24 cyclists ride from Henley to Paris for schools and charity

A GROUP of cyclists raised almost £50,000 by cycling non-stop from Henley to Paris.

The 24 riders left Trinity Primary School at 10.15am on Friday and completed the 214-mile (345km) journey to the French capital on Saturday afternoon.

They were raising money for the school, Gillotts School and the Chiltern Centre in Henley.

The team included parents from both schools, cycling enthusiasts and Olympic sculler Alan Campbell.

They wore their bright blue jerseys with a rainbow design and the names of their sponsors.

As they left the school in Vicarage Road, they were cheered by scores of pupils, staff and families as well as Mayor Rory Hunt.

Children waved handmade “good luck” posters as the cyclists did a lap of the playground before leaving by cycling along Hamilton Avenue towards the town centre and then the bridge on their way to the south coast.

Their first stop was the Velolife café in Twyford, where they split into three groups.

The cyclists stopped every 50km to rehydrate and eat as they headed to Newhaven in East Sussex to catch a ferry to Dieppe.

They struggled to sleep on the boat during the night due to the rough sea conditions. After landing in France, they spent the day riding through the countryside in challenging weather before finally arriving at the Eiffel Tower at 4.30pm. The riders were supported by two support vehicles carrying supplies.

Trinity parent Tom Potter, 47, of St Mark’s Road, Henley, said: “It was a great ride, although I am a bit sore and the weather was not as kind as it could have been.

“The really special moment was leaving the playground — it was incredible to see all the children with their signs and giving us
high-fives.

“When we stopped at Twyford a few of the dads had tears in their eyes because it was such a special moment.

“The ferry crossing was quite rough and people struggled to sleep. The scenery through the northern French countryside was absolutely stunning even in less than brilliant sunshine.

“There was a really strong head wind in the UK and France, which made riding harder. We managed to miss most of the big rain on the UK side but coming into Paris the heavens opened.

“Cycling up the Champs-Elysées was an experience. It was cobbled so hard to ride on and navigating all the traffic was a challenge.

“We were rewarded with steak and frites at the end. We took the Eurostar back as we couldn’t cycle any more. It was a wonderful experience and many friendships have been made.

“We have raised nearly £40,000, which is incredible.” Mr Potter used to be a governor at Trinity, where his wife Kate is a teaching assistant and his son Ted, seven, is a pupil. His daughters Kitty, 13, and Betty, 11, also went there.

He said: “The school is run by experts who are incredibly good but they do not get enough money from the Government. Fundraising helps them give the best education to the children.

“The Chiltern Centre does a wonderful job helping families of young adults with disabilities.”

Charlotte Whittle, headteacher at Trinity Primary School, said: “We are extremely grateful to the riders. The funds raised will go towards making the education we provide at Trinity extra special and giving the children additional experiences to enhance their learning. This is a wonderful effort from our parent body and a shining example of our school vision as the riders ‘shine in service to the community’.”

The other riders were Simon Wedd, Tim Spriggs, Ian Ringer, John Groat, Julian McLean, Simon Hughes, Luciano Candilio, Tom Grange, Alan Campbell, Alick Freeman, Joe Clark, Will Wright, Jim Ackerley, Mark Gibbon, Ben Walsh, Graeme Gilbert, Barnaby Cole, Justin Fielder, Orlando Taylor, Dickie Thompson, Ben Walder and Spencer Shepherd.

The sponsors were Gabriel Machin butchers, Jarvis Lifetime Pension, the Henley Coaching Partnership, Amber Galleries, Henley Cycles, the Hidden Garden, Henley Self Storage, Henley Practice, Luscombes restaurant and local start-up Brix.

Match-funding was provided by Invesco and Microsoft.