News
En route
(pictured L to R Sue Baron, Richard Willis, Sheila Kemble)
Three of our Trustees at the Hospice have just taken part in the Extra Mile Massif Cycle Challenge. Richard Willis and Sheila Kemble formed part of the Willen Wheelers cycle team and Sue Baron joined the Manic Street Pedlars.
The route was 500 miles through France, starting at Vichy and finishing at the foot of the Puy de Dome in the Massif Central, the highest of a chain of volcanic peaks. Fontainebleau, home of Napoleon, and Bourges with its magnificent cathedral, were both passed along the way.
Forty six teams of four set out on this event and each team cycled for three days in relay style. Transport for our teams was provided courtesy of the very generous support of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
What they said..
“The early morning starts at 7.00 am were cold and dark (just above freezing) but the weather for the whole trip was beautiful. The cyclists were busy for the whole day, either cycling, loading the van or driving - little time to admire the tremendous scenery especially in the Loire and the Massif Central. The second day was much hillier but the main climbs were on the third day in the Massif Central particularly in the Parc Naturel Regional Des Volcans d'Auvergne.
The key to success is a good team spirit, moderation in the local red wine on the night before, maximum effort on the cycling but also the timing of the overlap points on the relay. You also have to watch out for the direction arrows set out by the excellent marshalling team. We did make a few mistakes here and cycled more miles and more hills than we needed to!
But, we did it. There is a huge sense of achievement and it is great for team building but, most of all, it raises much needed funds for the Hospice."
For further information about the extramile challenge please visit http://extra-mile.org.uk. For information about other cycle challenges you can get involved in for the Hospice please contact Lynn on 01908 306699
