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As you might be aware we are not averse to a degree of physical pain/challenge and this year, following on from our epic and gruelling tour of the Scottish Highlands (895km, +5000m of Ascent), we have decided to take our long suffering bicycles to the spiritual home of cycling - Belgium (with a little bit of Holland and France thrown in for good measure)

We are going to be travelling 1050 kilometres (It sounds more impressive in Kilometres) 650 miles from Mum and Dad's doorstep (Upminster,Essex) and back again. We shall cycle to Harwich and catch the sleeper ferry to Holland whereupon we will continue our journey taking in the tulip infested lowlands of Holland, then the frankly silly sounding Walloon area of Belgium and the Ardenne hills. Finally we will enter the  frankly silly country of France (just kidding! I love France - Baguettes, Garlic, stripey tops - brilliant!) where we will beat a patriotic retreat from Dunkirk back to blighty!

We will be pitting our gangling limbs (Steve) and skinny fat man gut (Dan) against buffetting north sea winds as we thunder our way from Rotterdam to Antwerp, turn left at the last windmill and avoid eating all the Belgian Chocolates, before tackling the gooly jangling cobbles of the legendary Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic route. If all goes well, we will arrive back at Mum and Dad's doorstep (Upminster, Essex) on the 25th July, with tall tales of daring do and as much duty free wine as we can fit in our panniers (Or inside our lycra)

 

This year, we have decided to try and raise a minimum of £650 (£1 for every mile) for a charity that is close to our hearts - St. Lukes Hospice, Basildon which provides specialist care for people who have an advanced disease and specifically for its Hospice at Home programme. Hospice at home offers a range of support to enable patients and their families to be cared for at home.

 

We are doing the ride in honour of our very close friend Pat Browne, who sadly passed away from Cancer last year. Pat was a real lover of sport, being both a keen boxer and runner, and we thought it a fitting tribute to a man who we grew up with and who taught us all about giving everything to be the best you could at sport (at any cost - even cheating at rounders, and bribing referees (Our dad graham!!!)). Our ride is the sort of thing Pat would have loved (although he might have thought running it and not cycling it was far more of a challenge!) and we do it in his memory.

Please help us by giving whatever you can so we can help other people affected by terminal illness and their families, to share quality time together at a time of great difficulty and sadness.

 

Cheers !!

 

Steve and Dan (Lance and Alberto)