Andy Pearce, Investment Manager and Organiser of this year's Psigma Ride explains all...

On 12 June eleven cyclists and two support drivers eagerly headed down to Portsmouth to catch the overnight ferry to St Malo. The team arrived safely the following morning after a smooth crossing and a restful night’s sleep. After a quick pit stop for a coffee and a croissant the Psigma Peloton hit the road, with 105km to cycle that day. Progress was fantastic and the group met the van at Mont St Michel 50kms down the road before lunchtime for a quick snack. There were one or two hills to contend with next but the thought of the forthcoming sticky pork stir fry for lunch kept all the riders going. The trips only rain shower dampened spirits temporarily in the afternoon, but the sun did reappear and the Psigma Peloton dried out before hitting the 105km mark and arriving in Fougères. Understandably, there were some hungry cyclists at dinner and everyone replenished the reserves before heading to bed.

Day two meant a slightly shorter stage at 85km, but with a few more hills to contend with. This didn’t hamper progress and the team roared along to the first rendezvous with the van. The sun was shining and spirits were high. Progress was a touch slower to lunch and the cyclists rested the legs whilst the support team provided another tasty meal. The Peloton knuckled down again after lunch and enjoyed some beautiful scenery in the Normandy countryside before arriving safely in Domfront. There was some dissent in the ranks on discovery that the dinner location was at the top of another steep hill, but the team settled down when they were greeted with the smell of hearty French cooking.

The group woke up refreshed on day three and were chomping at the bit to get going with the longest ride of the trip. It was lucky that everyone was full of energy as there was a slight mishap with the directions early on which meant some extra distance was added to an already challenging day. The Psigma Peloton put this behind them and soldiered on, although nervousness grew as the hours went by as everyone knew the biggest climb of the trip was awaiting. However, the team did what it does best and got the job done with no complaints. The support team were waiting at the summit with a feast which had been well earned. Spirits were high during the afternoon session, and the group made fantastic progress to cover the 110km distance to Ouistreham.

There was a great feeling of pride among the team to know that they had completed the 300km ride, and all in aid of the Psigma Foundation. The team enjoyed another tasty French meal that evening, and returned to Portsmouth by ferry the following morning.

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