An intrepid team of directors, quantity surveyors, accountants and contracts managers from award winning, building contractor, Strategic Team Group, are gearing up to take part in the firm’s 10 City Cycle Challenge in a bid to raise over £30,000 for the Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract, Yorkshire to mark the firm’s 10th anniversary.

The challenge will see 18 riders setting off from Strategic Team Group’s office in Castleford, Yorkshire on Monday 14th June 2010 and pedaling through some of the most scenic cycle routes in Europe, passing through ten cities in the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, with each team racking up approximately 600 miles and returning on Friday 18th June.

The team of 17 men  and one determined lady aged from 26 to 55 years old, have been training for the event, fitting early morning 50-mile cycle rides in twice a week before work and at weekends over the last three months.  The team includes Andy Watson, Gary Taylor, Ian Bowness, Andy Coates, Richard Marshall, Stewart Loben, Jason Green, Ryan Tilford, Lee Robinson, Damian Bourke, Will Jennings, Chris & Karen Last, David Sanders, Karl Breen , Stephen Riley, Colin Melia and Ashley Brown.  Not forgetting Paul Danisz, who has been instrumental in organising the event, seven support team members, plus Nikki Ridgway and Laura Bennett from The Prince of Wales Hospice.

Aptly named, Strategic Spokes, the team are captained by Strategic Team Group’s managing director, Andy Watson, and have been mentored by Pontefract based, elite British cyclist, Ashley Brown of Sportscover Cycling Team, who has advised them on training targets, diet and nutrition and is participating in the challenge.

The ride represents a daunting daily tally of over 120-miles in the saddle for the more experienced riders and 60 miles for the remaining riders.  The first leg will start at the Mennen gate in Ypress, Belgium travelling to the Ardennes town of Bastogne on the Belgium / Luxembourg border.  Day two will see the team crossing the border into Luxembourg, climbing from Wiltz out of the valley and across the scenic high pastures of northern Luxembourg before dropping down to follow to the river bed finally crossing into Germany at the town of Remich and eventually arriving in Saarbrucken.  Day three’s leg will continue through the forests of southern Germany and into the Rhine valley, where the team will take a ferry to Karlsruhe and cycle east past Stuttgart and on to the picturesque town of Esslingen am Neckar.  The final leg will see the team travel south east towards Munich, passing through the historic city of Augsburg and finally finishing in the village of Einsbach. 

The team are well on the way to reaching the goal of £30,000, with £10,000 already raised through sponsorship deals ranging from NL Commercials, which has provided a van to transport the bikes and two mini buses, to insurance for the trip from Romero Insurance Brokers.  In addition, a host of generous contributions have also been made by the firm’s suppliers, clients and contractors.

No stranger to taking on challenging projects and triumphing over adversity, Strategic Team Group’s managing director and team captain, Andy Watson commented:

"Cycling is something we have all only been involved in for the last two years now - primarily for short distances. The 10 City Cycle is a massive challenge for us all, but very exciting too. We've all been working hard in preparation - in the gym and out on the road.

“Of course, there's an element of apprehension about the scale of this challenge, but we're also motivated by what we're looking to achieve - raising funds for The Prince of Wales Hospice, which provides specialist care and support, dramatically improving the lives of people with life-limiting illnesses.”

Nikki Ridgway, fundraising manager, The Prince of Wales Hospice added:

“We are extremely grateful to all involved and for the team taking on such a demanding and vigorous fundraising venture. The hospice is heavily reliant on support from the local community and corporate support such as this will provide an incredible boost and enable dedicated care and support to be given to terminally ill people within our local area. We wish all the cyclists the best of luck and thank them in advance for their valued support.”

Earlier this year the firm celebrated its 10th anniversary and to mark the milestone, made the bold pledge to raise over £100,000 for its chosen charity over the next two years, The Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract, which cares for adults with progressive illnesses offering specialist respite, terminal and palliative care.  The 10 City Cycle Challenges is just one of several fundraising events, ranging from a jail and bail event, where volunteers were publically arrested and locked in a prison cell until they raised bail money through donations, to a charity masquerade ball at Harewood House, Leeds in October.

For further information on Strategic Team Group and to sponsor Strategic Spokes visit www.strategicteamgroup.com