The range of cyclist varies from those who simply want to ride the route - often for charity - through to very keen amateur, or club, riders and professionals - this year's event was won by Greg Mansell of Team UK Youth, the British Premier Calendar outfit owned by former Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell.  While the focus, often, is on those battling away for honours on the front of groups one and two - the riders with British Cycling race licenses - the real tales of heroism are often found back in the slower groups. I say heroism, what I really mean is foolhardiness.  Each night, over dinner and a quiet beer, stories are swapped between riders of their two-wheeled travails.  One young man I spoke to opened up after a couple of €7 shandies before admitting that he had never ridden further than 10km in one hit before one of the monthly Sunday morning training rides organised by HotChillee in the countdown to event. Not only that, but he had only discovered what a chamois was a fortnight before setting off for the biggest challenge of his life. Insane, incredible, but inspiring and a little bit daft too.  Would he do it again? "Not a chance," he told me in Paris later. No matter, he had raised thousands of pounds for his charity of choice and for that he, and the hundreds of others who pushed themselves to their limits of endurance, deserve a huge 'chapeau' from the even bigger fools who thought it big and clever to 'race'.  Being a "professional event for amateurs", British Cycling's excellent National Escort Group (NEG) - big men on motorbikes - were on duty to shield the cyclists from traffic while, somehow, also managing to organise rolling road closures. Once in France their Gallic cousins took over though, perhaps inevitably, played a less important role in the smooth running of operations. French drivers, you see, are only too happy to stamp down on their brakes on sight of a bunch of chancers living out their Tour de France fantasies.  While ridng in well-organised pelotons of around 70 riders, each with a couple of ride captains making sure any stragglers were given an occasional push and support cars at the front and rear of each group - including mechanics - with the motorbike outriders giving the occasional tows to any dropped riders the London-Paris really does feel like you are competing in a professional race.  The experience of riding into Paris, alongside hundreds of like-minded cycling fans, is a memory that I will forever cherish. However, a particular highlight for me over the three days was the moment I punctured. Yes, that's right. Having a puncture was the highlight of my three-day adventure.  After raising a hand and pulling over to the side of the road a mechanic, within seconds, was barking orders at me demanding I whip the wheel off only for him to pop a fresh wheel on, tighten the wheel up and push me back off on my way. A few seconds later, out of nowhere, a motorbike appeared ready to motor-pace me back onto the back of the group. Just like in the Tour de France. Who would have thought puncturing could be so exciting?
It's not every day you ride into Paris sitting on the wheel of a former Tour   de France winner. Then again, London-Paris is like no other cyclosportive   I've ridden.