Skip to content
Menu

Epic charity cycle ride journey celebrates 10th anniversary

Epic charity cycle ride journey celebrates 10th anniversary

Epic charity cycle ride journey celebrates 10th anniversary

31 August 2017

A team of hardy cyclists from the South Yorkshire company Dransfield Properties Ltd are marking the tenth anniversary of their marathon fundraising push next week with a tough cycling challenge which will take them from Copenhagen to Oslo.

The seven strong team will set off on Monday September 4th and cover 400 miles in five days in the latest leg of their epic journey which started back in 2007 with a ride from London to Paris.

Since that first ride the team have raised more than £436,000 for charity and they have covered more over 3,700 miles, cycling through ten European countries. 156 riders have taken part in one or more legs of the journey over the last ten years.

The Tour of Europe Charity Bike Ride was founded by brothers Mark and Paul Dransfield. When they first set off on a 200 mile ride from London to Paris they never imagined it was the start of a massive annual fundraising push which would have such a huge impact on so many charities.

Over the years they’ve covered punishing routes travelling through Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Portofino, Rome, Dubrovnik, Trieste, Munich, Berlin, Copenhagen – and this year’s route which will finish in Oslo.

They aim to be back in London - where the challenge started – by 2020.

Dransfield Properties is the company behind the award winning Sheffield shopping centre Fox Valley – the Fox Valley team will be joining in with the fundraising when the cyclists set off on this year’s ride on September 4th.

Mark Dransfield said: “When we first started this journey in 2007 we never imagined what a huge annual challenge this would become but as the impact and the fundraising has grown we have just felt compelled to keep going and push ourselves a little bit harder each year.

“It’s a huge personal challenge for everyone involved and this year’s route through Denmark and Norway is certainly a tough one with some extremely challenging climbs. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us over the years – that support keeps us going every single year and every penny we raise goes direct to the charities and causes which we fundraise for.

The team have once again chosen to support Action Against Cancer and The Dransfield Foundation – a Trust established to support local causes and community projects and initiatives. One of the charities the foundation will be supporting this year is the Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre.

This year’s riders are: Mark Dransfield, Andrew Malley, Simon Bland, Tim Downing, Paul Dransfield, Steve Wilson, Peter Swift and Paul Sutherland. Support drivers: Rob Newman and Paul Anderson.

Pictures show:  The finish point of last year's ride in Copenhagen and Mark Dransfield (second right) with the Full Gas, Dransfield Properties and Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre teams preparing for this year's ride which sets off on Monday (September 4th.)

To arrange an interview with the riders before or after the challenge please contact Charlotte Whittaker on 01226 360 644 or charlotte.whittaker@dransfield.co.uk  You can also follow on the team on Facebook and Twitter @TeamDransfield.

About the Tour of Europe Bike Ride
2007 – London to Paris
 17 riders, 200 miles, £54,000 raised for Cystic Fibrosis Trust, British Heart Foundation, Leukaemia Research and Sheffield Children's Hospital.
2008 – Paris to Lyon
12 riders, 285 miles,  £37,000 raised for Sheffield Children's Hospital and LLR (Bloodwise)
2009 – Lyon to Marseilles
16 riders, 265 miles,  £40,000 raised for LLR
2010 –Marseilles to Portofino
19 riders, 326 miles, £50,000 to support The Children's Foundation, The Children's Hospital Charity and LLR
2011 - Portofino to Rome
15 riders, 360 days, £45,000 raised for the NSPCC, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and The Children’s Hospital Charity.
 2012 – Rome to Dubrovnik
12 riders, 32o miles,  £30,000 for the Ryegate Hydrotherapy pool Project and for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
 2013 –Dubrovnik to Trieste
16 riders, 420 miles, £30,000 raised for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and St Andrew’s Hospice in Grimsby. 
2014 –Trieste to Munich
19 riders, 380 miles, raised £50,000 for Action Against Cancer and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research as well as local causes and groups through the Dransfield Foundation.
2015 – Munich to Berlin
15 riders, 430 miles, £50,000 raised for Action Against Cancer, Lymphoma and Leukaemia Research and the Dransfield Foundation.
2016 - Berlin to Copenhagen  - 
13 riders, 400 miles, £50,000 raised for  Bloodwise (formerly LLR), Action Against Cancer and The Dransfield Foundation as well as CRY.  Raised £50,000.

 

For further information, contact:

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