Twenty middle aged men in lycra – one massive challenge!

Twenty middle aged men in lycra – one massive challenge!

13 September 2010

They’ve already covered 750 miles and raised an impressive £131,000 for local charities – and next week the lycra clad team from Yorkshire will be doing it again.

Nicknamed the MAMILS (Middle Aged Men In Lycra) the 20 strong team of cyclists fielded by Dransfield Properties in Barnsley will be pedalling furiously from Marseilles in France to Portofino in Italy – covering a gruelling 315 miles in just over three days.

It’s the fourth year running that the group have covered a leg of their tour of Europe with the ambitious plan to be back at Tower Bridge in London by the year 2020.

The first cycle ride took the group from London to Paris, in 2008 they tackled Paris to Lyon and last year it was Lyon to Marseille in a muscle aching climb that took them up and then down the notorious Mont Ventoux.

The team have decided to pile on the pressure and clock up even more miles this year covering the busy coastal road from France into Italy with a total of 315 miles (495 km).

The annual charity cycle ride is organised by Barnsley based businessman Mark Dransfield and his brother Paul Dransfield of Hull’s PDR Construction.

They’ll be setting off on Wednesday September 22^nd to pick up from where their tour ended last year in Marseilles and they’re hoping to cycle in to Portofino harbour on the afternoon of September 25^th.

Managing director of Dransfield Properties, at Tankersley in Barnsley, Mark Dransfield, said: “The route does look beautiful but it's steep and we’re on some very busy, often narrow winding roads so there won’t be much chance to look around and admire the view, it's going to be a long hard slog.

“Last year was the toughest route we have ever done and we thought we should push ourselves this year by clocking up the mileage. We are all middle aged blokes in our 40s, 50s and 60s but we’ve been trying to get some training in over the last few months so we can complete this year’s challenge.”

This year the team are hoping to raise £60,000 and are fundraising for The Children’s Foundation in the North East, Leukaemia Research and The Children’s Hospital Charity in Sheffield. If the target is reached the team will be able to fund a much needed facelift at Ryegate House Therapy Block, which is a site run by The Children’s Hospital.

The Therapy Block at Ryegate is the home of the physiotherapy, occupational therapy and hydrotherapy services for children with disabilities in Sheffield. Each year it is the place where over 3000 treatment sessions are provided for disabled children and where over 200 new children, having been diagnosed with a disability, come to meet the team to start their rehabilitation.

Simon Athey, senior fundraiser at The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The hospital has benefited enormously through the bike ride in recent years and we are so grateful for the support of the riders.

“We all describe Ryegate House as a very special place and we are delighted that the bike ride is supporting the much needed improvements to the centre.”

The team will be keeping in touch on facebook and twitter so please look out for TEAMDRANSFIELD on line. The Dransfield Properties webpage will also be regularly updated during the challenge.

To support the team visit the fundraising page at:http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/DRANSFIELD3

For further information or to arrange media interviews contact Amanda Holmes on 01226 350644 mobile 07824 444017 email amanda.holmes@dransfield.co.uk

Picture shows the team at the summit of Mont Ventoux during last year's charity ride.

Team stats and info:

·         20 cyclists from Grimsby, Hull,  Merseyside, Sheffield and The North East

·         Ages range from just under 40 to a little over 60

·         This year’s challenge will cover 495 km (308 miles) over four days from Marseilles to Portofino

·         This is the fourth leg of the DPL and PDR Tour of Europe and will start where the 2009  Tour    from Lyon to Marseilles ended.

·         The tour has already clocked up 1207 km (750 miles) since starting in London in June 2007.

·         Meet the team: Mark Dransfield, Paul Dransfield, Andrew Malley, Peter Crossland, Mick Santos Cropper, Mamad Salamat, Richard Timms, Dean Draper, David Hendry,  Paul Singleton, Mike Crookes, Nick Rees, Will Downing, Tim Downing, Gian Bohan, Alec Cammish, Adam Couch, Dave Maughn, Oliver Vaulkhard, and Alan Tulip.

For further information, contact:

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