London to Paris in 24 Hours

New Team MK member Lucie Gallen is taking part in a 24 hour London to Paris bike ride - see full details below. 

Gearing up for 24 hours in the saddle

Lucie Gallen, 38 from Wolverton and Wirral-based friend Madeleine Anderson, 48, will be joining forces to cycle all the way from London to Paris in an astonishing 24 hours, to raise money for the disability charity Scope.

Swapping their usual routine, the duo is one of many teams taking on this punishing and intense challenge that will see them speeding through the 300-mile long route.

Setting off from London’s Blackheath in the early hours of the morning, the teams will keep alternating riders as they traverse the Kent countryside to Dover where they board a ferry to Calais. Following the crossing and under the cover of falling darkness, they will continue pedalling through rural France until sunrise when they begin to approach the Parisian suburbs.

From here it’s a storm through the ‘City of Love’ to their finish line under the Eiffel Tower, arriving exactly 24 hours after they set off.

The pair decided to take part in the event and raise money for Scope to help the charity continue its excellent work in these difficult times. To take part in the event, they have to raise £1,800, which they plan to do through collections at stations and donations. You can sponsor them for their challenge at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/luciegallen or uk.virginmoneygiving.com/madeleineanderson.

Of the event, Lucie commented:

“It’s going to be an extremely tough ride to keep going through the night but the thought of cycling across the French countryside in total darkness will certainly add to the thrill and excitement.”

Madeleine added:

“It will be an unbelievable achievement when we arrive in Paris within 24 hours and we’re delighted to be able to support Scope’s work with disabled people.”

Alison Peet, Events Fundraiser at Scope comments:

“This is not a challenge for the faint hearted and has been developed to meet the needs of those cyclists looking for a greater physical challenge than the traditional charity bike ride offers. We’d like to thank Lucie and Madeleine for choosing to take part and raise money to support Scope and wish them the best of luck on their challenge.”

For further details or to get involved, visit www.london2paris24.com.

• Scope is a charity that supports disabled people to enjoy the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

·        To find out more about Scope’s work visit www.scope.org.uk

·        To find out more about our range of challenge events visit www.scope.org.uk/adventures

• The London to Paris 24 bike ride takes place from 23 – 24 July 2010.
• The route has been structured so each cyclist pedals an equal distance across 11 stages including three where both team members can take to the roads together. Return journeys back to London will be via the Eurostar.
• For further details and to secure your place visit www.london2paris24.com or call 0207 288 9590
• The event has been organised by Action Challenge, a specialist organiser of international challenge events and overseas cycles. Visit www.actionchallenge.com for further information.