Four members of the Distinct team have ridden from Dior's New Bond Street flagship in London to Avenue Montaigne in Paris, covering over 100km a day as part of the We Are Dior charity cycle. Between them they raised more than £5,000, part of a peloton total of over £51,000 for Unique, a charity for people whose lives are touched by rare chromosome and gene disorders. It is third we have supported the ride. Two flagship addresses, 3 days, and a good deal of road in between. Everyone made it to Paris, which is rather the point.
Flagship to Flagship
Darren, Dalila , Alejandro and Srdan rode with Geoffrey and the team from Christian Dior Couture, setting off from New Bond Street and finishing outside the Avenue Montaigne flagship.
The two endpoints are among the most recognisable addresses in luxury retail. What sits between them is considerably less glamorous: over 100km a day, in whatever weather the route decides to offer, on roads that do not much care what anyone does for a living.
Riding for Unique
The ride raises money for Unique, a charity supporting people whose lives are touched by rare chromosome and gene disorders.
Across the whole peloton, the ride has raised over £51,000 and counting. More than £5,000 of that came from our own riders, thanks to everyone who sponsored them.
The Crew Behind the Riders
A ride like this does not run on legs alone. Marc - a familiar face to many of our clients as our lead delivery driver - drove support for the full route, alongside his daughter Paige and Richard. Between them they kept the riders fed, watered and moving from the first morning to the finish line.
It is the sort of work that goes unnoticed if it is done well, which is a description that fits a fair amount of what we do.
Why We Keep Coming Back
We have supported this ride for a few years now, and it has become something people here put their hands up for rather than something we have to organise.
Part of that is the cause. Part of it is what the ride represents: the relationships we build with the teams we work alongside in luxury retail and commercial facilities management do not stop at the service desk. Being invited to ride with a client's own team, rather than simply sponsor it, says something about how those relationships work.
Congratulations to every rider who made it to Paris, and thank you to everyone who donated.
