Lifecyclists forced to bypass Dracula's birthplace

Lifecyclists yesterday had to miss out on Transylvania, the birthplace of the legendary Dracula, because of roadworks which forced them to take a detour.

Spokesman Louise Bugeja said that although this was somewhat of a disappointment, it also meant shortening the cycling distance by about 30 kilometres from yesterday's planned 212.

The HSBC Lifecycle Challenge, Where Only Eagles Dare, is this year taking a team of 25 cyclists and a back-up team of 16 on a trip of more than 2,300 kilometres from Romania to Germany to raise money for the renal unit.

The challenge started on Thursday when cyclists did 185 kilometres from Bucharest to Brasov only to find out on their arrival in Brasov that they had to cycle another 20 kilometres to their accommodation for the night.

After a good meal followed by a good night's rest, the cyclists left Brasov to head on to Sibiu yesterday morning.

Ms Bugeja said that the weather yesterday varied from cloudy to rainy to sunny. The terrain included a lot of country roads and potholed roads and several gypsies were met along the route.

The cyclists' morale was still high and there was a good team spirit.

The challenge continues today with a 177-kilometre ride from Sibiu to Cluj Napoca.

Donations can be made in the LifeCycle accounts at HSBC - 0611 987 920 50 or at Bank of Valletta - 148 1452 1017, or by sending an SMS to 5061 7356 for a Lm1 donation, 5061 8921 for Lm3 or 5061 9218 for Lm5.

Donations to the LifeCycle Organisation can also be sent c/o Renal Unit, St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia.

www.lifecyclechallenge.com