CYCLE TO MIPIM, the annual multi-stage charity bike ride for the property industry, set off from London on Thursday en route to Cannes for the start of the MIPIM International Property Fair.

91 men and 8 women will cycle from London to Folkestone and then through the French countryside to arrive in Cannes, 1,500km away, next Tuesday. The ride is set to raise over £200,000 for children's charity Coram as well as several other beneficiaries.

Two of the participants, John Williams and Alastair Craig, have kindly offered to share their thoughts with us along the way, so look out for their road reports over the next few days. In the meantime, you can read a report on Day 1 below.

If only every job came with the chance to ride across France...

John Williams (Knight Frank)
Age: 38
Longest ride: 150 KM
Bike: Cannondale SuperSix
Most looking forward to... Cycling in the spring warmth of the south of France! (hopefully)
Least looking forward to... Saddle sores!
Secret weapon: Being very, very stubborn!

Alastair Craig (Elliott Wood)
Age: 42
Longest ride: 200miles
Bike: Specialized Roubaix
Most looking forward to... The climbing in Côte d'Azur
Least looking forward to... The climbing in Côte d'Azur
Secret weapon: post ride compression tights and recovery shakes

Day One: Sunshine and smiles - Le Grand Depart, Thursday 6th March

The first day of the Broadgate Estates CYCLE TO MIPIM was remarkable for the sunshine and the smiles that came with the favourable weather conditions, and happily uneventful with a smooth ride that took the riders out of rush hour London to Folkestone.

The day started with a chilly, but sunny, morning at More London. Riders started arriving at 7.30am to get bags and bikes labelled, checked and tagged, and family, friends and colleagues gathered to wish them well and say their goodbyes. With water bottles filled and breakfast provided by Brigade, a rider briefing at 830 let the riders know what to expect from the day ahead.

After the photo call with everyone in their team kit, the riders departed City Hall at 9am sharp. Stage 1 was 54.9km to Aylesford. For the first time all the riders went out in one group instead of three. A number of day riders swelled the peloton to over 100 and a bigger team of motorbike outriders helped the riders get out of London safely.


J-J Lorraine of Morrow + Lorraine commented, "The spring sunshine has put everyone in a good mood and helped first timers to forget their nerves. It's good moods all round."

From Aylesford it was a further 56.5km to Folkestone, with riders enjoying a group stretching session at the end of the day's ride, courtesy of Ride Captain Sam McClary. It was then time for a Eurotunnel and short coach ride to take the participants to the first overnight stay of Day One in Calais.

Steve Whyman, Ride Captain and MD of Broadgate Estates, said, "The weather is 100% better than last year, making a huge difference. There were a few fluey episodes which knocked a couple of riders for six but we're hoping they make a quick recovery. The weather forecast is stunning for the rest of the week, although the natural exuberance of the day seem to be encouraging a few of the riders to be getting a bit ahead of themselves in the bar - something they might regret at 4:45am (3:45 am UK time) tomorrow."

Dominick Pegram of Salt & Pegram, added, "The best thing about today was the sunshine and getting out of the city into the countryside, breathing in the fresh air and thinking, 'we've started'. The danger is that I sense we've been lulled into a false sense of security and the hard bit is still to come."

There are six teams this year, with the 99 riders split into three groups. Group 1 is Nottingham (lime green jerseys) and Aedas (dark grey), Group 2 is Savills (red) and Argent (black) and Group 3 is H2SO (grey/red) and Elliott Wood (green). The target for this year's fundraising is £225,000.

Alice Lamb, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager at Coram, said, "Having heard so much about CYCLE TO MIPIM, I jumped at the chance to come on the event and meet the fundraisers in person. Having experienced the first day, I'm starting to gain a better understanding of what an incredible feat this is on behalf of Coram. We are amazed by the amounts that some people have raised to support vulnerable children and young people."

Coram is the principal charity beneficiary of Broadgate Estates CYCLE TO MIPIM 2014. The UK's first children's charity, Coram has been helping children and young people for 275 years, and now helps a million every year, by helping them develop their skills and emotional health, finding adoptive parents and upholding children's rights, to create a change that lasts a lifetime. Article 25, Emthonjeni Trust, Multiple System Atrophy Trust and Tom's Trust are the other charities being supported.


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