Four Britons cycle huge 451km to Paris to raise money for cystic fibrosis charity

By Chris Riches, North-West Correspondent

Tom Allen and thre pals thrust to Paris (Image: handout)

Four Britons were cheered done France to the Eiffel Tower aft cycling 451km connected a unsocial quad-tandem motorcycle … to rise currency for a cystic fibrosis charity.

Student Tom Allen, 21, vowed to rise consciousness of the cruel familial illness aft his woman astatine Swansea University Lizzie Sheahan, 21, revealed she was calved with it.

Rugby pals Louis Fletcher, 21; Rory Case, 22, and Nathan Brooks, 21, joined him connected a four-man tandem motorcycle Louis's dada helped physique to thrust 451km from London to Paris's Eiffel Tower to rise implicit £4,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

And they told the Daily Express how, aft arriving successful Calais, they were cheered each the mode to Paris by bemused and delighted French onlookers - galore rushing implicit with snacks oregon for selfies.

Tom and friends marque their mode to France (Image: handout)

Exhausted Tom - who completed the 4 time trek connected September 21st - explained: "Once Lizzie told maine astir her CF and however severely it has affected her beingness I knew I had to bash something.

"I hadn't truly heard of CF earlier and neither had galore of my friends truthful we thought wherefore not rise consciousness of it portion besides raising immoderate much-needed funds for the foundation too.

"We wanted to bash a situation that we would each look backmost connected successful 10 years times and accidental 'we're truly arrogant of that - that's thing we volition ne'er forget'.

"And erstwhile Louis told america 10 years agone his dada Ant and immoderate firefighter colleagues built and rode a motorcycle from Liverpool to London for foundation and they inactive had the tandem - we decided 'let's usage that'!

"It was exhausting but a magical acquisition - we had radical unreserved implicit to america astatine postulation lights asking for selfies, cheering and immoderate French locals would dash implicit with nutrient and drinks. It was amazing."

Enjoying a well-earned pit halt (Image: handout)

Wheely atrocious quality (Image: handout)

Law pupil Lizzie - who has featured galore times successful the Daily Express's cystic fibrosis wellness campaigns - met Tom astatine Swansea University and the brace person been dating implicit a year.

When she told geography pupil Tom astir her CF, helium was amazed not galore friends either knew overmuch astir the condition, which affects implicit 10,000 Britons.

Agreeing to fundraise for the CF charity, Louis mentioned his dada Ant's aged tandem which was found, renovated and the 4 friends started training.

With Ant, 59, successful a enactment van to assistance with motorcycle spares, sourcing and cooking meals, drinks and snacks the 4 yet departed London's Tower Bridge for Dover connected September 18th.

Tom explained: "That archetypal time was the worst arsenic we had the hilly South Downs to thrust implicit positive tyre problems. We tackled a full of 1,000-metres of elevation successful that 1 day, riding 131km.

"We’re astir arsenic acold removed from cyclists arsenic you tin get and we had each done immoderate idiosyncratic cycling to get our endurance up but determination is nary accounting for the existent thing.

"We acceptable disconnected astatine 7am but lone got to Dover astatine 8.52pm, conscionable 8 minutes earlier the ferry sailed!"

Louis, Rory, Nathan and Tom earlier mounting disconnected (Image: handout)

While connected the ferry they carried retired overnight repairs connected the tandem's rear instrumentality - with each the lads six ft oregon taller their combined value of fractional a tonne was excessively overmuch for the motorcycle wheels and spokes to bear.

From Calais the adjacent greeting they rode the 95km to Arras down a pleasant canal way portion chatting to locals en route.

Louis told us: "The enactment from strangers was fantastic and amazed america to beryllium honest. Admittedly we indispensable person looked a show with 4 rugby lads successful bright, yellowish tops connected a four-man tandem bike!

"We heard tons of cheers and applause and we tried to convey them successful French and it truly gave america a boost."

On time 3 they powered 141km from Arras to Compiegne which Louis described arsenic a "lovely ride" past time 4 was an easier 84km to Paris's Eiffel Tower.

When they arrived Lizzie, her mum Catherine and galore friends and household were each determination to greet their heroes arsenic they travelled exhausted and sore crossed the decorativeness line.

Lizzie hugs fellow Tom astatine the decorativeness enactment (Image: handout)

Tom added: "The archetypal happening Lizzie said was that I ponged! But past she said however arrogant she was of each of america and we had immoderate tears. We past celebrated with immoderate Champagne and nutrient by the Arc de Triomphe.

"I can't convey the 3 lads and Ant capable for what they did for the charity, Lizzie and different radical retired determination with CF. It's present thing we volition ever beryllium capable to stock forever."

While Rory remarked: "Lots of radical rhythm London to Paris, but I don’t deliberation galore would bash it connected a 4 idiosyncratic tandem bike! For our aboriginal selves to look backmost and cognize we’ve done thing similar this feels truly exciting."

And arrogant Lizzie said: "To deliberation they’d enactment themselves successful specified an aggravated situation, I was like, ‘are you definite you privation to bash that?' But it’s astonishing the consciousness they are spreading. It’s truly bully to see.

"The CF Trust has ever been a portion of my beingness and has been pivotal for maine and my family. The enactment we’ve had, and truthful galore different families with CF person had, has been amazing."