A CYCLING enthusiast from Winchester is swapping the Guildhall for the Eiffel Tower this weekend to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale.

Chris Hutchings, of Park Road, is one of 150 British cyclists participating in a 200-mile Paris to London cycle race.

They will be joined by 150 French cyclists for the race, which begins near the Eiffel Tower tomorrow and will end at the Tower of London on Sunday.

In Paris, Chris will present the race's French organisers with a greeting from Councillor Cecily Sutton, Mayor of Winchester, to acknowledge the close links the city has with Laon in northern France.

Cllr Sutton said: "Although the race will not go through Laon, it's nice that we can cement the alliance through the celebration of the Entente Cordiale."

Chris, who is no stranger to cycling in France, having cycled part of the Tour de France route earlier in the year, is looking forward to the challenge.

"It will be a bit daunting because some of the riders are semi-professional," he said. "My first objective is just to complete the course."