The container that will deliver the bicycles, food and medicine to be used in the Travelex LifeCycle Challenge was loaded at St Aloysius College, in Birkirkara, yesterday morning.

The container, which is heading for Oslo, contains the equipment of the 59 participating cyclists as well as a spin dryer donated by the Phoenix group to ensure that cyclists have a clean set of clothes every day.

This year's fundraising LifeCycle Challenge, Crossing The Arctic Circle, starts on July 30.

Also packed in the container are 220 kilos of pasta, 50 kilos of rice, 80 kilos of tuna, 80 kilos of corned beef, 20 kilos of olives, 270 packets of cereal, 500 tins of pulses, 360 packets of energy drinks, 20 litres of olive oil and 600 litres of UHT milk.

Taking so much food will minimise LifeCycle's expenses in Norway, Sweden and Finland, the three countries to be traversed by the cyclists in their 10-day, 2,000 kilometre challenge. The food has been donated by Vivian Corp. Ltd., Crown Cold Stores, Alf Mizzi and Sons, Nestle and Foster Clark.

LifeCycle chairman Anna Miggiani said it was estimated that the team will also need to buy 3,500 bananas and 3,500 loaves of bread in the countries they are in. She said that 3,200 meals will be cooked throughout the trip.

Four army burners and catering pots and pans as well as lots of medicine and bandages have also been packed into the container.

Thirteen members of the back-up team will leave Malta on July 27 to meet the container.

They will liaise with local authorities and set up the first set of signs to make sure there are no hiccups. They will also transport the bikes to the participants' accommodation, ready to be unpacked and reassembled by the cyclists.

Donations to LifeCycle can be made at the LifeCycle accounts at Bank of Valletta or HSBC, or by SMS on 5061 7356 for a Lm1 donation, 5061 8921 for a Lm3 donation or 5061 9208 for a Lm5 donation. Donations can also be sent c/o Renal Unit, St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia.