Published by Lyn on 5 September 2017
Planning a charity bike ride? Be inspired by the Tour de Rêves, a DIY charity bike ride in France this week.
Sarah and Rob Berry (left), and Jacqui and Adrian Brown – the Tour de Rêves team.
As I type, one of our regular contributors, Jacqui Brown, is en route around the Deux-Sèvres department of France as part of a bike ride in aid of a local charity for kids. (You can read about their preparation here on Jacquis blog).
Jacqui and her husband Adrian, who wrote about the Sarthe bike route and the Ardéchoise cyclosportive for us, have joined another couple, Sarah and Rob Berry, for the six-day 435km ride. The charity challenge is in aid of Rêves, a local association that raises money to help make the dreams of seriously ill children and teenagers come true.
While Jacqui and Adrian are regular cyclists (Adrian is the mastermind behind the route-planning), Sarah and Rob are completely new to cycling – this is their first ever bike tour and they had to invest in bikes and kit before even starting their preparations. They prove what we're been telling you for ages here at Freewheeling France – that anyone can enjoy cycling in France, even if you've never done it before.
Sarah can't have children herself, so she chose the Rêves charity to help other people's kids who were going through tough times. Through Rêves, children are able to escape from everyday life to enjoy special moments with their families, giving them strength and confidence to fight against illnesses.
You can donate directly to Rêves here.
Here is the Tour de Rêves itinerary
The four are riding an average of 85km a day over the six days. Keep an eye out for the guys if you are cycling in these areas of south-west France this week.
Monday, September 4: 10am grand depart Place de Maréchal Leclerc, Secondigny 79130.
ETA Loubillé: 5.15pm.
Tuesday, September 5: 09.30 depart: Bar next to church in Loubillé 79110.
ETA Arçais Port: 3.30pm.
Wednesday, September 6: 10am depart Coulon church.
ETA Parthenay car park opposite Hyper U: 4.45pm.
Thursday, September 7: 10am depart Parthenay carpark (opposite Hyper U).
ETA Thouars, Mon Brico carpark: 4.40pm.
Friday, September 8: 10am depart Thouars, Mon Brico carpark.
ETA Étusson 3.30pm.
Saturday, September 9: 11am depart Bressuire, Bar La Promenade, Opposite Place St Jacques.
ETA Secondigny 3pm.
If you would like to ride a section of the route, you can contact the guys via their Facebook page.