Subscribe to L2P News London, UK. 27 April 2009
SPECIAL BIKES
The London-Paris 09 Cycle Tour Ride Captains have taken delivery of their brand new Specialized bikes. Specialized are the official bicycle sponsors of this year’s event and have also supplied bikes to the London-Paris 09 lead partner, The Geoff Thomas Foundation.
The GTF was founded by former England and Crystal Palace footballer, Geoff Thomas, after he survived leukaemia. He is raising money to fund blood cancer nurses and campaigns for better treatment for cancer patients. Geoff and some members of his Team GTF will be riding Specialized bikes. They include ex-footballer and Sky commentator, John Salako; journalists Matt Lawton and Neil Ashton, from the Daily Mail; Times football writer, Matt Dickinson and Wembley commercial director, Jonathan Gregory.
Geoff Thomas and the Specialized Team
(left to right: Mark Murphy, Richard Hemington, Emily Hamilton, Geoff Thomas, Richard Salaman)
Geoff Thomas said: “We are extremely grateful to Specialized for supporting us with such fantastic equipment. Cycling is a huge part of our fundraising at the Geoff Thomas Foundation, so ultimately the Specialized bikes will make a huge difference. We’re also hoping that having such great bikes will make a big difference to our performance on the road to Paris.”
John Salako (right) and Emily Hamilton from Specialized
Richard Hemington from Specialized said: “We are very pleased to be a supporter of Geoff Thomas and his Foundation. He is an inspiration. Geoff battled his illness and is now putting all his energy into raising awareness of blood cancer through cycling. We are also very excited to be involved with London-Paris 09. The event provides an excellent opportunity for our brand.”
Specialized, who have just launched their fifth Specialized Concept Store in Ruislip, London, the first in the capital, are also the main jersey sponsor for eight Ride Captains, supplying them with helmets, race shoes, gloves and eyewear. Former Tour de France winner, Stephen Roche; former British champion, Brian Smith and British Cycling/Team Sky sports manager, Scott Sunderland, will all be riding Specialized bikes in this year’s London-Paris Cycle Tour. The Specialized riders are equipped with Tarmac Expert or Roubaix Expert bicycles. For more information visit www.specialized.com and for reviews of their bikes and equipment by the Ride Captains www.londres-paris.com
The London-Paris 09 Ride Captains: Rachel Przybylski, Dan Braid and Peta McSharry
Sven Thiele from London-Paris 09 said: “We are proud that a prestigious brand like Specialized is working with us this year. It means all our Ride Captains have the best bike gear in the business. Specialized’s support for the Geoff Thomas Foundation has also given a big boost to the charity.”
London-Paris ’09 runs from June 25 – 28th www.londres-paris.com and this year’s sponsors also include car giants Subaru, adidas, Sigma Sport, British Cycling, Everyday Cycling and sports nutrition manufacturer, Science In Sport. The London-Paris/Specialized deal was brokered by Cyclevox.