2,000 km ride ends with Santa Claus encounter

The Travelex LifeCycle Challenge came to an end yesterday with 49 cyclists crossing the finish line six kilometres out of Rovaniemi in Finland, having cycled 2,018 kilometres from Honefoss in Norway in 10 days.

The cyclists, raising funds for kidney patients, left Pello at 8 a.m. and cycled their final 100 kilometres with the last challenger arriving at 2.30 p.m.

Yesterday's trail was mostly flat and the weather breezy and sunny with a temperature in the mid-20s (celcius).

At the finish line, the cyclists were escorted by the Finnish police to a meeting with Santa Claus with whom they took a group photo and several individual ones.

Santa was presented with letters which LifeCycle had collected from Maltese and Gozitan children who gave a donation for renal patients and these children will in return be receiving a reply from Santa Clause.

Following the meeting, the cyclists went to their accommodation and packed their bikes before their celebration meal - their first in a restaurant since the challenge began.

Unfortunately, their celebration could not last till very late as they were due to leave Rovaniemi at 7.15 a.m. this morning for a two-hour coach trip to Luleä in Sweden from where they have a one-hour flight to Stockholm for their flight back to Malta early tomorrow. They are expected in Malta at 7 a.m.

A team of seven are staying behind to drive the vehicles back to Oslo in Norway.

Donations to Travelex LifeCycle 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.