BY ADRIAN DAWES
I’ve entered the following…
Land’s End to John O’Groats Charity Ride – Over 960 miles of the UK’s most breathtaking countryside.
Route:
The Land’s End to John O’Groats route from bottom to top. This is the true test of any cyclist. The route runs from the farthest tip of Cornwall at Land’s End to the very Northernmost tip of the UK at John O’Groats. The end to end route has been an iconic challenge for centuries. Unlike most end to end rides, Deloitte Ride Across Britain doesn’t choose the shortest route from A to B. Riders do a few extra miles each day, but this allows us to find the best cycling in the UK. I will ride the rugged coastline of Cornwall to the rolling hills and valleys of the Peak District and finish with the majesty of the Scottish highlands. No other single event manages to string so much exceptional long distance cycling together along so many unknown and hidden back roads. It takes in the most beautiful parts of Britain from barren moorlands and majestic highlands to lush green valleys, winding back lanes and stunning coastal roads. The full route is 969 miles broken in to 9 daily stages averaging around 108 miles a day. Whether you call the UK home or not, the “LEJOG” end to end ride is one of the classic cycling challenges on the planet. We’ll climb around 15,000m over the 9 days. That is around 13 times up Alpe d’Huez or almost twice the height of Everest! This sounds like a lot, but with the right training it is well within reach.
Why?:
My sister is fighting Cancer & my brother is fighting Tinnitus – there will be countless others in the same position as me, watching people close to them suffer and having that terrible feeling of helplessness.
So, I wanted to do something to “help” [show support] and I wanted it to be something of significance – a personal challenge, that will hopefully strike a chord with anyone/everyone who knows someone suffering with either of these two devastating conditions and raise as much money as I can for Cancer Research & the British Tinnitus Society.
Side-note … for those that don’t know:
I came as close to losing my life as I believe it’s possible to come just 2 years ago, when I was run-down by an HGV whilst out riding my bike. It’s been a long road to recovery and whilst the long-term future is still unclear, I’ve worked hard to reach a level of fitness that will enable me to do this charity ride [ I think!! ] and I’ll hopefully be able to treat this as a kind of a “celebration of life ride”, as I’m still here!
Enough about me… just please, please, please, support these 2 fabulous charities via my ride and together we can do a little to help.
Ade.
Ade’s Cancer Research support Just Giving page
Ade’s British Tinnitus Association support Just Giving page
