Herculean Break the Cycle duo, Oli Beckingsale and Peter Gibbons, endured scorching temperatures on the hottest day of the year to complete a mammoth 210 mile ride to raise funds for Bristol Sport Foundation and FRANK Water.
Three-time Olympian and owner of local cycling shop, BW Cycling, Oli Beckingsale and Peter Gibbons, of long time Nascence and Break the Cycle event partners Sprague Gibbons set their alarms for 3.30am to prepare for their gruelling cycle.
The epic route started at Abbots Leigh and headed south via Weston, Bridgwater, Bruton, Frome and then back north to Melksham, Malmesbury, Stroud, Gloucester then turning south at Over to Quedgeley, Cinderford, St Briavels, Tintern, Chepstow and finally back to Bristol – it was the equivalent of cycling from Bristol to Leeds but with c10,000 ft of ascent!
They had help along the way from friends and domestiques, Mark Kennedy and David Venables, completed the cycle in a grand total of sixteen and a half hours and have so far raised an incredible £5,377.50, smashing the original target of £4,000, to help support the life changing work of their chosen charities.
Peter Gibbons said: “Last Sunday myself and three mates, Oli Beckingsale, Dave Venables and Mark Kennedy set off from the George pub in Abbots Leigh at 3.55 am – in the dark! We arrived back at the pub at 8.15 pm to a warm welcome from Mrs Gibbons (long suffering cycling widow), friends and the wonderful folk at the George Pub. They had kindly provided giant Yorkshire puddings with gravy (I nearly drank the gravy straight off the plate I was that thirsty). That along with a few pints of Thatcher’s to wash them down – I nearly felt vaguely normal!
“Huge thanks to Oli Beckingsale for arranging the route and dragging us round. Dave, Kenno – thank you so much for your huge support – I owe you! Special thanks to Ben and Paul who had provided the most extraordinary support all day, sitting in a boiling hot van, you went well beyond the call of duty – without you it would have been a HUGE task.
“Finally I’d like to thank all the people who have sponsored me. I had originally set a target of £3k but that was smashed within 72 hours. If anyone else would still like to sponsor me I’d be very grateful. The money will be split equally between two fabulous charities.”
Oli Beckingsale said: “Normally for the Break the Cycle Sportive, myself and BW cycling are supporting the event with mechanical assistance before the start and out on the road. With this not possible in 2021 I supported Pete Gibbons in his 210mile Charity ride instead! Planning the route, supplying the following car and most importantly miles of riding on the front of the group to keep the pace up.
“Pete and the other two riders, Dave Venables and Mark Kennedy produced an amazing effort and we had fantastic support from Bristol Sport Foundation’s Paul Glanville and Ben Breeze which made a big difference.”
You can still donate to the fundraiser here
Take on your own Break the Cycle fundraiser by following the five steps below:
1. Choose your challenge – Whether you’ve just started to cycle or are a seasoned cyclist set yourself a challenge
2. Get cycling – Your favourite local route, at home on a static bike, out with your family… whenever you like, it’s up to you!
3. Donate a minimum of £5 – to our Break the Cycle fundraising campaign to raise vital funds for the Bristol Bears Community Foundation – DONATE NOW
4. Tune in – Join us for the live streamed event on Sunday, June 27th to celebrate your involvement
5. And relax – Kick back, put your feet up and think about all the life changing work you have supported
Experience the ride for yourself by watching the video below:
