Gregory Austin, Sean King, Monica Weekes and Larry Rogers,
the 2008 Barbados Cycles for Charity riders
|
In 2008, the Barbados Cycles for Charity team raised $60,000 for the "Men Against Cancer" awareness and risk management program of the Barbados Cancer Society. Riding in the
L' Etape du Tour which takes place on a rest day of the Tour de France,
the team raised $29,000 in 2006 for the Barbados Cancer Society's Breast Screening Program, and also raised $21,000 for The Variety Club Childrens' Charity in 2007.
L'Etape Du Tour allows amateur riders from around the world to ride some of the the same mountain stages as the professional teams ride in the Tour De France, with as many as 8,500 riders participating.
For 2008 the team challenge comprised of cycling over 100 mountain passes (cols) along a 2000km (1242 miles) route which begins with La Marmotte (a mass-timed bicycle race,
174km or 108 miles long over 4 mountains with approx. 17,000 ft of climbing) and concluded with The Ventoux Galerean Challenge (cycling up all four sides of Mont Ventoux - 187km or 117 miles in one day with approx. 20,000 ft. of climbing).
The 13 days between La Marmotte and The Ventoux Galerean Challenge averaged 129 km or 80 miles of riding per day through the French Alps.
The team also gained great satisfaction from their acceptance into the exclusive Club des Cent Cols (Club of the 100 mountain passes), for riding over 100 French mountain passes in freezing mountain air, baking-hot valleys,
through thunderstorms and days with precious little sleep. Some of these passes were over 8,000 feet high, and in total they climbed over 140,000 feet, or 4 times the height of Mount Everest
|
