Dobro Ucinio! To Team Dransfield Charity Cyclists

Dobro Ucinio! To Team Dransfield Charity Cyclists

28 September 2012

Members of a charity cycle ride team fielded by South Yorkshire retail developers Dransfield Properties Ltd have arrived in Croatia today after covering  320 miles on their road bikes across the Italian Apennine mountains from Rome to Dubrovnik.

The team left Rome on Monday morning and have stopped at Cassino, Flumeri and Bari in Italy before arrving by ferry at their final destination in Dubrovnik today (Friday September 28th).

The annual Tour of Europe charity cycle ride was founded by brothers Mark and Paul Dransfield in 2007. Mark is the Managing Director of  Dransfield Properties Ltd in Barnsley and Paul heads the construction firm PDR in Hull. This year the Middle Aged Men in Lycra were joined by their first female team member, Leeds based Lynda Shillaw who is the Managing Director of Corporate Real Estate at Lloyds Bank Wholesale Banking and Markets.

They're raising funds for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research as well as for the hydrotherapy pool project at the Ryegate Children's Centre in Sheffield where work started last week to replace the 50 year old pool. Dransfield Properties is working with another South Yorkshire firm Henry Boot. The 12 strong team are hoping to raise around £25,000 to be shared between the two charities.

Mark Dransfield said: “Without a doubt this has been one of the hardest rides we've done so far, every year has had its challenges since we first cycled from London to Paris back in 2007, but the Apennines really proved to be a lot tougher than we expected. The whole team really pulled together though and everyone is really pleased to have completed the route.

"We'd like to thank everyone who has been kind enough to support us, we really do appreciate the support and backing we get from every single one of our sponsors. This year we are marking our 20th anniversary and we are delighted to be working with Henry Boot, who are celebrating their 125th anniversary, to deliver the new pool at Ryegate."

Ryegate  is part of the Childrens Hospital in Sheffield and work is on schedule there for the new pool to open just before Christmas.

To see pictures from this year'sTour of Europe or to sponsor the riders 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 in Dubrovnik at the end of their 320 mile cycle challenge.

 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