Piste to Plage for Help for Heroes Day 1

What an insane day. Set off up the 35k climb to Col d'Iseran at 2950 metres in the pouring rain. Totally ineffective wet riding gear meant I was wet though in minutes. An ominous start. Conditions deteriorated from there and a blizzard came in as we hit 5k to go to the top. Driving snow and stinging horizontal sleet created the most insane cycling conditions I've ever experienced.

With hyperthermia setting in, awful conditions, icey roads and numb hands making a 70k descent treacherous we all had to be bussed off the top. Day abandoned. Never been so cold in my life. The guy who lent me a beany & ski leggings is a star. As is the german couple who allowed 15 frozen, soaked cyclists to cram into their campervan until we could get taken off the mountain.

And utter respect to the injured service men who did it with us. Unbelievable.

All good now, and we're all set for day 2, the Galibier and hopefully much better weather. It is summer after all!!

Enjoy the pic!

Update from Tour HQ

Just a quick update from Control Tower as CVG is now bombing full pelt down a French mountain and may not have a chance to update for few days.. here's why..

Today is Day 1 of Piste to Plage (www.piste2plage.co.uk) the ride from the French Alps to the coast for Help for Heroes that Charlie signed up for last year that then triggered the idea for Charlie's epic bike adventure in memory of our father.

''The Piste to Plage Challenge is a four day bike ride over the French Alps, starting in the picturesque ski resort of Sainte Foy Tarentaise, high in the Haute Savoie region and finally ending up on the sandy beaches of the Cap d'Antibes on the Cote d'Azur. 

Over the four days the 160 strong team will cycle over 440kms and gain over 27,500 vertical feet. We will climb and descend seven of the infamous mountain cols often seen on the Tour de France, including Col de l'Iseran, Col du Galibier and the intimidating Cime de la Bonnette, the highest road in Europe! And by the time we reach the Med we will have ridden a combined total of 70,000kms, nearly twice the circumference of the earth!''

What they dont realise is that Charlie has already ridden 1500km to get to the start line..

Charlie has swapped his bike temporarily for a sleek road bike and has been joined by chum Rick Pape for this adventure - lets just hope Rick took out extra supplies of warm cycling kit as snow is forecast for the peaks and Charlie isnt carrying anything other than 2 pairs of shorts...

The riders will arrive into Antibes on Saturday following a 111km final day's ride from Auron.

For updates check out the Piste to Plage Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/piste2plage

Introducing the team (Part 3)

As we approach the start of the final stage, a full profile of the third protagonist, Jason...

Full name: Jason Peter Gregory Ricks

Nickname: Jay

Lookalikes: Gareth Chillcot (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/picturegalleries/9015241/Englands-top-10-enforcers-in-pictures.html?image=3), Kevin Spacey

Strengths: fluent Spanish speaker, writes amazing write-ups on dating websites, can do attitude, dab hand with a video camera, often looks suitably unshaven and dishevelled, is on a road bike so will probably be miles ahead, and he made it down the world's most dangerous road - the death road in Bolivia, so south France should be easy

Development areas: tendency to overpack: he took 17 T-shirts and 5 beanies when backpacking in south America, sweats profusely, has even less of an idea about bike mechanics than we do and has been known to panic and scream like a girl when in waist deep water

Tour role: fresh legs, professional videographer, interpreter, comedian and raconteur, deputy-assistant washer-upper

High point: a keen follower of fashion he is always happy to buck trends and be an individual. One notable example was when he wore a David Beckham-esque Japanese kimono and sandals to a nightclub whilst at uni in Bristol. Inspired.

Low point: getting beaten up at the nightclub for cross dressing

Interesting fact: Jason is part Armenian. I'm not entirely sure where Armenia is either, but it sounds good and brings a welcome international and exotic flavour to the team. I think it might be near Mexico, which would explain his dark swarthy looks

A truly invaluable addition to the extraordinary mix of talent taking on the French Riviera and Pyrenees.