News
Michelin Man provides a fitting send-off for charity cycle ride
6th July 2006
Leicester graphic designer Matt Laws and a team of cyclists from Leicester will receive a spectacular send-off from the Michelin Man when Matt and 24 other cyclists embark on a 380-mile cycle ride from Leicester Clock Tower to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
And the charity cyclists are looking for sponsorship for the event, which will be run to raise funds for the Hope Foundation for Cancer Research.
Already, a number of organisations have pledged their support, including international tyre manufacturer Michelin, who is providing a full set of cycle tyres for each rider, as well as arranging for the Michelin Man to give the group a warm send-off at the Clock Tower in the centre of Leicester on Saturday 9th September at 9am.
After the send-off by the Michelin Man, the team is expecting to complete the first leg of the journey, to Portsmouth, in two days. From there, they will take a ferry across the English Channel to Caen, France . On average the team will be covering approximately 60 miles per day, to arrive at their target, the Eiffel Tower, five days later.
Matt is a graphic designer at Leicester-based advertising agency Rock Kitchen Harris, whose clients include Hope Foundation and Michelin. An avid cyclist, Matt is already involved in an extensive training regime for the adventure and undertakes 50-mile training sessions at weekends and uses his bike to get to work and back every day in preparation for the event.
The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research (www.hfcr.org) was established to raise funds for cancer research in Leicestershire and Rutland after Allison Wilson CBE, who went on to become High Sheriff of Leicestershire, died of cancer in 2002. The organisation works with local hospitals and universities to increase the level of treatment and care for people in the region.
Companies and individuals from Leicester and further afield are urged to support Matt and the team, at www.justgiving.com/eiffel Every donation can make a difference!