Bravo e Ben Fatto - charity cycle team complete Croatian challenge

Bravo e Ben Fatto - charity cycle team complete Croatian challenge

21 September 2013

A group off 16 saddle-sore cyclists from a team fielded by Barnsley based Dransfield Properties Ltd have today (Friday) completed their 420 mile cycle ride - raising thousands of pounds for charity.

The riders set off from Dubrovnik last Sunday at the start of a mountainous, coastal route which took them through three countries before arriving in Trieste in Italy late on Friday afternoon – finishing this year’s annual Tour of Europe ride.

Since the annual charity event started in 2007 the cyclists have clocked up 2,280 miles and raised well over £260,000 for charity.

This year’s six day challenge was longer and tougher than previous years, but the riders are already planning next year’s route with the aim of getting back to London by 2022 where the annual challenge started seven years ago.

Riders this year have used their pedal power to raise money for a Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research project in Leeds and for St Andrew’s Hospice in Grimsby.

The charity cycle ride was originally founded by brothers Mark and Paul Dransfield in 2007. Mark is the Managing Director of Dransfield Properties Ltd, based in Barnsley.

Mark Dransfield  said: “We try and add to the challenge every year and it’s fair to say this year has certainly been a challenge – we’ve had a few category one climbs which are tough for even the hardiest of cyclists, we’ve also covered more miles over more days.

“We are raising money for two great charities and though the money is still coming in, we’re hoping we will have raised well over £30,000 through this year’s ride. We’d like to thank everyone who has sponsored and supported us so far, we really do appreciate every single penny people have pledged and donated."

Picture shows the team in Trieste at the end of their 2013 Tour.

To see more pictures from this year’s Tour of Europe visit the Dransfield Proeprties website at www.dransfield.co.uk or you can like Team Dransfield on facebook or follow the cyclists on twitter @teamdransfield using the hashtag #tourofeurope2013.

To support the team visit the fundraising page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/Dransfield2013TheMamils
Pictured are the cyclists at their end of their challenge in Trieste

For further information or to arrange media interviews contact Amanda Holmes on 01226 350644 mobile 07747 621902 email amanda.holmes@dransfield.co.uk

Meet the team
From Sheffield: Mark Dransfield, David Simpson, Matthew Rigby, Chris Morrison, Alexander Prince, Philip Prince, Thomas Meagher, John White
From East Yorkshire:  Alec Cammish, Ian Etherington, and Chris Green
From Southport: Andrew Malley
From Lincolnshire: Dean Draper, Tim Downing and Will Downing
From London: Christian Cox
About the ride – the route and the fundraising since 2007
2007: The riders peddled from London to Paris and raised £54,000 Cystic fibrosis trust, British Heart Foundation, Leukemia Research and Sheffield Children's hospital.
2008: The second year took the riders from Paris to Lyon covering a total of 285 miles. The team raised £37,000 pounds which funded a new bone density scanner for the Sheffield children's hospital and research into Hodgkin's and Lymphoma disease at LLR.
2009: The team travelled the 265 miles from Lyon to Marseilles in France. The course took the riders up the notorious Mont Ventoux. They raised £40,000 pounds to fund research into haematology and genetics at Leukaemia research.
2010: The fourth year of the tour took the team from Marseille to Portofino.  £50,000 was raised to support The Children's Foundation, The Children's Hospital Charity and Leukaemia Research:
2011: After Portofino the team cycled 360 miles from Portofino to Rome raising more than £45,000 for the NSPCC, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and The Children’s Hospital Charity in Sheffield.
2012: Last year the team picked up the route in Rome and cycled to Dubrovnik raising more than £30,000 for LLR and the Ryegate pool project at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
 

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk