A personnel note from Kevin

Thank you for all all messages of support and encouragement (and a special thanks for the donations received), whilst I am disappointed not to have completed the journey to Colmar this time around, I would not have missed the experience. It was fantastic to be there and share the road with some great athletes, it is truly an awesome race. A race of the highest standard (winners average pace was 8.4km/hr) over a very long distance (451km (281 miles)), I was proud to be able to hold my own in the race for so long and determined to return in 2009 and complete the race.

I will provide a full race report in due course along with a breakdown of costs and donations received, however in brief ,the highlights were:

Working as a team to achieve the 355m km (221.8 miles) I covered, it was truly a humbling experience to see everyone pulling together to get me 'there', for the crew it was no holiday and they all worked very hard with little or no sleep, I owe them so much.

The journey across France was a fantastic experience so much to see (if only I had the time), and so much support from the local communities we passed through.

The camaraderie with fellow athletes,

I have learnt a lot from the experience too including:

Sponsorship is essential!

A better resourced and probably bigger crew is required for next time

I need a coach/mentor to help to develop my standard and ensure I can race faster in the earlier stages

I need to focus on developing my core strength, the pictures of the race tell a story, I gradually become bent forward and 'hunched'.

I will hopefully qualify for 2009 and be given a second opportunity to race this great race. I will be using this website to promote and share my plans, so keep watching the site.

Many Thanks,
Kevin

View Photos from the race