Olli and His Team Cycle from Toulouse to Girona

A huge congratulations to the Olli and his team who cycled from Toulouse to Girona and raised an incredible £14,000. The ride took them through historic towns and cities and over the edge of the Pyrenees into Spain. Below is a quote from Olli about his experience of the ride.

“A few weeks ago, 13 cyclists set off a marathon course, to cycle from Toulouse to Girona, over 350km across the Pyrenees, all in aid of our Charity of the Year partner, Future Dreams.

“After some last minute tyre pumps and bike tweaks, we slipped into our lycra and set off into the French countryside (first having to work our way through several road works and closures in Toulouse!). The group was made up of 12 regular bikes, and 1 recumbant bike (see picture below) which struggled to turn right if the corner was too sharp…

“Each day was roughly 115km, with extension options available on each for those feeling particularly ambitious. The first day took us to the medieval walled city of Carcassonne, along the canals and into wine country. There was a good range of speeds in the group, but six people decided to tackle the first extension which involved an 11km climb in the 27 degree heat. I think all 6 regretted it but made it back to the hotel in one piece!

“The second morning started with some rather tender approaches to getting back on the saddle, but after the first 10km, bums were quickly numb again! This day however, we faced a decent headwind, which if anything was a relief from another hot day. As we headed from Carcassonne to Perpignan, where we were spending the second night, the rolling hills of southern France provided some of the most beautiful and scenic cycling any of us had done. What was particularly noticeable was how smooth the roads were – not a pothole in sight. Britain could use a few lessons!

“Each day saw us set off about 8am and finish up around 5pm. With two breaks and a lunch stop en route. We were supported by two fantastic crew members the entire way, one of whom cycled with us, while the other drove the van to help with any emergency repairs that were needed. By the time we set off on the third morning with just 140km left to go, legs were heavy and backs were aching. The first half of the day went without too much fanfare, but everyone was conserving their energy as they knew we were tackling ‘Els Angels’ a taxing 6km just outside of our final destination in Girona at an average gradient 6/7%.

“However, just as we were pulling into lunch, the heavens opened and continued to pour for the next couple of hours, meaning the final climb was looking too dangerous to descend. We’d managed two and a half days with no punctures or mechanicals somehow, but once the rain came out, we had 4 in an hour!

“Luckily (or unluckily) for us, just as we got to the decision point, the rain cleared and the roads dried up, meaning we could tackle the climb. Girona is a cycling haven, where a lot of professional riders (particularly from the US) base themselves to train for the Grand Tours. Knowing that we had just 8km of downhill back to the hotel once we reached the top, we could put everything we had left into making it up the hill. Even so, our times of 21+ minutes were well off the fastest that day of closer to 12! Nevertheless, a lovely final descent into the town saw us over the finish line and to some well needed showers and beds.

“It was a truly fantastic trip, knowing that regardless of how much we were struggling, it was well worth it for the sponsorship we had raised for Future Dreams – a collectively £14,000. Thank you to Claire & everyone at Future Dreams for all their support in training and prepping for the ride. We were truly honoured to wear pink and support this amazing charity.”

Get Involved in your own challenge and support Future Dreams

Fundraising challenges: help raise money for our breast cancer charity

Looking for a fun challenge that will raise money for charity, support breast cancer research and help us to help more people touched by breast cancer? Future Dreams breast cancer charity has so many options for you.

Would you like to step out of comfort zone and sign up to any challenges this Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Get together with a group of friends, your family or your work colleagues and TAKE ON A CHALLENGE for Future Dreams. Host a wear it pink day in your office, complete a 7K your way or secure your place in the Future Dreams exclusive South Downs Walk. Contact CLAIRE to get involved.