More than 1,600 cyclists got in gear to raise £300,000 during the Capital to Coast Cycle Challenge for Charity in high temperatures yesterday (Sunday).
The scenic ride ending up in the picturesque seaside town of Hove in East Sussex was organised on behalf of several charities, including Norwood, The Down’s Syndrome Association, The Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Heart’s Have a Heart appeal.
Riders chose from three different routes this year: a 60 mile ride from Esher College in Surrey; a gentler 30 mile ride beginning at Haywards Heath in West Sussex; and a new 60 mile Hove to Hove circular route, starting and finishing on Kings Lawns at the bottom of Grand Avenue.
They enjoyed the blazing sunshine and were refreshed by the ample food and drink provided by the organisers along the route to help them cope with the tough cycling challenge.
The event was endorsed by well-known personalities, including Olympic cycling gold medallists Rebecca Romero and Bradley Wiggins, TV presenter Fern Britton and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
The fastest rider was Alex Crossland, 18, from Bedford, who completed the 60 mile route from Esher in three hours and 10 minutes.
Alex, who was sponsored by Virgin Active, was riding on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
“I wanted to do it in memory of my older sister, who died last year of Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 23,” he said.
Alex, who has just graduated from Bedford School, raised an incredible £1,500 and lost about four stone during training.
Meanwhile, the youngest rider this year was eight-year-old Cory Anderson, from the Preston Park area of Brighton, who rode tandem with his dad Mark, 47.
This was the father and son team’s first Capital to Coast, but Mark said he had friends who have done it in the past and raved about it.
Cory, a pupil at Downs Junior School in Brighton, is a member of the Preston Park Youth Cycling Club and he and his father raised around £500.
“We got in at about 4pm, which was about eight hours,” he said. “I did think Cory might not be able to cope because kids don’t tend to have the same stamina, but he actually did the whole thing and it was no problem. I’m actually more tired than he is. The route was fantastic and the view down Box Hill was just stunning. We had a lovely day.”
Also taking part were a team of tandem riders from Ravenswood, a Norwood residential community in Berkshire.
David Rosenfeld, from Radlett, Herts, rode tandem with Ravenswood resident Stephen Treisman.
David’s sister Caryl, 52, lives in a Norwood residential home in Hendon and the family have long-supported the charity’s work.
David, 47, has taken part in a number of Capital to Coast and international bike rides and has also run several London Marathons on behalf of Norwood.
He has volunteered as a tandem rider for around ten years and has partnered Stephen several times.
“I really enjoy it,” he said. “It keeps me fit, and I enjoy the relationship you build up with the residents on the bike rides. It gets you closer to the people you are trying to support.
“It was a very enjoyable day and Stephen was great fun. The weather and sport were also good, and there was some beautiful views. All in all, it was a great day.”
Ian Tate, Norwood’s Head of Challenges, was thrilled with how much money had been raised and thanked all those who took part.
“The glorious weather was the icing on the cake on what was a fantastic day out for hundreds of people and we had more participants than ever before,” he said.
“There were a few tired legs by the time people reached Hove, but there was also a real mood of jubilation and achievement.
“This was the 14th Capital to Coast Challenge for Charity and will certainly go down as one of the most successful.
“The ride has raised an incredible amount of money for charities, including Norwood, who rely on such generous fundraising to continue the fantastic work they do.
“If you didn’t take part this year, why not sign up next year and make sure that the 2010 is even bigger. You can also sign up for our international challenges in Israel and India this year.”
