FOUR cycling coaches have completed a gruelling 500-kilometre ride from Wokingham to Paris.
Jenny Brown, Andy Brown, John Bishop and Rob Brown cycled in memory of their friend and much-loved mountain bike coach Sully, to raise funds for Thames Valley Air Ambulance (TVAA).
The four-day challenge was inspired by Sully, who dreamed of riding to Paris with his friends before his life was tragically cut short last year.
A coach at Sprockets Cycle Club and The Summit, Swinley Forest, he was a familiar face to hundreds of young riders and their families.
The devoted husband, father of two, and friend to many was killed after being struck by a car on what should have been a joyful ‘new bike day’.
Despite the efforts of Thames Valley Air Ambulance and hospital staff, he died a week later.
Determined to fulfil his planned adventure, fellow riders Jenny Brown, Andy Brown, John Bishop and Rob Brown set off from Wokingham at dawn, intending to travel off-road as much as possible all the way to Paris.
On day one they covered 120 kilometres, reaching Brighton via Basingstoke Canal, and the South Downs Link disused railway line.
On the seafront fish and chips provided a welcome break ahead of their evening ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe.
Once in France, the terrain became increasingly demanding as the group headed inland through Normandy.
Long climbs, rock-strewn descents, rutted farm tracks, forests and river crossings tested both the fitness and the determination of the riders.
With temperatures climbing beyond 40°C, they rose at 4am to fuel up with breakfast and get moving before the worst of the heat.
“One memorable morning saw us leave Rouen before sunrise,” said Rob.
“Cycling through cool and peaceful woodland we surprised a wild boar and her piglets.
“And as the French heatwave intensified, coffee stops, village bakeries and ice lollies tucked down the backs of cycling jerseys became essential survival tactics.”
The final stage into Paris proved to be the toughest.
Forecasts warned of extreme temperatures across Europe, with conditions already approaching 30°C before breakfast.
The team altered their planned route, planning a longer lunch break and timing the ride through shaded woodland, when the sun was at its peak, before following the River Seine into the French capital.
After climbing to the Arc de Triomphe and riding down the Champs-Élysées, all four riders reached their hotel hot and exhausted, but grateful for the welcome relief of air conditioning and iced water.
They were also hugely thankful they’d arrived without a single mechanical failure.
One of Sully’s favourite sayings had always been, ‘into the woods we go’.
Searching for somewhere to celebrate, the group discovered a small Parisian bistro opposite their hotel called Au Bois Dorée – translated as ‘in the Golden Woods’.
John Bishop said: “We were elated.
“Cycling was a great way to celebrate the memory of our friend.
“And it couldn’t have been more fitting as we remembered him in Au Bois Doree.
“Into the woods we go!”
Each rider faced their own personal challenge.
Jenny Brown completed the Paris ride twice in consecutive weeks, first on-road and then off-road.
Andy Brown battled intense heat throughout the journey.
Cyclocross coach John Bishop rode despite a suspected hand fracture sustained just two weeks before departure.
And Rob Brown tackled four consecutive days that each exceeded his previous longest-ever ride, while overcoming jet lag from a business trip to the United States.
The team has so far raised close to £3000 in vital funds for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, whose critical care crew attended Sully following his collision.
Unlike NHS ambulance services, Thames Valley Air Ambulance receives no government or lottery funding and relies entirely on public donations to deliver lifesaving emergency care across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
Donations can still be made via the team’s JustGiving page, helping ensure the charity can continue giving others the same emergency service it gave Sully.
For information, and to donate, visit: justgiving.com (search for cycling for Sully).
