Cyclists dogged by cold as finishing line looms

LifeCyclists in the Travelex LifeCycle Challenge crossed the border from Norway to Sweden yesterday, riding through kilometres of nothing but wild tundra in extreme cold temperatures and heavy rain.

Spokesman Louise Bugeja said that fortunately for the cyclists, yesterday's trek was shorter than that of the past days and the terrain less hilly. However, this did not stop them getting drenched to the skin by the time they reached their first checkpoint, trembling with cold, at the Swedish border.

Although the cold weather persisted throughout the day, the rain stopped, making the trek that little bit easier.

Unfortunately, another cyclist, John Xuereb, had to give up the challenge for medical reasons, bringing the number of cyclists still in the challenge to 49. A total of 58 cyclists had started the challenge on August 1.

John Buhagiar, a doctor on the LifeCycle back-up team, said yesterday that most of the cyclists who stopped had to do so mainly because of knee problems.

Knees, he said, were being overused with the distance being covered and the hilly terrain also taking their toll. In spite of the many hours the cyclists had spent in training, the actual challenge was much harder and there were no rest days.

The extreme cold being experienced as well as the rain, which kept the cyclists cold for long periods, was not helping.

Other cyclists, he said, suffered injuries due to falls.

The 49 cyclists yesterday travelled 174 kilometres from Narvik to Kiruna, logging a total of 1,659 kilometres so far. The challenge, which ends tomorrow, is of 2,018 kilometres.

The challengers are today expected to cycle 243 kilometres crossing over to Finland and spending the night in Pello.

Donations to Travelex LifeCycle, which is raising funds for the Renal Unit of St Luke's Hospital, can be made online at www.lifecyclechallenge.com by SMS on 5061 7356 for a Lm1 donation, 5061 8921 for a Lm3 donation and 5061 9208 for a Lm5 donation, by cheque to LifeCycle Organisation, c/o Renal Unit, St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, or in HSBC (Malta) account 061198792050 or Bank of Valletta account 1481421017.