Cannes, here we come

The Knight Frank Cycle to MIPIM ride begins today (6 March), with 54 property industry cyclists departing from London on a seven-day, 1,500km relay ride to Cannes in France for the MIPIM conference.

Another 23 riders will join for the last four days, swelling the peloton to 77 - at least two-thirds of whom have not experienced this unique event before.

"It shows that the ride continues to evolve," said Nick Hanmer, chief executive at event organiser Club Peloton. "Offering the four-day option gives us the best of both worlds. It was a test to see what the appetite was, how much demand there was. We thought we might get 10 but we've exceeded our expectation.

"For a lot of people it's about time," Hanmer told Velocity, explaining the popularity of the shorter version. "Lives are so busy these days."

Hanmer is predicting a milder ride than last year, when the first day was abandoned due to snow. "It looks pretty dry, pretty mild for sure," he said, though that could be a mixed blessing: "If it's warm that usually means a wind from the south, so there might be a bit of a headwind." All that training won't have been in vain, then.

Club Peloton hopes to raise over £200k for its charities, and is two-thirds to target. You can donate here and follow the riders' progress to Cannes through the daily posts here. Velocity wishes all riders the best of luck.