Birmingham team cycle to Paris on Peugeot bikes in aid of charity
A group of eight property professionals from Birmingham has successfully raised more than £3,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. The cyclists set off from Birmingham on 23rd May, then on through Oxfordshire, London and Dover. Once they reached French soil the dedicated team went on to cycle through Calais, Arras and Compiegne, reaching Paris on 28th May.
The cyclists used specially commissioned Peugeot bicycles manufactured in Romilly-Sur-Seine, France, where they have been making bikes since 1949. The bikes are made from light-weight hydro-formed aluminium frames, carbon fibre forks, clip-less racing pedals and a Shimano 27-speed gear system. This bike previews the more professional, bespoke cycles presently in production with Peugeot, which will be available in the UK from September.
Peter Monks, Senior Surveyor - BNP Paribas Real Estate said; “It’s such a satisfying feeling to finish on schedule, but the real joy was raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. It really did help having veteran cyclists in the team to give the other riders confidence when needed. We were lucky though, with glorious sunshine most days which was thoroughly enjoyable, and the best part was knowing we had already hit our target of money to raise.
“The route from Calais to Arras was particularly tough – the one time it rained constantly, with lower temperatures, our mobile phones failed, we had punctures and sore bums, but it was all worth it when we got to the Eiffel Tower; we almost didn’t mind being charged 10 Euros for a pint!”
Andrew Didlick, Director of Communications at Peugeot, commented: “Peugeot is presently celebrating its 200th anniversary and is synonymous with victories on the Tour de France. It’s great that these enthusiastic cyclists chose and trusted the established manufacturer of cycles in the world for their charity ride to Paris for such a worthy cause. Well done to all the cyclists who took part.”
The cyclists participating were: Peter Monks, Tim Suffield, Ranjit Gill, Mark Fitzpatrick, Matthew Walton, Justin Kenworthy, Richard Blythe and Martin Whitmore.
