The 350 mile trip started in Paris very early (05:30!) on Monday 8 June and ended on Lake Geneva in the afternoon of Thursday 11 June. Throughout the journey Mark encountered head winds, knee pains, not to mention horrendous saddle sore, but his constant inspiration kept reminding him of why he was riding and who he would be helping by completing the journey.
Day one began at the Eiffel Tower for the obligatory photo shoot before heading out of the city along the River Seine, towards the Burgundy town of Sens; a total of some 91 miles.
Day two involved a pleasant 85 mile ride over "undulating" French countryside to the medieval hill top town of Semur-en-Auxois.
Day three was the longest day, and involved cycling over 105 miles before reaching the Roman spa town of Lons-Le-Saunier.
The final day, whilst the shortest at "only" 70 miles, was the hardest, involving three long and steep climbs, culminating in reaching the top of the Col de la Faucille, some 1323 metres above sea level.
Mark says that the highlight of the journey had to be the ensuing descent - some 12kms of downhill roads leading over the French-Swiss border towards Geneva and the finishing point on the idyllic Lake Geneva.
In total so far Mark has raised in excess of £1,800, and hopes to reach £2,000 very soon. If you would like to sponsor Mark you can visit his Just Giving page or give him a call on 0330 460 6794 for more details.
Mark comments:
"I was delighted to be able to help Headway by raising money for them as part of their 30th birthday celebrations.
My motivation for riding for Headway was simple - I could not think of a more worthy cause to ride for - I have, through my work as a personal injury solicitor, seen first hand how Headway have helped transform the lives of so many people who have suffered brain injuries, and it was an honour to be able to assist them in whatever way I could.
The whole trip was a fantastic adventure and I am already planning a further (and even more challenging) trip for next year!"