Cyclists find going tough

Cyclists trying to raise funds for the hospital's renal unit yesterday had to cope with cold and rainy weather that had persisted since the previous checkpoint at the Arctic Circle, with the temperature dropping to below 10 º C.

Yesterday's route had over 20 tunnels, with three of them being over 4km long. This created another problem for the participants in the Travelex LifeCycle Challenge as there was no bicycle lane.

So the support group had to stay very close to the cyclists to alert the oncoming cars by flashing their hazard lights and trying to slow down traffic.

Two mobile tents were set up whenever a stop was needed, while the back-up team had to provide extra support as some cyclists were on the verge of giving up.

The route again consisted of some very steep uphills and undulating terrain. As can be expected, there were a number of mechanical problems and the bikes were fixed en route.

Two other cyclists dropped out of the challenge which shows how tough the venture is, especially when one considers that one of dropouts, Stefan Bezzina, had managed to finish last year's challenge together with Shanel Attard, Graziella Santillo and Nikolai Pace - another three of those who have so far dropped out this year.

Anyone wishing more information about the Travelex LifeCycle Challenge can visit the LifeCycle website at www.lifecyclechallenge.com where the public can donate online and can show its support by commenting in the guestbook.

Donations can also be made by making a deposit in the LifeCycle Accounts at HSBC or Bank of Valletta or alternatively sending a cheque to the LifeCycle Organisation c/o Renal Unit. Also by sms nos: 50617351 - Lm1, 50618928 - Lm3, 50610208 - Lm5.