Team in 'surprisingly' good shape after completing 10-day fundraising ride
A group of seven cyclists were celebrating yesterday – as well as nursing a few sore knees and necks – after 10 days’ cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Former island footballer Jacques Isabelle was among them, 18 months after he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia.
The group spent up to 10 hours a day in the saddle before completing their challenge at about 12.30pm on Wednesday.
‘We’re actually all in pretty good shape, surprisingly,’ said Mr Isabelle.
‘All the boys have trained really hard in the last 12 months. But Ibuprofen has definitely been our friend.’
Mr Isabelle had the additional challenge of fasting for three hours each day as part of his ongoing treatment.
He and a couple of the other riders now live and work in Dubai and trained in temperatures of about 35C, which meant they found it cold when they set off from Land’s End.
They also found it tough to cope with the hills of south-west England after cycling on the flat in Dubai.
The group had a warm reception while riding through Scotland and the north of England. ‘From Doncaster onwards, everyone has been amazing,’ said Mr Isabelle. But they said they encountered many less complimentary drivers during the first half of their ride.
Mr Isabelle was joined by brothers Marc and Gerard, as well as Chris Mauger, Jordan Williams, Richard ‘Pez’ Perrio and Ramon Gacio. They were accompanied by supporters Dawn Thomas and Sarah Griffith.
They expect to have raised about £40,000 for Leukaemia UK and Al Jalila, a Dubai-based cancer charity, including a £20,000 donation from Mashreq Bank in Dubai. The ride was sponsored by FLX Solutions, the World School Games and A7 Design.
Mr Isabelle, one of the Guernsey FC originals, is now on his way back to Guernsey, along with the van the cyclists borrowed for their support team.
He plans to spend six to eight weeks in the island and has signed for Rangers to play some early-season football before going back to Dubai.
The group’s thoughts have already turned to a potential future challenge, with a coast-to-coast ride across the USA and rowing the Atlantic among the ideas.
The team’s JustGiving fundraising page can be found here
