaces and some pot-holes. We head up to the cliff top where we take a break and enjoy the spectacular views across the seaside town of Folkestone and the English Channel.

We cycle along the cliff tops all the way to Dover, where we will board the evening ferry to Calais (we will push our bikes onto the ferry) and have dinner. In Calais we meet the coach to take us to the hotel in Dieppe.

Before we transfer, we will move our bags from the support vehicle onto the coach, and the bikes will be loaded onto the support vehicle. We check in to our hotel in Dieppe just after midnight.

Day 2

Dieppe – Gournay en Bray | 88km
After a hearty breakfast, we set off through Dieppe, an old fashioned port town nestled between two limestone cliffs. The streets are likely to be crowded due to the traditional Saturday street market.

Within 2½km we are into the pretty Normandy countryside, passing through typically French villages along the way.

The route to our first stop in the village of Torcy le Grand is gently undulating. The terrain is similar for the next stretch to the centre of Saint Saens, with its pretty central square and church, and shortly after we will stop for lunch in the hilltop village of St Martin Osmonville. From there we encounter a few uphill sections - some longer and more challenging than others.From Bosque Eveline (51km into the day) the route undulates again. The last stretch of cycling is another succession of sleepy villages along quiet roads. The terrain continues to be undulating with an uphill stretch that affords beautiful views of Saint Aubert-en-Bray and Onse-en-Bray.

 We will spend the night in Gournay en Bray, a picturesque town.

Day 3

Gournay en Bray – Eiffel Tower, Paris | 107km
We leave Gournay en Bray, in a south-easterly direction, bound for Paris and a beautiful day's cycling. Normandy is known for its bocage, farmland criss-crossed with hedges and trees and we are soon cycling amongst this type of rural landscape.

We pass through numerous villages this morning and see the locals heading to and from church. The terrain is mainly undulating with some short climbs.

As we progress through the day, our surroundings start to change as we enter the suburbs of Paris. We stop for lunch after having cycled around 40km. After lunch we enter a forested area known as Le Parc aux Etoiles for about 3km. From there it’s a steep descent towards the River Seine.

We cross the river over a bridge close to Poissy. This is a main road and there is likely to be traffic. Once through Poissy we head uphill through more forest on a designated bike lane. When we come to St Germain-en-Laye we cross the Seine once more, the river having swept round from where we crossed it before. We encounter a succession of traffic lights and roundabouts before crossing the river once again.

The route is mainly uphill with one very steep climb followed by a long downhill.

The next bridge we cross takes us into the Bois de Boulogne on the western edge of Paris. The designer of these woods took his inspiration from London’s Hyde Park. Today it is home to the French Open tennis tournament and two horse racing tracks – we pass both of these venues on our route through the park. We re-group inside the park for the final stretch of cycling.

We exit this pretty expanse of green together at Place de la Porte de Passy. From there the excitement starts to mount as we cycle along the wide Parisian boulevards towards our final destination.

We cross the Pont d’Iena and straight ahead of us is the Eiffel Tower, Paris’ most impressive and recognisable landmark. It is here that we celebrate the end of this memorable ride. It’s then a short cycle to our hotel, to freshen up and enjoy a celebratory meal together to toast the end of our weekend challenge.