Exhilarating finish at Eiffel Tower for London-Paris Cycle Tour
Riders proud and elated after three-day challenge
Published:
Glorious sunshine greeted the 300 riders on the London-Paris 09 Cycle Tour as they reached the finish line under the
The heatwave was a treat for the riders, who had battled their way through flash floods, thunder and lightning over the 320km, three-day ride.
Taking part were Olympians James Cracknell and Elise Laverick, former Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, ex-England footballer Geoff Thomas and British Cycling’s Team Sky manager Scott Sunderland, as well as a host of amateurs.
Ex-pro
The London-Paris ride, staged by global sports event company HotChillee, is the closest non-pro riders can get to the Tour de France experience, with rolling road closures and full logistical support.
Ex-British champion and cycling commentator Brian Smith said: “The reception riders get and the emotion that they feel when they ride into

Team GTF, riding in aid of the Geoff Thomas Foundation, in front of the Eiffel Tower
Geoff Thomas led a team of 20 riders who were raising money for his foundation. “It was a proud and emotional moment for me as we rode into
“I’d like to congratulate [organiser] Sven Thiele on staging a fantastic event and say a huge ‘thank you’ to him for selecting the Geoff Thomas Foundation as the main charity partner for the 2009 tour.”
At the finish in
Hell’s Kitchen contestant Grant Bovey was riding in the ICAP DebRA team. He said: “The tour was exhilarating and riding into

Hell’s Kitchen contestant Grant Bovey and the ICAP DebRA team
Bovey’s team-mate Russ Lindsay, who is agent to stars like Simon Cowell, said: “This was an amazing experience. It was great to have three days of not answering phones and making friendships with other riders. It was an extraordinary time.”
HotChillee’s Sven Thiele said: “We started out six years ago with just 13 riders and it’s exciting to see how the event has grown into an important date on the cycling calendar. Our ride is challenging, pushing riders to the limit, but it is totally inspiring to see the commitment and determination which gets them across the finish line in
Team Science In Sport took the overall title, while the squad’s Andy Tinsley took the Egg Design yellow jersey, his team-mate Andy Guy was named King of the Mountains and SIS’s Tim Lawson shared the COR-FS green sprinter’s jersey with James Waite of Team Pearson.
The C37 red climber’s jersey went to James Stuart, of Team Prologue, while Olympic rowing bronze medallist Elise Laverick, of Team Pearson, won the pink women’s jersey.

Riders faced flash floods, thunder and lightning over the 320km, three-day ride