A GRANDMOTHER endured thunderstorms and more than 600 miles in the saddle on her own Tour de France.

Caroline Oakley, of The Street, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, near Wallingford, cycled from the north to the south of France for a charity close to her heart.

The 61-year-old, who completed the challenge in 17 days, has raised more than £3,000 for Home Start Southern Oxfordshire, where she has volunteered for five years.

The charity visits families with children under five in their own homes and offers support and practical help.

Mrs Oakley, who has two grandchildren, said: “I did the ride just before my 61st birthday. It was a landmark birthday and I wanted to do something that was a bit of a challenge.

“Then I thought I would raise some money for the charity where I’ve been volunteering for the past few years.

“There were lots of thunderstorms and lots of rain and I got lost a couple of times.

I didn’t have too many dramas though, but I did find it quite amusing when the only shelter in a storm was by one of those big waste bins and I thought, what am I doing?

“It was very challenging at times and I had to really dig into my reserves.

“The whole of France is very undulating and that’s the hardest sort of cycling when you keep going up and down, up and down.

“Your heart sinks when you see another hill.”

Mrs Oakley cycled up to 50 miles a day from Ouistreham, near the English Channel, to Sete, near the Mediterranean, to complete the 650-mile challenge, supported by her husband Patrick. She chose France because she is half French.

She thanked Wallingford bike shop Rides on Air for giving her bike a free pre-ride check.

She added: “I haven’t always been a cyclist, it was something I took up when I remarried.

“My husband was a cyclist and so I thought, well I better see what it’s about.”

eallen@oxfordmail.co.uk