Clearview National December 2015 - Issue 169 | Page 32

INDUSTRYNEWS

Training Starts for the GMF
Border2Border Toughest
Cycling Challenge Yet
»»Team members of the GM
Fundraising Border2Border (B2B) Cycling
Challenge sponsored by Deceuninck, got the
first collective taste of just how tough next
year’s Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico
ride will be when they took part in Yorkshire’s
2015 Dark Peak Challenge. While the
landscape and the climate may be continents
apart, the challenge was a great taster for the
team, covering some 65 miles and scaling
heights of 1640 feet.
The ride was officially started by Former
World Champion Yvonne McGregor MBE,
Cycling Manager on the Border2Border
Cycling Challenge, and B2B team members
taking part included Matthew Glover, Darren
Lloyd, Andrew Glover, Mike James, Alan
Sadler and Nigel Barrett. The ‘West Yorkshire
Windows’ team line up was completed by,
James Elston and Andy Ibberson.
Gary Morton comments: “Taking place
over 11 days next June, spanning 2,016 miles
between Vancouver, Canada and Tijuana,
Mexico, offering up 92,295 feet of climbing
and temperatures in excess of 40 degrees,
the GMF B2B ride is being described as the
‘Toughest Yet’ for good reason. Without the

necessary advanced training there is no way
even an experienced cyclist would survive the
B2B challenge. That’s why the 18 strong riding
team are already starting a regime of planned
training of the 2,500 miles target prior to the
ride, including 75,000 feet climbing and at
least fifteen, 70 plus mile rides over the next
12 months.
“Riders commented that this Dark Peak
challenge really proved how essential this
training is as many of the days on B2B are far
tougher. It was the first of many such training
weekends with more to follow including
Wales, Mallorca & the Peak District.”
To follow the progress of the team
during their 12 month training visit www.
gmfundraising.co.uk/border2border
BORDER2BORDER FACT SHEET
How far? Not allowing for detours, the total
distance for Border2Border is 2016 miles, or
the equivalent of riding from the London Eye
to the Manchester Velodrome every day, for 11
consecutive days.
How steep? More than 90,000 feet of
climbing - to put it into perspective the 2011
Tour De France, rated as one of the toughest,

had nine mountain stages with a combined total
of 69,000 feet of climbing. Border2Border will
see the team cross seven mountain ranges.
How high? Border2Border starts in
Vancouver and heads west into the Cascade
Mountains climbing two 4,000 feet summits
on day two alone. The following days will see
the riders traverse the Columbian Plateau with
its peaks and valleys achieving a maximum
altitude of 7,700 feet at Crater Lake before
descending into the Sacramento Valley. South
of San Francisco the ride follows the Pacific
coast then heads over the California Coastal
Mountains, descending into the San Joaquim
Valley, climbing from sea level to 5,000 feet
across the Southern Sierra Nevada into the
Mojave Desert. The ride then crosses the
San Antonio Mountains, dropping into the
San Bernardino Valley before climbing 4000
feet over the San Jacinto Mountains before
descending into the Anza Borrego Desert
then climbing 4200 feet over the Laguna
Mountains to San Diego. The ride to Tijuana
is along the coast and largely flat.
How sunny? Border to Border will see
the riders’ cycle south from latitude 49°N to
32°N. They will start in Vancouver where June
daytime temperatures can vary wildly from
12-20°C, down through Washington State
and Oregon where the weather can be cold
wet and windy, into California where June
temperatures in the Mojave and Anza Borrego
Deserts rarely drop below 40°C.
How much? Each of the eighteen riders will
raise a minimum of £3,500 in sponsorship
and combined with the income from kit
sponsorship and the headline sponsor the
fundraising target for Border2Border is
£100,000.
Every penny raised will go directly to Hope
House Children’s Hospices because the riders
and support team will each cover their own
personal costs such as