London to Paris Bike Ride

Once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in a sponsored cycle from London to Paris with 5 time Tour De France winner Miguel Indurain, who will be joining on the last day of the ride. All money raised will be distributed to over 60 sports related projects that Laureus support assisting the charity with tackling a range of social issues such as social exclusion, gun and gang violence and conflict resolution. To find out more about what the foundation does go to: www.laureus.com/foundation.

Miguel Indurain accomplished one of the greatest feats in cycling when he became the first man to win the Tour de France, the world’s premier distance cycling event, five times in succession. At the time the only other cycling greats to have won the Tour five times were Jacques Anquetil, Eddie Merckx and Bernard Hinault, but none of them managed to post their wins in a row. His achievement has only ever been surpassed by Lance Armstrong.

Indurain’s extraordinary exploits made him one of Spain’s greatest sportsman; his indomitable strength and the respect he showed both his fellow competitors and fans, made him one of the most popular cyclists of all time.

Indurain, who was born in a small village in the Spanish province of Navarra, began cycling in his home region. He became a cadet cyclist under the Spanish federation in ‘78 and, as an amateur, was Spanish champion in ‘83. The following year, he turned professional, but had an inauspicious start, dropping out of the Tour in ‘85 and ‘86. However he improved year by year, eventually finishing 10th in ’90.

After his breakthrough win in ‘91, he went onto dominate the Tour over the next five years, propelling him to the position he now occupies in the annals of international cycling. In ‘94, Indurain set a world hour record of over 54 km/hr and, in ‘96 he won gold at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in the individual time trial.

He is unequivocally one of the greatest cyclists of all time and this is your chance to ride with him!

Itinerary
Day 1 – London to Portsmouth
100kms/63 miles

We meet early on Thursday morning at Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands, Weybridge. Following a short welcome meeting, we make our way out of town along small country roads to our lunch spot in the heart of rural Surrey. We pass through the prettiest of villages, along small roads, heading up and over the North Downs, to our tea break before dinner. Accommodation is in a local hotel in Portsmouth.


Day 2 – Caen to Bernay
100kms/63 miles

We take the 7am ferry departure from Portsmouth, having breakfast on board. We arrive in the village of Ouistreham, France, near Caen, before mid-day. We head off into the French countryside with a fabulous picnic lunch just a couple of hours away. As we pass tiny hamlets, rustic farmhouses and fields of horses we end our day’s cycling in the historical town of Bernay, heralded for its medieval buildings.


Day 3 – Bernay to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris
163kms/100miles

The final morning is another early start to give time for our 100 mile day! We pass fields of sunflowers and corn and stop for refreshments in tranquil little villages along the way. The route takes us past the large town of Evreux, before once again passing through the undulating hills towards the Palace of Versailles, former home of the French Monarchy. We rest here before embarking on the last leg of the journey that will take us all the way to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris. We celebrate our ride with dinner at a restaurant in Paris.


Day 4 – Free Day!

Make the most of all that Paris has to offer before taking the Eurostar back to St Pancras at 4pm. Travel times to other European destinations may vary.

For more information contact Tom Soper (tom.soper@laureus.com) on 0207 514 2799