Brighton
to Paris
Mr Orgill: “Darling, how would
you like a trip to Paris?”
Mrs Orgill: “I’m interested
(note she has learned to be
wary) tell me more.”
“It includes a trip to the
gardens in the Palace of
Versailles with a firework
display at dusk on a
midsummer’s evening.”
“OK, sounds great, let’s go.”
“Did I mention we have to
cycle there?” (That is why
she has learned to be wary).
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Maybe not the exact words of the
conversation but they are certainly the
gist and I will leave it to you to complete
from that point.
However, we both did commit to cycle from
Brighton to Paris in two days as part of
the first such event on behalf of Albion in
the Community. It was billed as a 130-mile
ride over two days with some gently rolling
countryside and some fantastic views.
Ultimately, the real benefit would be going
to the many projects that this great charity
supports throughout the county of Sussex,
though we would have fun along the way.
Following the several hundred miles of
training put in from the commitment to
the day itself, we presented ourselves
at the Amex on Friday, 20th June, both
excited and maybe a little apprehensive.
Happily, the sun was shining and all 53
riders set off to the Newhaven ferry in
good spirits, hoping that we would still
be smiling at the end of the day.
Those first ten miles were a nice little
warm-up and we then had four hours or
so on the ferry to recover before arriving
at Dieppe. We then headed just out of
town and the start of the Avenue Vert.
This is a converted railway line that
ran for 30-odd miles with a flat, smooth
surface. If you have cycled much in this
country you will know the sheer joy those
two simple words in capitals can bring.
New cyclists (of whom there were some)
were enjoying this section but I think
the more seasoned veterans probably
enjoyed it even more as a rare treat.
The scenery was superb, the sun was
still shining and at this point in the day
the alternative was being in the office what’s not to like?
With a final climb for the day, we clocked 60
miles and reached the hotel at Gournayen-Bray, a hotel that seems to exist almost
exclusively for cyclists on their way to Paris.
The beer was cold, the rooms were comfy
and the chef was primarily occupied with the
French participation in the 2014 FIFA World
Cup that night (two out of three is not bad!)
Unfortunately, this Avenue did come
to an end and we went on to country
roads. However, these were still very
quiet and the scenery was more
impressive, which is what you start to
console yourself with when the road
starts to go up and down the hills.
The brilliant team from Giant Shoreham
who had set up the route (and provided
technical support all along the way) had
helpfully marked the route with discreet
orange markers. However, some of
the locals had made them even more
discreet by removing them altogether.
The next morning brought some
nervousness among the riders. We had
done 60 miles the previous day and
were now to do even more to finish - 70
miles according to the route map. As it
turns out, we would all have settled for
that. I don’t think there was anyone who
did not add some extra miles by way of
an unintentional detour.
But the intrepid riders were not to
be thwarted and everyone kept their
wheels turning through the stunning,
rolling (another euphemism for hilly)
countryside, despite the blazing sun.
Some welcome food stations, providing
shade, water and sustenance, were set up
at various points by the excellent support
team. Our sincere thanks go to all of the
back-up team involved. Their practical help
and genuine encouragement helped us all
along the way.
As we neared the end we then
encountered the opposite of the Avenue
Vert. Going through what had been
the royal forest, a surface that looked
flat and easy was apparently made of
treacle and absorbed all effort so that
bike computers were being tapped to see
if the speed really was that slow. Once
through there though we sped up again
and were soon battling our way past the
Parisian motorists to our finish line by the
spectacular Palace of Versailles.
After a great celebratory meal we did go
to the gardens (which are stunning) and
there was a fireworks display to round
off a memorable trip.
It was a heck of a challenge made
great fun by being part of a team
determined to enjoy the experience
and by being supported by a superb
and selfless organisation from too
many people to mention.
For me, it was a challenge to do two
such long days in succession but I really
want to say chapeau to my wife Jennifer,
who started cycling in earnest to take
on this challenge, put in huge amounts
of training and completed 138 miles (we
only added eight on our detours) with
something to spare.
I hear the challenge is being undertaken
again next year, so: “How would you like
a trip to Paris . . ?”
By Dean Orgill
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