Getting to experience a small piece of the magic of the Tour de France is something that very few get the chance to experience.

Four keen cyclists from the Norwich office of Pinnacle Consulting Engineers, on Thorpe Road, recently got the chance to pedal the final stretches of the world's most famous cycle race.

Along with colleagues from the Welwyn and Chippenham offices were Gordon and Caroline Knott, 40 and 36 respectively, from Quay Side, off Magdalen Street in Norwich, with Stephen Gaffer, 43, from Thorpe St Andrew and Andy Dye, 39, from Poringland.

As part of a team of 10 they successfully completed a 328-mile London to Paris cycle challenge in aid of the Action Medical Research charity – raising �22,631.20.

The team endured a gruelling four-day route through picturesque villages and medieval market towns in northern France featuring tough terrain and strenuous hill climbs.

Efforts were paid off by riding down the Champs-Ely�ses to the finish line, the day before the Tour de France began, for a well-deserved glass of champagne.

Pinnacle director Gordon Knott said: 'The ride was extremely tough and we were not helped by the weather at some points, but the team showed a great deal of determination to make sure that we all finished the ride.

'We were certainly spurred on by the thought of all the good work that AMR will do with the sponsorship that was kindly donated.'

The Pinnacle team was one of many taking part in the charity cycle challenge for Action Medical Research.

The charity's events manager, Oly Watts, added: 'It was amazing to see 500 of our cyclists crossing the Arc de Triomphe after four days of hard cycling.

'We all arrived in Paris the day before the Tour de France and had a police escort as we arrived at the Eiffel Tower.

'With the help of the team from Pinnacle Consulting Engineers we are hoping the event will raise about �800,000.'

Are you taking on a charity challenge? Call Local Life editor David Freezer on 01603 772418 or alternatively email david.freezer@archant.co.uk