cycle4sobell at the Arc De Triomphe finish line

It was quite a ride. We started with a spectacular send off from the children and parents of St Ebbe’s Primary School in Grandpont and with a full Police escort – obviously to avoid our being mobbed and our clothes torn for souvenirs…

The journey to Portsmouth was like an extended training session and went according to plan. Even the ferry crossing to Le Havre was uneventful until, that is, we were told that the French dock-workers had set up a blockade and nobody was getting out of the port. Undeterred and in true team spirit, we left Tim our support driver behind and sneaked our bikes through the port-authority offices and out of a side door.

The first leg in France was incredibly tough with 90 miles of unexpectedly long, hard and frequent climbs that really put a strain on our fitness and abilities as cyclists. We’d optimistically thought that the route to Paris was relatively flat; apparently it is, but only from Calais.

Oh, and by this point, Tim had been released, which was nice, suffering only slightly from Stockholm Syndrome.

The final day was an absolute joy. Criss-crossing the countryside in glorious sunshine through postcard-perfect French villages. Apart from a few comedy falls from team members who couldn’t (or didn’t know how to) unclip their feet from their pedals, we reached our goal on Saturday on a very hot Parisian afternoon – unscathed, exhausted but elated.

We even summoned the necessary courage to negotiate the chaotic roundabout that encircles the Arc de Triomphe, before weaving in and out of gridlocked traffic on the Champs Elysees – the nearest we could get to a Tour de France finish!

We managed to complete the route in a total riding time of 21 hours and believe me, there were some seriously sore legs and even sorer backsides by the time we finished! Check out our Facebook page for photos and video clips!

The cycle4sobell team would like to thank all the individuals and businesses that have kindly sponsored us. Collectively we’ve raised nearly £16,000 including gift aid, fast surpassing our initial target of £10,000. Every penny of which will go towards helping the wonderful staff of Sobell House to provide the necessary care and support to their patients and their families.

It’s not too late to make your donation count! Just visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/cycle4sobell – every pound helps!

Cycle4sobell celebration bash – reserve your place now!

We’re holding a cycle4sobell celebration bash on the evening of Saturday 19th June 2010 at an exclusive venue in Central Oxford. All proceeds to the Sobell House Hospice. Everyone is welcome but tickets are limited. If you’d like to join us, please reserve your place by emailing fund-raising@cycle4sobell.org.uk with your details. We expect tickets to be £10 – £15 per head. Full details soon.

Hi lads

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you luck and to say a huge heartfelt thank you in supporting Sobell House. Gary and I never expected to be touched by the care Sobell provides. At a time of great sadness the care and support was phenomenal, sadly more people will need Sobell’s help therefore it is so important that we make sure that they are celebrated as a centre of excellence that it deserves and it’s desperately needed funds.

I will always be grateful to the wonderful staff who looked after my gorgeous Gary and picked me up when i felt so low however under pressure they were. So Jimmy thank you so much for organizing all this and again chaps good luck do take care , have fun and rest assured Gary will be with you in spirit but thinking he would have looked better in lycra! No offense he did have the best butt ever!

Elena Conway

If you would like to support Sobell House, you can do so by sponsoring us here:

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/cycle4sobell

Thanks for your support

The 13 guys that are cycle4sobell

cyce4sobell GPS-enabled.
“They’re more machine now than men”

What we’ve come to love about this cycling malarkey are the gear and the gadgets – real boys-toys heaven. And believe me, there’s a lot of ‘must-have’ stuff that needs to be acquired to be safe/fast/flashy. But we needed more. Thankfully we still had GPS left.

That’s right. We’ll be telling our favourite satellites our exact location as we progress on our charity ride from Oxford to Paris in aid of the Sobell House Hospice. The feed, as they say in espionage films, is now live. You can see our progress here.

Due to the iPhone that’s running the GPS needing a battery the size of France for constant updates, we’ll only be updating about every 5 – 10 miles. So if it’s not moving when you check it out, that’s probably why. Alternatively we’ve given up and are drunk in a pub somewhere.

For those of you who are borderline geeky, cutting-edge or a band-wagon jumper (depending on your viewpoint), we’ll also be updating on Twitter as well as tweeting nice pictures of the English and French countryside. Possibly the occasional lycra bum. You can see them here: http://twitter.com/cycle4sobell

Kevin Whately & John Thaw on the set of "Morse" in Oxford

Yet another unexpected coup for the cycle4sobell team: the actor Kevin Whately is the latest in a growing list of celebrities to rally behind our charity bike ride from Oxford to Paris in aid of the Sobell House Hospice.

Kevin is closley associated with Oxford through his role in the TV detective drama “Morse”, in which he played John Thaw’s long suffering deputy Lewis. More recently, he has been appearing on our screens in the TV series “Lewis” – stepping out of the shadow of Morse and doggedly rounding up the murderous villains of Oxford.

He’s been filming in Oxford for over 20 years now and though avoiding collisions with errant cyclists is no doubt an inherent danger of filming in the City, when we contacted him to ask for his support, his response was immediate:

“Having spent so much of my professional life in Oxford I know it is a city with a strong association with cycling, so it is great to offer my support to the cycle4sobell team and wish them all the very best of luck (and weather) as they set out on their 250 mile ride to Paris!”

A familiar face from his first appearances in “Auf Wiedersehen, Pet” in the 1980’s, Kevin will be on our TV screens later this year, reprising his role of “Lewis” in a new series of the crime drama. He also commented on the work of Sobell House Hospice:

“The team is raising money for a very deserving Oxford institution and the fantastic donations their ride has generated already will help to make a real difference for so many people, helping to ensure that the dedicated staff of Sobell House Hospice continue to offer valuable support and care for its patients and their families. So please try to help them reach their new target of £15,000 – they are so nearly there and every little bit helps. Thank you.”

And thank you, Kevin. Your support is greatly appreciated.

The crew had tapped every relative, friend, colleague, company and celebrity in its efforts to raise funds. And we were close. So close. But also tantalising short and with little time left before we set off on our epic journey next Thursday 22nd April.

Then the charity gods smiled on us: another two white-knights of the business world emerged: Rentokil and 3 Monkeys Communications. Both these companies have provided incredibly generous donations that finally pushed us through the £10k mark. We can’t thank you guys enough.

Nor can we offer sufficient thanks to the relatives, friends, colleagues, other companies and celebrities that have supported our cause so far. You know who you are.

As of writing, the total amount raised is a whopping £10,965.01 including gift aid.

Commenting on the fantastic support for cycle4sobell, Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council and Councillor for Hinksey Park Ward:

“This is am amazing achievement. I am delighted to offer my warmest support to the team of cyclists that Jimmy Smith has assembled from South Oxford for their trip to Paris. They have done a magnificent job in collecting sponsorship in memory of Gary Conway, who was a prominent and much loved member of the community.  Sobell House is a remarkable organisation which inspires deep gratitude and loyalty from the many people in Oxford who have experienced the care and comfort it provides. Let’s hope that the weather is kind, the beds are soft and the tyres don’t puncture too often!”

So, now that’s almost £11k under our collective lycra belts, please see if you can help us get to our new target: £12,000!

Dr Mark Porter MBE

In our quest to get more exposure and support for our Oxford to Paris Charity cycle-ride in aid of the Sobell House Hospice, we’ve put the feelers out to a number of celebs for their endorsement and a few words of advice.

Some like Chris Boardman MBE, Olympic gold-medal-winning cyclist, are only too pleased to help. Others? Well, let’s just say that our people are still talking to their people.

Firmly in the super-responsive and all-round good-guy camp is Dr Mark Porter MBE: we sent him a late-night email asking for his support and advice on saddle sores – a subject close to our, erm,  heart – and he responded within 30 mins with some great advice!

Dr Porter is the medical correspondent for The Times and presenter of ‘Case Notes’, BBC Radio 4’s flagship medical series. He also spent 3 years presenting BBC 1’s consumer health programme ‘Watchdog Healthcheck’. Basically he knows a thing or two when it comes to medical matters…so what can we do save our tender rumps? Over to Dr Porter:

“There is no substitute for preparing your backside by spending time in the saddle during training. And make sure it’s a decent saddle that fits you properly - wide enough to be comfortable but not so wide that it rubs. Liberally cover your nether regions in talc each morning of the ride, and consider wearing two pairs of cycling shorts for max protection – a chamois padded pair underneath, and a plain pair over the top to protect against chafing. If all else fails, stand up! Best of luck on your charity cycle-ride.”

Dr Mark Porter MBE

Now talc was a new one on us as we’ve been using sudocrem with mixed results: some of the team seem to like it (the weird ones) while the more normal amongst us think it’s just too icky. Talc it is then.

Many thanks to Dr Porter for his advice and encouragement.

Yesterday we ran a ‘news’ story: ‘Jeremy Clarkson Cycles to Paris for Charity‘ in which we claimed that the presenter of Top Gear fame had agreed to don lycra and join our cycle ride. A nice idea but, sadly, not true (though we have actually approached Mr Clarkson to see if he’ll put his name to our cause).

Many thanks to all those who joined in to promote this spoof – apparently Jack FM, Oxfordshire’s local radio station, and The Oxford Mail newspaper received “a number of calls” requesting confirmation – even though some twigged that it was an April Fool.

Interestingly, the post has also kicked off a cycle4sobell group on Facebook.

So what gave away this story as a spoof? Well, the eagle-eyed amongst you noticed that the PR agency was Perodua Associates and the PR contact was called Kelisa. Put those two words together with a sprinkling of Clarkson and you get the video below. Enjoy.

Jeremy Clarkson Cycles 4 Sobell

Recently the team at cycle4sobell were encouraged by the support of the one and only Chris Boardman, cycling legend.

In the spirit of balance, we thought: what if we could get Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear Presenter, Oxfordshire resident and all-round petrol-head, to say a few kind words about our cycle ride from Oxford to Paris in aid of the Sobell House Hospice – that’d be a nice karmic touch and maybe we’d pick up some press to boot. Well, hold on to your cycling helmets…

We initially contacted a very nice lady called Kelisa at his PR agency, Perodua Associates, to ask for a written statement of support from Jeremy. After 3 days with no response we got a call from the man himself. No statement of support but…bloody hell, he’s only agreed to cycle with us! Cue: falling off chairs.

OK, he’s not cycling the whole 250 odd miles, just the “interesting bit” of the route – the 85 miles in the North of France (apparently James May has a Chateau there) – but reality check: this is THE Jeremy Clarkson who allegedly hates cyclists and cycling; we’d have been happy with just a signed autograph to auction off.

Commenting on his participation, Jeremy said:

“Look, I’ve had some bad press in the past about “tapping” cyclists into hedges with my F355 [Ferrari] but I don’t hate all of them – only the gits that wear that ridiculous lycra! Seriously, Sobell House Hospice is a fantastic cause and what’s a few miles of my discomfort on one of the worst machines ever invented by man if my involvement can raise more money. I’ll also get to ransack James May’s wine cellar.”

Now, we’re wondering if we can get Chris Boardman to train Jeremy for the big ride.

Anyway, more details on this announcement will be posted soon so check back. For press enquiries, please email fund-raising@cycle4sobell.org.uk or contact Kelisa at Perodua Associates.

About Cycle4Sobell
Twelve (mostly) unfit and (wholly) middle-aged city cyclists attempt to ride from Oxford to Paris in just 2 1/2 days in aid of the Sobell House Hospice. Now with added Clarkson.

UPDATE: As some of you noticed from a clue in the above story (and the date!) this was, of course, an April Fool.

Chris Boardman, Tour de France 1998 having secured the yellow jersey.

No one would ever have expected to see the name Chris Boardman, the legendary British Olympic gold-medal-winning cyclist and MBE,  appear in the same sentence as cycle4sobell.

Well, Chris has kindly taken time out from his busy schedule to salute and encourage the cycle4sobell team – further proof, if needed, of our transformation from ‘recreational’ cyclists into a purring, tightly knit peloton.

Chris Boardman became a household name in 1992 when he won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics in the individual pursuit. His glittering competitive career ended in 2000 but not before he had won a further medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, held three World Hour Records and worn the prestigious yellow jersey in the Tour De France on THREE separate occasions.

During his peak, Chris was virtually unbeatable in time trials (racing against the clock). Since retiring, and this really is a man who needed to slow down but hasn’t, Chris has been part of the team behind the highly successful GB cycling medal haul at the Beijing Olympics; run the London Marathon; done a bit of TV punditry and more recently, unveiled a range of bikes and accessories bearing his name, available exclusively at Halfords.

Says Chris: ‘The cycle4sobell team have set themselves a great challenge and I’d like to wish them the best of luck with their cycle ride to Paris in April. OK, so the guys may be a little past their prime and perhaps a few of them are carrying the odd extra pound, but with the right preparation and training regime they will soon be triumphantly speeding down the Champs Elysees!’

And Chris would know. Throughout his career he was renowned for his strict training regime and race preparation, earning himself the nickname ‘The Professor’. So while some of our team may take issue with Chris’s comments regarding our lest than perfect physiques, none of us can doubt that this rallying call from one of the greatest cyclists the UK has ever produced, will inspire in us a steely determination  to succeed. Chris conquered in France and in his slipstream we hope to follow. Though obviously not quite as fast.

Chris continues: ‘They are raising money for a fantastic and worthy Oxford charity and their efforts will help to ensure that the staff of Sobell House can continue to provide dedicated care for patients with terminal illnesses and support for families. Sobell House costs over £3 million pounds to run every year, so please dig deep and give the cycle4sobell team your support and help them to reach, and hopefully exceed, their £10,000 target. Allez mes amis!’

And from all the cycle4sobell team, a huge ‘thank you’ for your support Chris.

Great Olympian, great cyclist, great guy.

Chris with a selection of Boardman Bikes available exclusively through Halfords

]]> http://www.cycle4sobell.org.uk/extreme-training/chris-boardman-supports-cycle4sobell/feed/ 16 http://www.cycle4sobell.org.uk/extreme-training/allez-le-allez-the-ridgeway/ http://www.cycle4sobell.org.uk/extreme-training/allez-le-allez-the-ridgeway/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:06:36 +0000 andydsobell http://www.cycle4sobell.org.uk/?p=889

Andy's arm siezed solid after a difficult ascent of the Ridgeway with Dave

The punch in the air says it all!

Perhaps it was the lure of the early Spring sunshine?  Or maybe we had been spurred on by the words of the elderly gent in Wantage we had sought directions from: ‘You’ll never make it up there!” Or lastly, and most likely, it was Andy’s total inability to disengage his new SPDs that, had it not been for and fortuitous stop to consume an energy bar, would have seen him pounding ever onwards to Portsmouth, straight onto the first available ferry to France.

Whatever the reason, what had started as a quick lunchtime burst over Boars Hill quickly metamorphosised into unscheduled ascent of the Ridgeway.

More importantly, it offered an opportunity to assess a potential first leg of our route from Oxford to Paris (via Wantage) and also, even more importantly, the chance for Andy to put his newly acquired Specialized Allez through its paces – a bike so spankingly pristine that the oil on the chain rings glistened like honey in the sunlight.

That slightly exhausted, elated expression, the fist thrust weakly into the air are  those of a man happy on two counts: a sound purchase that had enabled him to scale the Ridgeway with ease – banishing, once and for all, the many demons that had hounded him for many a training ride on his old hybrid.

OK, so the Ridgeway is not exactly Alpe d’Huez, but today Andy and Dave cycled up a mountain, but flew down a hill.  Allez Le Allez!