A TRIO of big-hearted cyclists from Npower’s Oldbury office successfully cycled their way from London to Paris for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Starting at the iconic London Eye, the three day195 mile route tookCarl Dixon, Steven Holding and Lisie Beeley through glorious English countryside, as they cycled from London to Newhaven on day one.

After crossing the channel the intrepid cyclists continued along quiet French country lanes, and through traditional market towns with views of the rolling green hills of northern France before reaching the outskirts of Paris.

The end of this cycle challenge for charity was at the 324 metre Eiffel Tower in the heart of the French capital, which marked the finish line.

Each member of the 40 strong UK team had an individual fundraising target of £400, which they collectively surpassed, reaching £26,500, and with Npower match funding the total raised was over £53,000.

Before setting off, Steven Holding, 36, a customer relationship management executive from the Oldbury site, said “I wholeheartedly support the Macmillan charity and the amazing work they do.

"We all know of someone who has been affected by cancer and over the years, I have taken part in numerous charity events through npower in order to support the work the charity does."

On completing the challenge, Steven added: “Passing the finish line at the Eiffel Tower and seeing a sea of green Macmillan t-shirts was a great feeling. "The sense of achievement that I felt after completing nearly 200 very tough miles far exceeded the pain.”

Clare McDougall, Npower’s head of community, who joined the team on their expedition, said: “Our very own ‘tour to France’ was an incredibly tough challenge, we all stretched ourselves to the limit but it was worth it for the stunning views from the UK to the French capital and taking in all the amazing scenery in between.

"I am so proud of each and every colleague who took part - we had a mixture of abilities with some people who’d never cycled long distances before and others that were complete professionals, who all came together to raise over £50,000 for Macmillan.”