21 Apr 2024
The story of a two day bike ride from Stoke Mandeville to Clichy in Paris to raise awareness and funds for the Paralympics Inspiration Programme (PIP)...
Stoke Mandeville (between Aylesbury and Wendover) is the home of the Paralympics and Clichy is where the ParalympicGB team will be based in Paris later this year.
The ride was the idea of Dave Clarke, a resident of Harpenden and CEO of ParalympicsGB. He recruited some colleagues from the Paralympics organisational team as well as Andy Anson CEO of TeamGB, Clare Cunningham, ex-Paralympian who heads up the PIP charity, plus three of his local friends Andrew Mendoza, Nick Duggan and Steve Walker to ride with him.
Steve tells the story: “The ride was always going to be challenging but we knew that to make it we would have to keep moving whenever we could and would have to keep any stops as short as possible.
“In the last few days we also arranged to meet Marc Aspland, chief sports photographer with The Times (who has very kindly let us use his photographs) in Windsor Great Park, Nick Webborn with his hand bike for the last section in the UK and the Clichy Town Hall said they would be pleased to lay-on a reception for us and that the British ambassador would be pleased to meet us when we arrived as well.
“All of this was great but trying to predict when you would arrive and stick to a timetable whilst negotiating traffic through London outskirts and the centre of Paris all with a predicted storm giving us a monster headwind to fight against was nigh on impossible. But we said we would do our best. And we did.
“The first issue was in Stoke Mandeville, two miles down the road with a road-closure for HS2 works starting at 9am. OK, start at 8.30. Problem, one bike not changing gear.
“We have to start, they will have to catch up. Problem no two was about five miles into the ride when a chain breaks. Sorry Rob, we can’t stop. You will have to catch up.
“Thankfully, with the help of a mechanic from British Cycling who was recruited just 24 hours before we started, both issues were fixed, and they were able to catch up with the tandem. Thanks Neil.
“Plain(ish) sailing to Slough, fighting our way through the traffic. The big issue with the tandem is stopping and starting so whenever possible we try to keep it rolling which can mean getting the support riders to wave the tandem through junctions and occasionally help with a bit of traffic-calming on roundabouts.
“We make Windsor pretty much on time but the bit we need to get to is closed to cyclists. The photographer sets off at a jog from our rendezvous to meet us but we are able to flag-down some park wardens who put us in touch with a very helpful guy who explains that we won’t be able to get to our chosen spot but he has another idea… Photographer now sat in his pick-up, ‘Follow me’, he says. So we do.
“Marc takes some incredible photographs and we set off on our way southwards…
“We meet up with Nick Webborn who is ready with his hand bike. An incredible piece of kit and he sets off at a pace with everyone trying to catch up. Nick clearly loves the speed of this bike and leaning into a corner at 30mph he reminds you of Sterling Moss in an early F1 car.
David Clarke on tandem cycling through Windsor Great Park. Photo by Marc Aspland
“Overnight ferry to Dieppe and an early start where we meet a member of GB Embassy staff, Jonathan, who will ride with us to Paris. We follow the Avenue Verte, an old railway line now used as a cycle path, all the way into Paris if you choose. Wewere following two sections with the rest on quiet, pothole free roads. A couple of coffee stops on the way all the time staying stationery for the minimum amount of time that we can.
“We hit some very strong headwinds which slows us down a lot. Unfortunately we miss three more Embassy staff in Meru for the last 30 miles but we have to keep going. One of them catches up, the other two we meet in Paris.
“Nick Duggan and Andrew Mendoza had ridden all but the very last part just four weeks before but they hadn’t ridden the last part which we needed to change.
“The temperature was now warming up, and it it climbed to over 20 degrees for the last stint, which brought everyone out to enjoy the weather on the banks of the Seine, which was where our route took us. So plenty of swerving people, buggies, dogs.
“One last push to Clichy through the stop-start of Paris traffic lights, and we made it with five minutes to spare. An amazing effort from everyone, the riders and support team and a lovely reception from the Ambassador and local Mayor’s office.
“So kind of them to support us.
“The Paralympic Inspiration Programme is designed to give potential Paralympians insight into the whole games experience. Building confidence and helping people take up the challenge of competing. The programme has had considerable success in engaging with athletes and is playing catchup following the pandemic in introducing new people to the programme.
“Dave set a target of £10,000 which would pay for two athletes to go through the programme and we are getting close. This really is a great cause and any contributions to get us to the target to would be hugely appreciated.”
https://www.justgiving.com/page/paralympicpedaltoparis
