It was a tired but happy James Bruce who gave the lowdown on Day 1 of the Cycle to MIPIM late last night after they’d made the 120km trip to Folkestone.

Having been three years since the last Cycle to MIPIM, the mood on departure from Herne Hill Velodrome was one of jubilation yesterday morning, although the purpose of the challenge, which is fundraising for incredible charities and the 1438km ahead, was not lost on anyone.

Following instructions from Event Director Chris, the riders lined up for a warm-up lap around the velodrome track before pairing up and heading out on the road. The first two stages of the day were undertaken by riders from all three teams: Civic Engineers, Lockton and Vectos.

The first day felt relatively light and was a great opportunity to get to know fellow riders, understand how it works cycling in a bunch and there was an incredible atmosphere amongst the 90 strong peloton. The weather was kind and it stayed dry all day.

Gareth got into his stride as Ride Captain and seemed to quite enjoy having the radio in his ear. Thankfully he managed to speak into it without falling off which is always a bonus.

Food stops and treats have been enjoyed so far and kept the crew going. After arriving at the hotel, there seemed to be an intense game of pool going on although the most sensible amongst the group were heading to bed to get some sleep ahead of their 6am breakfast, 7am rollout and 250km journey ahead for Day 2.

Don’t forget, if you’d like to get behind the team and help fundraise from the amazing charities the ride supports, visit https://www.justgiving.com/team/civicengineers and a big thank you to our amazing sponsors and everyone who has donated so far.