Round the World by Bike - a World Record attempt

Some have called me an idle so-and-so for taking over four years to get round the world. They may well be right.
Mark Beaumont

is about to cycle out of Paris on a solo attempt to break the 18,000 mile World Record to become the fastest person to have ever circumnavigated the globe by bicycle. He plans to do it in 210 days! (It took me 1555...) You will be able to follow the full adventure as it happens right

here

via the online BBC documentary, weblog and GPS tracker.
Good luck, Mark!

The Gladiatour de France

You will know that the Tour de France is the world's largest annual sporting event. Well, each year, 8500 'normal'* people take the opportunity to race one of the stages of the Tour in an event called L'etape du tour. It is a tough event - if you are too slow you get binned, and the mountains are the same high, painful ones that the pros slog over.
I have to confess that I am friends with the London Gladiator and this year he has decided to take on the challenge of the 'Gladiatour de France' to raise money for the World Cancer Research Fund. Have a look here...
Good luck, Will!