Nottingham duo plan French epic cycle ride to boost charity

Matt Rapinet said they were keen to help the charity, which was set up by a friend

Two men are cycling more than 1,000km (620 miles) across France to raise money for a Nottingham clothing charity.

Matt Rapinet and Alex Lynch will ride from Paris to Carcassonne.

The effort is in aid of Sharewear, which provides clothing to thousands of people who cannot afford their own.

Mr Rapinet said they planned to cover around 125km (78 miles) a day, but would face temperatures above 40C (104F) and areas prone to wildfires.

Alex Lynch works in Nottingham as a teacher and practises at weekends

Mr Rapinet and Mr Lynch, who met at school in Nottingham, said they were inspired to undertake the journey as another former schoolmate helped set up Sharewear.

The charity now provides clothes to over 25,000 people a year and diverts over a tonne of clothing from landfill a week.

"It is such an important area," said Mr Rapinet. "Many of the problems people face are partly down to clothes.

"If you haven't got the right clothes, its harder to get a job.

"If you are struggling with heating, good clothing can really help to keep you warm."

The ride will finish in Carcassonne, which this year hosted part of the Tour de France

Both are enthusiastic cyclists and have been practising on weekends for the journey but the ride has unique difficulties.

Mr Rapinet said: "Anything over 100km is tough. The heat is a particular challenge, so we will be leaving between 05:00 and 06:00 BST each day to mitigate this.

"Also some of the areas we plan to go through have been badly affected by recent wildfires.

"We gain 8,000m (26,246ft) in elevation during the trip. We've tried to avoid the biggest hills but, by the end, we can't get round them.

"The Tour de France went through Carcassonne this year, so we know its not going to be easy".

They are due to set off on 7 August and estimate the ride will take eight days and have set up a Just Giving page for donations.