Mustard Seed Ireland Euro Cycle 2016 Dublin-Paris

Tuesday 7th June 2016 saw the grand depart for the Mustard Seed Ireland (MCI) Euro Cycle from the Aviva Stadium. Participants set out to on their cycling journey from Dublin to Paris to watch the first game of the Euros Ireland V Sweden whilst raising funds for Little Angels School in Zimbabwe.

John Hannin, Daragh Connolly, new member Merritt Bucholtz and Cahir O’Higgins (me) flew the flag for Orwell. I am on the board of the charity and decided to organize the event to combine a passion for the charity with cycling. I didn’t really know what was involved but soon found out. The day after the board agreed with my proposal to have the event, Ship my bike posted on face book that they were also doing a euro trip. So I contacted David Sheridan and he agreed to park his efforts and join with us in aid of the charity, which was great.

We eventually raised 150k. All the funds raised from the event enabling MSI to assist in building an extension to Little Angels School that provides education and two daily meals to the most vulnerable children in the local community of Woodville, Bulayawo who without the support would not be able to afford education.

Not only does the charity focus on this project, Mustard Seed Communities does incredible work supporting abandoned and disabled children in Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Personalities such as Donal Og Cusack, Dessie Farrell, Jennifer McGuire, Alan Quinlan, Damian Duff and the French ambassador Jean-Piearre Thebault were present to support the charity and wave good luck to the first group of participants setting out to journey 700km to Paris.


Bryan McCrystal, Donal Og Cusack, Dessie Farrell, Jennifer McGuire, Alan Quinlan, Damian Duff(photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)


Participants from the cycle with family and Iron Man National Record Holder Bryan McCrystal before the Aviva departure (photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

Aviva to Rosslare 154km June 7th

Group one consisting of around 45 cyclist, 4 support cars, 2 motorbikes and an ambulance set off just after 11:30am with cheers from family, friends and celebs as they embarked on the 154km cycle down to Rosslare ferry port. Joined by Johnny Ronan and son who cycled the leg to Rosslare in support for MSI the group headed out to BlackRock and up towards Stillorgan with the sun shining. Splitting up in Bray to let the sprinting enthusiasts get their fix the two groups arrived in one piece into Rosslare at around 6pm with some tan lines and an appetite. Average of 28km/h for Group one and 23.5km/h for Group two. After a stretch, shower, soup and sandwich the groups were all aboard the ferry to Cherbourg by 9:30pm ready to let the banter begin.

Overnight ferry to Cherbourg June 8th

With only one man down due to a stomach bug (received before the cycle) and being sick in the corridor of the ferry (fair effort after cycling 154km) the trip to Cherbourg went smoothly. With the banter flowing and stories being shared some participants chose an early night and others got stuck into the trips beer sponsor Tom Crean. Arriving in at around 4pm on the 8th some of the lads in the support team needed to stretch their legs so went out for a quick 10k run suppling up for the challenge of making sure everyone got to Paris in one piece.

The evening was spent in the beautiful town of Cherbourg with some of the group heading out to sample the local cuisine and stumbling across Timmy Mccarthy a random man from Cork who serenaded them at his local spot in Cherbourg.


(photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

Cherbourg to Caen 146km June 9th

The start of the journey through France kicked off with a hilly start to the 146km leg from Cherbourg to Caen. A few slightly more seasoned cyclists getting out front and showing their strength as they ascended the hills at speed. After the hilly start the appetites were strong at the lunch stop with the group sitting down at a local restaurant for a starter, steak & chips and desert for €12.50! Only one slight wobble at a set of traffic lights by one of the group and everyone made it into Caen un-scathed and to the delight that the Chinese and Australian womens basketball teams were staying in the same hotel! Average of 27km/h for group one and 22.5km/h group two.


(photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

Caen to Le Man 173 June 10th

The Caen to Le Man étape of the Dublin to Paris Tour was the longest leg of the route totaling 173km. With plenty of gossip from the previous evenings antics to keep everyone occupied on the spin the participants again set out in two groups. A leisurely lunch was had by group one resting up for a good 95 minutes at the lunch stop. One injury was sustained by a participant who had some knee issues but apart from that both groups put in a sterling effort on their last spin before the fresh legs of the 200km route who had flown over that day (including Orwell club league race winner Daragh Connolly and Iron man Bryan McCrystal) joined them that evening to begin the two day spin to the finish line in Paris. Average Speed of 26km/h group one and 2 24.2km/h group two.

Le Man – Chartres 143km June 11th

Day one for 200km route participants and day 4 for the 700km route participants started off greyly with weather conditions more akin to Longford than Normandy. With 143km ahead the group of cyclists now consisting of around 75 kicked off in two separate pelotons at around 10am. The new star in town Bryan McCrystal set off at a good pace was joined by 6 participants who made it into Chartres ahead of time. The energy from the newly joined 200km definitely helping pick up the mindsets of the 700km. The weather and increase in group size saw a more frequent pattern of punctures and blow outs but the ship my tri bike team did an unbelievable job on the road even using up part of the lunch break to take the bikes into a nearby church to get cover whilst they fixed the bikes up.


7 of the early arrivals into Chartres trying to keep up the pace with Bryan McCrystal: Darragh Connolly, Merritt Bucholz, Cahir O’Higgins, Bryan Harvey, Bryan McCrystal and Barry Fitzpartick. Daragh Connolly bravely hung on the back of the group. But declined to do an extra 10k for a randoneur point (photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

Chartres to Paris 125km June 12th

Spirits were high as the last leg of the cycle set off from Chartres into Paris to cross the finish line. A new addition to the group saw Iseult O’Higgins, (my 12 year old daughter) skillfully cycle a tandem for the final leg of the journey with her dad. This was a special thing for me and her as we had great chats. For safety reasons we stayed about 100 meters back from the peloton and played cat and mouse for a 100k. She was great but complained to a journalist that it was tough because her dad does not pedal.


(photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

After lunch there was a quick stop at the Palace of Versailles so the two pelotons could congregate into one to cross the finish line in Paris with the same comradery that had been displayed throughout the trip. Closing in on Paris you could hear the ‘Up,Up,Up’ being shouted throughout the group and even the bellowing of “Ola Ola Ola Olaaaa’ being shouted as the cyclists made their way through the tunnels.


All participants pose for a photo at the Palace of Versailles before the final stretch into Paris for the finish lie at the Irish Embassy (photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

After 125km (meant to be 90km but various traffic re-routing and red lights in the centre of Pairs added a fair bit of time and km) the whole Mustard Seed Ireland Euro Cycle group crossed the finish line, cycling down Avenue Foch with a full on view of the Arc De Triomphe.


David Sheridan and team smiling due the success that all participants crossed the line safely in Paris (photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

The band Seo Linn who wrote the official FAI song ‘The Irish Roar’ played the cyclists down the finish line with the ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason having a gig with chairman of the charity Billy Glennon.

Exhausted and ecstatic after the amazing achievement the whole group headed into the Irish Embassy for a warm welcome and congratulations from the Ambassador and team.


Two of the Investec participants enjoying a celebratory drink with the Irish Ambassador: John Murray, Geraldine Nason, John Hannin (photograph with thanks to Cahir O'Higgins)

Match Day June 13th

The remainder of the trip included no cycling but was spent deservingly celebrating and cheering on the boys in green!!

Overall the Mustard Seed Ireland Euro Cycle 2016 was a huge success, raising 150k for the little Angels School project and gaining numerous new ambassadors for the charity. A sterling effort from all the participants and people involved not only for the physical challenge but for raising the funds that will help change the lives of children in the local community of Woodville, Zimbabwe forever. Now onto the Mustard Seed Ireland Annual Lunch!

More info on Mustard Seed Ireland.