Subscribe to L2P News London, UK. 17 June 2009
Former Tour de France winner Stephen Roche heads the line-up for this year’s London-Paris 09 Cycle Tour, which starts on Thursday, June 25th.
Roche, an ex-world champion and Giro d’Italia winner, is joined by a host of riders from cycling, sport and show business.
Among the 300 riders for 2009 are:
Double Olympic gold medallist, James Cracknell
Double Olympic bronze rowing medallist, Elise Laverick
Leukaemia survivor and former England footballer, Geoff Thomas and his Crystal Palace team mate, John Salako
British Cycling’s Team Sky manager and former pro-cyclist, Scott Sunderland, who helped mastermind Carlos Sastre’s victory in the 2008 Tour de France
Former British road champion, Brian Smith
From show business:
Hell’s Kitchen contestant, Grant Bovey
ITN newsreader and reporter, Chris Rogers
Show business agent, Russ Lindsay
 James Cracknell |
 Scott Sunderland |
 Russ Lindsay |
 John Salako |
 Elise Laverick |
 Grant Bovey |
The London-Paris 09 Cycle Tour is the closest the amateur rider can get to the Tour de France experience, with rolling road closures and full logistical support. The event, known as the “professional event for amateur riders”, covers 520km in three days.
The event’s lead charity partner for 2009 is the Geoff Thomas Foundation (www.geoffthomasfoundation.com), which campaigns for improved treatment for leukaemia patients. Stephen Roche’s eight year old son, Florian, is recovering from the illness.
Roche said: “You read about other people’s stories and picture the trauma but when you live it from the inside it’s totally different and it gives you a different take on life. You ask ‘why him? Why not me?
“One day he was sick with a sore head. The doctors sent us home and told us there was nothing wrong. When it happened again, we asked for a blood test and the doctors called in a specialist, who informed us it was acute leukaemia.”
Geoff Thomas, who has twice ridden the Tour de France route and has raised around £1 million for leukaemia research, said: “We are so grateful to the London-Paris team for selecting us as a partner for 2009. I rode the event last year and it was a fantastic experience. It’s tough in places but I just get my head down and think about the people who are dying unnecessarily from blood cancer. The GTF is working to get new treatments to patients and we know that if we can achieve our goal, lives will be saved.”
The ride will have added poignancy for two Team GTF riders. Bedfordshire policeman, Steve Mead, was due to ride but the 24 year old lost his battle with leukaemia last month. His colleagues, police officers Matt Crouch and Chris Thomas, will ride London-Paris in his memory.
Matt Crouch said: “Steve never once moaned about his illness. He was brave, cheerful and full of fun and I will miss him immensely. I know he'll be watching over Chris and I as we cycle to Paris. I know he'll be planning to arrange a few nasty tricks on the way like hail showers or headwinds and will be laughing at us as we struggle on.”
Double Olympic champion, James Cracknell is an L2P veteran and this year is riding the first leg from London to Dover as part of his training schedule. He said: "Riding London-Paris last year was a fantastic experience. I was riding in the peloton and riding with top class riders such as Stephen Roche was as close as I'll ever get to feeling like a professional cyclist. The camaraderie was terrific and I'm really looking forward to riding in the event later this month."
ITN newsreader, Chris Rogers is riding in the celebrity team raising money for DebRA, a charity which fights the skin disease Epidermolysis Bullosa. The ICAP DebRA team (www.icapdebral2p.com) also includes former Wimbledon footballer, Stewart Castledine, Hell’s Kitchen contestant, Grant Bovey, showbiz agent, Russ Lindsay and Richard Hennah from ICAP.
Rogers said: “My family thinks I’m bonkers and all my friends know I’m a typical journalist. Twenty-five cigarettes a day and I enjoy a pint. But I’ve given it all up for what will be a life-changing experience. Not only for me but hopefully also for the people DebRA will be able to help.”
Lindsay, who has already received donations from Sir Cliff Richard, Phillip Schofield and Fearne Cotton, said: "I haven`t really ridden a bike since owning a Raleigh Chopper in 1972 and I'm still trying to work out how to get my feet out of the toe clips. The training is really gruelling but definitely improving my fitness. I can now talk when I arrive home instead of reaching for the portable defibrillator. DebRA is an inspiring charity and the pain that EB sufferers go though is agonising. The thought of them will hopefully help me along the tough road to Paris."
Bovey said: “My whole family thinks I am mad to be riding 323 miles in three days. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Joking apart, I can not think of a more deserving cause than DebRA. Every single pound donated is helping a fantastic charity.”
The London-Paris Cycle Tour 09 has attracted a host of international riders. The field will also include 21 women and riders from blue-chip companies, including DHL, adidas, Coutts, Henderson, Wembley Stadium and BNP Paribas. Riders also include three-time London-Paris yellow jersey holder, Jerone Walters and Anthony Burnett-Scott, from city law firm Ashurst, who for the past three years has been awarded the top fundraiser’s purple jersey.
The cycle business is fielding a strong contingent. Riders include, Pete Slater, founder of sports nutrition company Science In Sport, Sigma Sport’s Ian Whittingham and Guy and William Pearson from Pearson Cycles.
This year’s Ride Captains, who’ll be riding Specialized bikes and wearing Specialized helmets, include Olympian Emma Davies and David Kirkby, Valad’s European head of funds management. The other seven ride captains are Rachel Przybylski, Peta McSharry, Dan Braid, Mark Murphy, Will Watt, David Barnaville and Alice Monger-Godfrey.
Three of the UK’s top sports journalists will also be taking part. They are the Daily Mail’s Matt Lawton and Neil Ashton and Matt Dickinson from The Times, who are all riding with the Geoff Thomas Foundation Team.
Eurosport commentator, David Harmon and Jeremy Hastings, contributor to cult cycling website 'thewashingmachinepost', are attempting to complete London-Paris on fixed gear bikes. On these machines there are no breaks from effort, only one gear and no coasting because the pedals just keep turning.
Harmon said: "It's madness. One of those crazy moments between friends when we decided to go for L2P on just one fixed gear. To be honest, the biggest challenge is selecting the right sprocket. Not too big to stop the climbing but big enough on the flat to get the gear rolling. There'll be no rest periods for us at all on fixed gear bikes. Roll on Paris."
Sven Thiele from HotChillee, the global events company which stages L2P, said: “The 2009 London-Paris Cycle Tour is poised to be the most exciting yet. We have an excellent field of riders headed by the inspirational Stephen Roche. The ride will be a test of endurance and challenge the toughest of cyclists.”
The London-Paris 09 Cycle Tour (www.londres-paris.com) runs from June 25 – 28 and is sponsored by tier one sponsors adidas, Science in Sport, Subaru, Specialized, Sportique, Vitaminwater, Sigma Sport and British Cycling. This year’s event will have four partners, the Geoff Thomas Foundation, youth education charity, Christel House, Schools for Children of Cambodia and South Africa’s Morning Star, which works with children with HIV. The London-Paris riders raised £51,462 in 2008.