And They're Off - Charity Cycle Team Start Fundraising Ride from Rome
![And They're Off - Charity Cycle Team Start Fundraising Ride from Rome And They're Off - Charity Cycle Team Start Fundraising Ride from Rome](/images/news/hero/648.jpg)
And They're Off - Charity Cycle Team Start Fundraising Ride from Rome
24 September 2012
Members of a charity cycle ride team fielded by a Yorkshire company have set off this morning on the first day of their 320 mile journey which will take them from Rome to Dubrovnik.
They lef the Italian capital early this morning to beat the worse of the notorious Roma rush hour and are now heading to the Appenine Mountains and Cassino where their first stop will be this evening.
The 12 strong team, fielded by Barnsley based retail property developers Dransfield Properties Ltd, are raising funds for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research as well as The Children's Hospital Charity in Sheffield, where they are helping to fund the brand new hydrotherapy pool at the Ryegate Centre.
Work started on the new pool on Friday (September 21st) and the riders pitched in to help clear the site before heading off for Rome yesterday ahead of today's ride. Dransfield Properties is working with Henry Boot to replace the 50 year old pool.
This is the sixth leg of the annual Tour of Europe which covers a route through Europe every year. So far £226,000 has been raised for charity since the team cycled from London to Paris in 2007 and 1,400 miles have been covered.
The team set off this morning starting at the Colosseum in Rome where last year’s tour ended and after tackling a mountain range and a ferry crossing they will arrive in Dubrovnik on the morning of Friday September 28th. The charity cycle ride was founded by brothers Mark and Paul Dransfield in 2007. Mark is the Managing Director Dransfield Properties Ltd and Paul heads the construction firm PDR in Hull.
Mark said: “We're delighted to have got started. It’s a tough route this year with some really hard climbs through the mountains. We’re hoping to raise as much money as we can for our chosen charities and in these tough economic times we really do appreciate the support and backing we get from every single one of our sponsors.
"While we're trying to raise more funds the team at Henry Boot are getting on with the work at Ryegate to replace the pool."
To follow the team’s progress please “like” Team Dransfield on facebook or follow the cyclists on twitter @teamdransfield using the hashtag #tourofeurope2012. You can also visit www.dransfield.co.uk
For further information or to arrange media interviews contact Amanda Holmes on 01226 350644 mobile 07747 621902 email amanda.holmes@dransfield.co.uk
Pictures show: The team starting from the Colosseum at the beginning of this year's ride.
Follow the team blog here
Team stats and info:
Meet the team:
From Sheffield: Mark Dransfield, Richard Timms, Nick Rees and John White. From Hull and East Yorkshire: Michael Crooks and Alec Cammish. From Southport: Andrew Malley. From Lincolnshire: Dean Draper, Tim Downing and Will Downing. From Leeds: Lynda Shillaw and from Scotland: Ken Dunbar
The route they’ve covered so far:
2007 – The team set off from London Bridge and covered the 200 miles from London to Paris.
2008 – Picking up at Paris the cycle team covered 285 miles to Lyon.
2009 – The 265 miles went from Lyon to Marseilles and included the notorious Mont Ventoux which regularly features in the Tour de France.
2010 – The team picked up the route in Marseilles and headed for the Italian coastal town of Portofino
2011 – The team covered 340 miles from Portofino to the Italian capital, finishing at the Colloseum
2012 – The team will start in Rome, pedaling across the Appennine Mountain range to the port of Bari where they’ll get a ferry across to Dubrovnik to finish this year’s tour which will cover around 320 miles.
The charity projects:
Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research – helping to fund research into the treatment of childhood and teenage leukaemia at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Sheffield University
The Sheffield Children’s Hospital – to continue the refurbishment of the Ryegate Therapy Block. The cycle team helped to transform the centre the centre last year. They’re continuing to support that work by raising funds for the new hydrotherapy pool and room at Ryegate which was supported by last year’s bike ride and by the Children’s Hospital Charity Ball in November.
For further information, contact:
Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk
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