Done! Done! Done! It was the hardest ride I have done to date but I did manage to hit a silver medal time! I will follow up w/ a complete account of what was a truly epic day shortly!
__________________________________________

It has been a very long time since I last got involved in charity work.

While I was always quick to support others in their fund raising efforts, I never seemed to find the time to actively support a cause I strongly believed in. As a matter of fact it has been more less 25 years exactly when - deeply touched by images of the famine in - I organized a fundraiser at my high school in to collect for disaster relief. While we did manage to raise a significant amount of money, I also ticked off pretty much all parents and teachers stubbornly insisting on flying a massive "Save Ethiopia" banner right above the site of the annual bake sale. Diplomacy and tact clearly were not my thing back then.

What I did not know at the time was that the video footage that had had such a profound effect on me and billions of people all around the world was shot by legendary Visnews/Reuters cameraman Mo Amin (who tragically died during a plane crash a few years later).  It feels very right that now, a quarter century later, it is once again the activities of the company that is now Thomson Reuters that are leading me to ask for your support of a deeply worthwhile cause.

We are supporting the Emergency Information Service (EIS) of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The EIS focuses on the often overlooked aspect of providing access to life-saving information to those affected by earthquakes and other catastrophes. Most recently during the devastating earthquake in Haiti the EIS distributed vital information such as safe drinking water locations, aid distribution, medical relief and the location of places of shelter in situations when all other information networks have failed. Pls. have a look at the link for further information.

http://ar.thomsonreuters.com/#/?section=event&event=6&chapter=0  (you need to copy the link into a browser - I can't seem to add the link)

What are we doing in return? A team of 35 dedicated cyclists from all parts of Thomson Reuters have taken on the challenge of completing the 2010 edition of the Etape du Tour which follows one of the toughest stages of this year's Tour de France starting in Pau and finishing on top of the legendary Tourmalet. Make no mistake: this is  no walk in the park! Along with 9500 riders from all over the world we will have to complete the 181 km course on July 18 with well over 4500 m altitude meters featuring the legendary climbs of the Marie-Blanque (9.3 km/ 7.9%) and Soulor (12 km/ 7.5%) before hitting the Tourmalet itself (18 km/ 7.9%). Temperatures in the in the summer often exceed 35 degrees Celsius but can also drop to below freezing at altitude. Most of us can expect to spend anywhere between 8 and 11 hours on the bike. To add to the excitement a so-called "broom wagon" will take those that fall behind and cannot maintain a minimum threshold speed out of the race. Up to a quarter of all participants will not be able to complete the challenge. In order to prepare we have spent countless hours on the dreadful turbo trainer or out on the road often in miserable conditions  since the beginning of year. We have made a serious commitment and the impact on our families has been substantial but we strongly feel that with your help it will all be worthwhile (& yes, I do also love to get out on my bike!).

I am deeply grateful for your support and contributions. Thanks to your generous donations we have already exceeded the official target of GBP 2000 but the Emergency Information Service needs all the help it can get, so please continue to give!

I will come back to all of you with an update after the Etape.

Many thanks!

Christoph