The one day "Ultra-ride"

COMPLETED IN 23 HOURS 57 MINS !!!!

We have just returned from successfully completing the challenge to cycle from London to Ay (next village to Epernay) in Champagne in under 24 hours. Despite a 90 minute delay on the Eurotunnel shuttle and a torrential thunderstorm around dawn , the 4 of us finished together with barely 3 minutes to spare after having slipped behind schedule with 50 miles to go and having to ride flat out for the last hour through pouring rain. Eventual distance ridden was 425km which was covered in 17 hours on the bike averaging 25km/h with 3,500m of total ascent (3 hours were spent crossing the channel , 1 hour waiting for the lightning and flooding to subside). I burned around 10,000 calories , had an average heart rate of 126 and made an estimated 80,000 pedal turns, drank 6 cans of Red Bull and 14 litres of water and sports drinks. We only had 2 punctures between us and no-one fell asleep on their bike ..

Many thanks for all your contributions !!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lands End to John O'Groats (850 miles) in under 4 days

On 12th July Lindsay Williams, together with Tomasz Benrot and Lee Bartholomew (both also from Lloyds Banking Group) are going to attempt to cover the 850 miles between Land's End and John O' Groats in less than 4 days , riding to Worcester on the first day , then Carlisle the second day, Newtonmore and finally John O'Groats . Most sane cyclists , including myself in 1989,  take around 9 days for this ride so it will be a real challenge. we are expecting to be on the bike for anything up to 18 hours per day , burning anything up to 10,000 calories per day, so it will be mentally as well as physically tough .

 

 

Training for both rides has included London-Folkestone-London overnight (250km) and Exeter-London via (320km) which took 17 hours and competing in the legendary Tour Of Flanders 260km race over cobbles.

we are raising funds again for Opportunity International , the long-term partnership charity of the Wholesale division of Lloyds banking Group.

Opportunity International is a pioneer and global leader in the provision of 'micro finance' services that enable its customers to develop small businesses in a way that fosters economic and social growth in their communities.

These funds will not only allow Opportunity International in Malawi to buy a 4 wheel drive bank on wheels (already ordered), but also to open a hub branch of the Opportunity Bank and seed it with capital in the tea farming region of Mulanje in Malawi.

One of the most important things about 's work is the way it helps people to develop a vision for their own future. A key component of their work with loan clients in projects supported by LBG's Wholesale division in and is financial education and practical training. This includes vision building - of learning to think beyond today and being able to plan for tomorrow.

's vision is a world in which all people have the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families, and to build a fulfilling life. Hearing both clients and staff speak proudly of how is helping them to work little by little towards making their dreams a reality - even in the midst of challenges - is indeed inspiring.

The efforts of Lloyds Banking Group colleagues are creating opportunities for thousands of people across sub-Saharan to create wealth and vision at grass roots. It's tackling poverty one family at a time and it's so exciting to see it working and gathering pace. 

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.