Completed it! A kind-hearted Hitchin man on a charity bike ride to the French capital has reached Paris - raising more than £2,500 for a good cause.

Hitchin's Nick Senechal and pals have finished their gruelling cycle ride to the famed City of Light to raise awareness and money to help women in Afghanistan. 

Nick and his cycling friends covered more than 500 kilometres in four days in all weathers for the cause, eventually reaching Paris on Sunday.

After four tough days riding in all weathers, the group set off for Versailles where they had a lunch break, prior to arriving in Paris for photos near the Eiffel Tower.

Modest Nick told Hitchin Nub News: "It wasn't quite the quite the 'Tour de France' - but we have completed a significant challenge raising funds for charity. 

"It has been great to be riding with a group of work colleagues on this special cycling journey to Paris, the venue for this year's Olympics."

The entire team displayed grit and determination as they cycled one stage of 140km into a headwind and pouring rain for all but the first few kilometres.

However, as team man Nick says: "I was with a great group of riders English, French, German, Spanish and American, and we all stuck together and helped each other.

"At one point we almost joined a local cycle race as our route ran along their course for a bit.

"But 80 per cent of the ride was on small lanes with grass going up them and hills like those in Devon - the worst was 19 per cent - a steep gradient of nearly one in five."

The Road to Paris Days One and Two

Nick had a very special reason to visit Caen on day two of the ride, which featured St Malo to Caen.

He told us: "After a very early start on Thursday to get to Reading with my self-built bamboo bike and suitcase for the departure of the ride to Portsmouth, we had as comfortable a night as expected on the ferry.

"It was a bit emotional for me to visit Caen where we finished this leg of the event, as my dad took part in the epic WW2 Battle of Caen as a young tank driver in the Normandy campaign." 

The group cycled in all weathers and saw all manner of sights including the spectacular Mont Saint-Michel, even if as Nick said, they were "just hoping the rain held off, especially for the arrival in Paris."

The Road to Paris

Lifelong keen cyclist Nick is a member of the Hitchin Nomads bike club who has relished the 500k challenge. He explained to Hitchin Nub News exactly he why undertook the testing task.

"Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, many women have been denied access to education, amongst many other rights and freedoms we - in the west, and men in particular - take for granted," Nick says.

"Devastating at a personal level, denying education to women also robs a country of 50% of its doctors, engineers, farmers, teachers - you get the idea."

Through the 'Restoring Hope' campaign by Women for Women International UK, Nick aims to help make a difference by raising funds to support these women. 

How does Nick link this to cycling and the Olympics?

"Cycling, like education," explains passionate Nick, "represents freedom, and I was deeply inspired when I met two young Afghan women - Mina and Arefa - who had to leave their homes to pursue their dream of competing in cycling at the Paris Olympics. 

"They came to compete in my cycling club's own race as part of their preparation and their resilience and determination touched my heart, and has inspired me to raise money to help their sisters in Afghanistan."

It's not too late to donate to Nick's cause by supporting the 'Restoring Hope' campaign through the provided link here

Your contribution will directly impact the lives of Afghan women and honour the example of women like Mina and Arefa.

Nick adds: "Thank you for considering this opportunity to restore hope and empower women and build a better World through education."

Congratulations to Nick and the team from Hitchin Nub News.

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Update: The Road to Paris - Kind-hearted Nick Senechal and pals embark on 400km cycle ride to Paris to raise funds to help women in Afghanistan