London to Champagne

3rd July For those wanting to start riding on the 4th July, there is an option of staying at the hotel located at the start of the ride, the Holiday Inn, Bexley, to avoid an early start on the 4th. 4th July Bexley – Dover – ferry – Calais 67 miles / 108 km We meet at 8am on Wednesday 4th July at the Holiday inn, Bexley, for our pre event briefing, before setting off on our first days riding. By starting on the outskirts of London we hope to avoid the worst of the London traffic, and should soon be in rolling countryside on our way to Dover. For those not cycling on the first day, you will meet at the start point mid afternoon (exact time TBC) on the 4th, where a coach will be available to transfer you and your bicycle down to Dover. Everyone will meet up in Dover to get the evening ferry to Calais. Upon arrival in Calais it will be a short transfer to our hotel for the night. 5th July Calais – Arras 75 miles / 120 km We will awake on the 5th July in Calais, fresh and ready to tackle the beautiful, undulating French countryside and our first day riding with all the group together. Within 2km we are into the pretty Nord Pas de Calais countryside. It is a picturesque area of green meadows, rolling hills and dense forests. The ride will start off fairly flat, but as we continue we will peddle through beautiful rural landscapes and quiet back roads. The ride gets more undulating as the day continues until we reach Arras. 6th July Arras – Compiègne 75 miles / 120km We leave Arras to travel to the forested region around the attractive town of Compiègne and the Picardie countryside. En route we encounter long sweeping hills and green pastures. It is a very peaceful, laid back area where its people lead simple lives uncomplicated by the modern World. En route we pass through a succession of villages and medieval churches and the roads are quiet and lead us away from large towns. We ride through the Forest of Compiègne, an ancient hunting ground of French kings and a favourite haunt of Napolean. This forest which once covered Northern Europe is one of the last remnants of the Primeval forests. We will then arrive at our overnight stop at Compiègne. 7th July Compiègne – Reims 100 miles / 160km Today is our last days riding. We cycle over small country roads to Soissons and cross the river Vesle towards the town of Chassemy. As we ascend uphill, we are greeted with wonderful views over the countryside. After a long descent the road again meets the river Aisne and we continue through forests and fields. At Concevreux we once again head uphill towards a plateau with spectacular views followed by an exhilarating downhill. At this point we reach the famous Champagne growing region – the ultimate goal of the ride. At the village of Jonchery we will rest to have a well deserved lunch. Later the route continues undulating along the limestone hills covered with vineyards and forests. At Geux we cycle over what used to be a famous racing track with the stands still on both sides of the road. Towards Reims the road becomes flatter and we enter the city along the banks of a canal. A broad avenue leads to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral where 25 kings were crowned. After a short break we continue and finish the ride at the Pommery Champagne House, where we will have a glass of bubbly to celebrate our magnificent efforts. 8th July Today you will have a free morning to explore Champagne, with the possibility of visiting a real life Champagne house. There will be a coach around 4pm to take everyone from the hotel to the Eurostar terminal at Disneyland, Paris. From here we will take a train that will stop at Ebbsfleet, before continuing onto St Pancras, London. Your bike can either be transported to the Holiday inn, Bexley or St Pancras Station