IT might have been quicker by Eurostar, but at least the cycle ride from London to Paris by four npower employees from Worcester was all in a good cause.

The quartet joined more than 30 company colleagues from across the UK to tackle the 195 mile ride to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Starting at the London Eye, the three day route took them down to Newhaven and then across to France where they pedalled along quiet country lanes and across rolling green hills to reach Paris where the pièce de résistance of the cycle challenge was the spectacular view of the 324 metre Eiffel Tower in the heart of the French capital, which marked the finish line. The Worcester cyclists were Simon Homer, Chris Baker, Heather Tyrer and Bradley Faulks

Mr Homer, a business change analyst, said: “I've had no better feeling than I did passing the finish line at the Eiffel Tower and seeing a sea of green Macmillan t-shirts. Completing nearly 200 very tough miles were fully worth the pain knowing we’d raised so much money for an amazing charity. The icing on the cake was meeting a great group of people from across the business with the same mind set in facing a challenge while wanting to have fun. It’s a trip I will never forget."

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 who were complete professionals, who all came together to raise more than£50,000 for Macmillan."