Member Article

Ainsdale cyclists’ 200-mile round trips raises more than £6,435 for cancer care

An intrepid team of cyclists have completed a tough round trip from Liverpool to North Wales and back, raising over £6,435 for cancer charities.

Supported by Evergreen Tyres and Elite Group, Ainsdale Cycling Club this year decided to turn its annual epic ride into a fundraiser for Liverpool specialist palliative care facility Woodlands Hospice and CLIC Sargent, a national charity which supports teenagers with cancer and their families.

Originally worked out at 180 miles, the ride ended up as a 200-mile trip, where the club smashed its target of raising £2,000 for each charity, a fact that proved comforting as the team struggled through gale-force winds, driving rain and blazing sunshine to reach the popular beauty spot of Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia, before turning around and doing it all again on the way back to Ainsdale!

“It was a challenging ride,” said team member Gareth McIntegart “Pretty horrendous headwinds hit us in the first 30-40 miles. The gusts eventually eased off but they returned from time-to-time, even after the sunshine finally arrived as we crossed over the River Dee into North Wales.

“We stuck at it though. We had a fantastic team spirit and were strengthened by just how much support and goodwill we had received. The final two miles, of what ended up being a 105 mile day, saw us grind our way up a steep ascent to the hotel which pushed many of us to the limit. All but one made it to the end and not a single bike being pushed in sight as we got to our hotel just after 7.15pm.”

Day two saw the heavens open on the intrepid riders as they bid to return home to Ainsdale.

“The 95 mile return leg started with lashing rain,” said Gareth. “It relented after an hour or so and with the wind on our backs, we managed to make speedy progress. A number of mechanical mishaps occurred along the way, including broken chains and routine punctures, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. Again, as the day wore on, the sun came out just in time for our arrival back in Ainsdale at 6pm!”

Their efforts were supported by generous donations from individuals, plus some business sponsors including Evergreen Tyres and business communications firm Elite Group.

“We were proud to support Ainsdale Cycling Club’s fantastic challenge,” said Peter Cross, UK Commercial Manager for Evergreen.

“Charities like Woodlands and CLIC do such an important job and the opportunity to help Ainsdale CC raise funds for them was one we had to take.”

The club’s aim is to raise as much money as possible through its justgiving pages which can both be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/Ainsdale-Cycling-Club.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Alec Doyle .