Chef Mickael Weiss on his bike

»A top city chef from Bromley is biking to Amsterdam for a children’s charity with 20 of his friends.

Mickael Weiss, 41, an ambassador for Starlight, decided to join his pals on their 300-mile journey after being approached on Twitter by the trip’s organiser Dan Seffens, 35, from Welling.

The charity grants life-long wishes to seriously ill children.

Mickael, who works at French restaurant Coq d’Argent in Bank, has been connected with the charity for three years and has twice had youngsters visit his kitchen to fulfil their dreams of cooking in a restaurant.

Mickael says the he has already formed a bond with his new friends ahead of the cycling trip. “We have a really good camaraderie,” he said. “I think I have made some new friends through this project – it is quite weird actually.”

Twice a week Mickael trains with the rest of the group, who are also all Kent-based, in a punishing training schedule to get them up to speed before the end of the month.

Tough

The group are aiming to complete the ride in three- and-a-half days by cycling 100 miles a day.

“It is going to be hard to complete that distance in such a short amount of time,” he said.

Mickael says he is looking forward to celebrating with a long beer afterwards but will probably feel extremely tired by that stage.

The group will set off from Harrods, one of the project’s main sponsors, on June 27 and will stay in hostels along the route.

Mr Seffens, who is the project’s marketing manager, says the Frenchman has been a welcome addition to the party. He has been brilliant,” he said. “It has been fantastic to have him.”

To support the team visit http://www.starlight.org.uk/cycling/.