We were on the radio...

Listen to the team on the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Breakfast show...

47 minutes in to today's (Thursday's) programme...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001p96t

We're on the Radio...

The team recorded an interview this morning with Jez from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Breakfast show to be aired tomorrow between 7.30 and 8.00 AM.

You can listen at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/tv_and_radio/ or at 96FM

'Grand Departure' Date Set

The squad today issued a press release ahead of their 'grand departure' next Sunday 18th July at 9.30AM from Marshals Motor Group on Newmarket Road.

"Six young cyclists from Cambridge are setting off on a 28 day expedition to Casablanca, Morocco in the hope of raising £5,000 for Acorn House, The Sick Children’s Trust hostel at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The team of former Perse Students, Nat Gimson, Tom Doble, Hugh Pemberton, Rory Davidson, Ed Pearson and George Dean, will be leaving Marshalls Motor Group on Newmakert Road on Sunday morning at 9.30AM. Team member Tom Doble said ‘Marshall Motor Group have been an extremely generous sponsor of the team by helping to fund essential kit for our venture. We’re unbelievably grateful for their support and very happy to be setting off from their site. Without the help of Marshall Motor Group and our other sponsors;  NYK logistics, Pemberton-Greenish Solicitors, Ben Hayward Cycles, Orwell Truck and Van and Anspear, this trip would not be possible’.

The team’s route will  trip will take them first from Cambridge to the south coast, across The Channel, down the West coast of France, over the arduous Pyrenees, onwards through the searing mid-summer heat of Spain to Gibraltar, across the Mediterranean into Africa and finally from northern Morocco to our final destination: Casablanca. Team member Rory Davidson remarked ‘The route was chosen to be tough, being from Cambridge we’re not used to hills or forty degree heat! We’ve all just graduated from University and wanted a real challenge’.

The main motivation is of course charity, and the team recently paid a visit to see Acorn House firsthand. Team member Nat Gimson said ‘The work the Sick Children’s Trust do in providing home from home care for the families of seriously ill children is incredible, I can only imagine how important being close to a young child is when they are unwell, and Acorn House makes this possible for hundreds of families a year in Cambridge. It’s entirely funded by donations, so it’s easy to see how important the money we raise will be, it will be great motivation when the going gets hard on the cycle!’

10 days to go...

With just 10 days to go things have been very busy in the Cambridge to Casablanca camp, so busy even that avid followers of this blog (Hi Alice!) may have noticed that we haven't had time to write a new entry (sorry Susie)...

Training is continuing well with several longer team rides taking place each week, mostly aimed to cycle to wherever Ben Cassels is to ensure he is regretting his invitation to join the ride. Similarly fund-raising has been excellent and we are have now reached 60% of our £5000 target for the Sick Children's Trust. Tomorrow I'm riding from Cambridge to Fulham to scout out a route for day one of the trip to Casablanca, before all 6 of us meet up for a training weekend and Tour of East Anglia from Saturday to Monday.

We're also working on plans for our 'grand departure', which will be from our Platinum Sponsors Marshall's Motor Group on Newmarket Road Cambridge at 10AM on Sunday July 18th - details to follow.

GD

Visit to Acorn House

On Friday 11th June team members Dean, Davidson, Gimson and Pemberton went to visit Acorn House, the 'home from home' accommodation unit for the families of long term patients at Addenbrooke's Hospital. After a few wrong turns around the maze that is the Addenbrroke's Hospital complex we were pointed in the right direction and greeted by Acorn House's assistant manager, Jane Shields.

After a coffee and several biscuits we were given a tour of the building, we were all hugely impressed by Acorn House, especially how homely and warming it felt. The facilities and the rooms are excellent (best part being the display of our posters in the kitchen!), the visit has really made us realise how worthy a cause our chosen charity is and how proud we all are to be raising money and awareness for them.

We would all like to thank Jane at Acorn House for showing us around and being so hospitable.

New Sponsors Announced

We are delighted to announce 3 new corporate sponsors for our cycle to Casablanca in aid of The Sick Children's Trust.

Cambridge car dealership Marshall's Motor Group have become our biggest sponsor by kindly making a donations both directly to Acorn House, and also agreeing to contribute towards the cost of our camping equipment. www.marshallweb.co.uk

Orwell Truck and Vans similarly helped us by helping us to buy a bike GPS which, with only two geographers in the party, will be essential to guide us through foreign territories: www.orwelltruckandvan.co.uk

NYK logistics are our third new sponsor who have very kindly donated £500 directly to Acorn House on our behalf: www.nyklogistics.com

These are added to support already received from Ben Hayward Cycles in Cambridge and The Bicycle Travel Network.

Without the support of our sponsors our trip would not be possible. Individually we have paid for the cost of our bikes and will be paying living costs en-route but our student loans are struggling to afford other essential items, such as tents and GPS, which companies have helped us with. In return we offer companies publicity through the local (Cambridge) press and a range of branding opportunities on our kit and website.

Despite the fantastic level of support we haev already received we would love to hear from any new potential sponsors. If you think you may be able to help of know someone who can please get in touch at cambridgetocasablanca@googlemail.com

More information can be found at the sponsors page of our website: www.cambridgetocasablanca.co.uk

Team member Tom Doble Said:

"We're absolutely delighted that Marshalls, NYK and Orwell Truck and Van have got on board with this venture. Without their support the whole trip would be inconceivable and it speaks volumes for what a good cause this is that we've had such a positive response, but if we could get one or two more sponsors to help us pay the cost of our camping equipment that would be even better"

Greece Boot Camp: Hugh and Rory's 4-Day Heat and Strength Training

Team members Hugh and Rory, having finished their exams, decided to embark on a gruelling 4-day training session in the harsh conditions of the Ionian island Zakynthos, exactly one month ahead of the big start date (17th July).

Daytime temperatures in Zakynthos soared to 40 degrees centigrade, and the mountainous terrain looked set to provide ideal conditions for some serious training, replicating some of the challenges that will be faced by the team in southern Spain and Morocco during the hottest months of the year.

Unfortunately, however, they were unable to locate a bike rental shop and so could not tackle the mountains on two wheels. Disconsolate, Hugh and Rory instead hired cars as a means of getting around. They had to satisfy their fitness obsessions with light swimming, base tan preparation, carb and protein loading, tennis, and football (watching).

Upon arrival back in the UK, team member Pemberton was asked for his thoughts on the training camp:

'Whilst it was obviously disappointing that we couldn't manage to hire bikes, we prepared for the Cambridge to Casablanca ride in other ways. For instance, we practised eating local food such as fried squid and fried cheese, and one lunch I even had a small 'kebab' (a Greek meat dish) as a starter, and a larger one as a main course - foreign food is something we'll have to get used to in France, Spain, and Morocco; apparently they don't even have chips in France - they have different things called 'French Fries'. The Spanish are famous for their afternoon 'siestas'; so this was something we also practised in Greece. Morocco, too, is comprised mainly of sand, so to prepare for this we put in some hard sessions lying on a beach - I can tell you, it was pretty tough at first, but you get used to it.'

Watch Hugh and Rory's training video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K21Xhk7_m6c