Dear Friends
After four years of cycling up mountains for different charities, this was my last one for the foreseeable future, I believe I have used up the generosity of my kind sponsors, doing the same old thing. I will continue riding up mountains, but just for pleasure.
We arrived at our hotel in Ax les Thermes at 1130 Thursday morning, 9 June. We drove up the mountain to have a look at it, came down and had lunch. I decided to ride it that afternoon as rain was forecast for Friday. I had got my weight down to 10 stone 13 and had trained well. I set off from our hotel at 1345 and arrived at the summit of Le Col de Pailheres, 2,001m/6,565 feet above sea-level, at 1526. I covered the 19.65 kms in 1 hour 41mins 42 secs, at an average speed of 11.6 kms per hour and climbed 1,281m/4,203 feet. It began quite steeply from the hotel, there was a tough middle section and it gradually got harder. The last 5 kms was in thick, low cloud and the gradient of the last 4 kms was 10%, 9.4%, 8.5% and 10.4%, definitely my hardest mountain ride to-date.
Many thanks to my Support Team Manager, Linda, for her patience and support, she was rewarded with an afternoon in the thermal spar baths, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.
In my four years of charity mountain cycle rides I have raised over 5,000 Euros for British and French charities and my final ride is for an international charity that my friend, Talia Smith , works for called Village Focus International. She is a very brave girl and I am honoured to be raising money for her charity.
Many, many thanks to all my kind sponsors over the years and to everyone who has given this year. If you have not sponsored me yet, this year, there is still time, please send your donations to me at Pourramond, 82220 Auty France and they will be forwarded to Talia.
Thank you,
Martin.
