Help in raising the spirits of a friend of mine....PLEASE!!!
Discussion
A good friend of mine has embarked on an epic bike ride for charity, he is riding 1,700 miles in 17 days (from Bradford to Gibraltar). He is an ex-rugby pro (Paul Sampson) so is not the typical build for an endurance cyclist, he is now 8 days into his challenge and is beginning to hurt and realise what an enormous undertaking 1,700 miles is going to be!
I am not after donation, just word of encouragement to keep his spirits up and keep him focused on the job in hand - fingers crossed I will re-join him for a few days next week but in the meantime he needs all of the encouragement he can get!
If people would follow and re-tweet the tweets from the following addresses I would be extremely grateful;
@Ride_4_Care
@Sammo15
@darrenkenny
On facebook he is Paul Sampson and there is a picture of him holding his bike outside Hampton Court Palace, I am sure he would be grateful of posts of encouragement.
You can follow his progress on www.ride4care.com/blog
I am not after donation, just word of encouragement to keep his spirits up and keep him focused on the job in hand - fingers crossed I will re-join him for a few days next week but in the meantime he needs all of the encouragement he can get!
If people would follow and re-tweet the tweets from the following addresses I would be extremely grateful;
@Ride_4_Care
@Sammo15
@darrenkenny
On facebook he is Paul Sampson and there is a picture of him holding his bike outside Hampton Court Palace, I am sure he would be grateful of posts of encouragement.
You can follow his progress on www.ride4care.com/blog
He is following the current route;
Fri 02 May Lannemezan to Bagnères-de-Luchon 56km (short day but lots of climbing)
Sat 03 May Bagnères-de-Luchon to Lleida 190km
Sun 04 May Lleida to Montalbán 191km
Mon 05 May Montalbán to Utiel 195km
Tue 06 May Utiel t Tomelloso 185km
Wed 07 May Tomelloso to Mengiba 179km
Thu 08 May Mengiba to Osuna 179km
Fri 09 May Osuna to Arcos de la Frontera 130km
Sat 10 May Arcos de la Frontera to Gibraltar 120km
I am hoping to join him on Monday for a few days to keep him company and take turns cutting the air for him. I did the first 3 days which were 340 miles from Bradford to Portsmouth which was brutal, I can only imagine what he is going through at the moment!
Fri 02 May Lannemezan to Bagnères-de-Luchon 56km (short day but lots of climbing)
Sat 03 May Bagnères-de-Luchon to Lleida 190km
Sun 04 May Lleida to Montalbán 191km
Mon 05 May Montalbán to Utiel 195km
Tue 06 May Utiel t Tomelloso 185km
Wed 07 May Tomelloso to Mengiba 179km
Thu 08 May Mengiba to Osuna 179km
Fri 09 May Osuna to Arcos de la Frontera 130km
Sat 10 May Arcos de la Frontera to Gibraltar 120km
I am hoping to join him on Monday for a few days to keep him company and take turns cutting the air for him. I did the first 3 days which were 340 miles from Bradford to Portsmouth which was brutal, I can only imagine what he is going through at the moment!
- Edit - have just heard that the pass over the Pyrenees he had planned on taking is blocked by snow, so instead of a short day with a lot of climbing he is now facing a long detour with a lot of climbing........
Edited by MadDad on Friday 2nd May 14:22
Donated!
Sammo is one of my rugby heroes from around the time when Wasps were good, and he was a nifty england 7's player. He was amazingly quick (renowned to have done low 10s 100m even at school), and I believe is still together with Kirsty Gallacher. Always had time for a chat when I used to meet him around Marlow/Wycombe.
Top bloke, I wish him well and hope he makes it!
Sammo is one of my rugby heroes from around the time when Wasps were good, and he was a nifty england 7's player. He was amazingly quick (renowned to have done low 10s 100m even at school), and I believe is still together with Kirsty Gallacher. Always had time for a chat when I used to meet him around Marlow/Wycombe.
Top bloke, I wish him well and hope he makes it!
Thanks prand, you are a scholar and a gent!
He had a really tough day today, tomorrow is going to be even worse! He is still with Kirsty, they have two adorable kids and he is as nice a gentle giant as you could ever wish to meet!
We have been riding Surrey Hills and Chilterns a lot in preparation for this event, so plenty of coffees in Marlow, Henley and Box Hill! Once this is completed he is keen to carry on cycling so keep your eye open for him as he will be back on the roads locally - if you see him with an ugly skinny bloke that is likely to be me!
I have just firmed up my plans so should be re-joining him on Monday to share the load for a few days (if he will let me)....
Today's update; http://www.ride4care.com/tale-day-9/
He had a really tough day today, tomorrow is going to be even worse! He is still with Kirsty, they have two adorable kids and he is as nice a gentle giant as you could ever wish to meet!
We have been riding Surrey Hills and Chilterns a lot in preparation for this event, so plenty of coffees in Marlow, Henley and Box Hill! Once this is completed he is keen to carry on cycling so keep your eye open for him as he will be back on the roads locally - if you see him with an ugly skinny bloke that is likely to be me!
I have just firmed up my plans so should be re-joining him on Monday to share the load for a few days (if he will let me)....
Today's update; http://www.ride4care.com/tale-day-9/
Thanks again guys, it all really helps - he has been having a few dark days and it's tweets and words of encouragement that are keeping him going!
He lives 'down South' but was born near Bradford, his father was cared for in the Marie Curie hospice in Bradford which is where the ride started.
He lives 'down South' but was born near Bradford, his father was cared for in the Marie Curie hospice in Bradford which is where the ride started.
His latest update, sounds like yesterday was a bit of a mare.....
http://www.ride4care.com/tag/stage-10/
http://www.ride4care.com/tag/stage-10/
Brilliant stuff, i'd have thought being a pro rugby player and fitness coach would have given him a good base to start from, so it shows what a huge challenge this ride really is.
I can imagine given his injury history his knee(s) and various other bits be hurting a bit. Has he got any tramadol? The Sky team appear to use it a lot to get them through races!
I can imagine given his injury history his knee(s) and various other bits be hurting a bit. Has he got any tramadol? The Sky team appear to use it a lot to get them through races!
prand said:
...Has he got any tramadol? The Sky team appear to use it a lot to get them through races!
If by 'use it a lot' you mean "are calling for it to be outlawed" then yes 
TeamSky spokesperson said:
"None of our riders should ride whilst using Tramadol –that's the policy of this team. Team Sky do not give it to riders whilst racing or training, either as a pre-emptive measure or to manage existing pain.
"We believe that its side-effects, such as dizziness and drowsiness, could cause issues for the safety of all riders. We also feel that if a rider has the level of severe pain for its appropriate use, they should not be riding."
more here... http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/apr/28/team-..."We believe that its side-effects, such as dizziness and drowsiness, could cause issues for the safety of all riders. We also feel that if a rider has the level of severe pain for its appropriate use, they should not be riding."
Back to the encouragement, and I'm just pleased to see that Paul and the team are still going, despite the mechanical setback, and what sounds like almost constant rain.
Namecheck for you there, paragraph three of the Day 11 blog, Lee? You still going out to ride with them? Good luck if you are, and best wishes to everyone taking part, riders and support crew
Thanks for the continued words if encouragement and donations!
I left the UK on Sunday night with a couple of riding buddies and drove more or less continuously for 22 hours to mid-Spain to meet Paul, and offer him our support for a couple of days.
He is incredible in his resolve to complete this challenge, and despite some physical discomfort is mentally strong enough to complete this ride with the ongoing support and encouragement of others - so please keep tweeting/re-tweeting him!
Although the treacherous conditions of the Pyrenees mountains are now behind him, today we had the challenge of an extremely strong headwind and 36' heat with no shade or respite from the sun (preferable to the conditions he was riding in a couple of days ago, but equally draining)!
I have been extremely lucky and have managed to arrange to ride the rest of the challenge with him, so all being well should arrive in Gibraltar on Saturday afternoon after a final 77 mile leg, finishing on the top if the rock (nothing like finishing with a climb after 1,700 days eh?)......
Paul's update from today's leg is here; http://www.ride4care.com/tag/stage-13/
Thanks again for the ongoing support, the encouragement he is getting from everyone is keeping him going!!!
I left the UK on Sunday night with a couple of riding buddies and drove more or less continuously for 22 hours to mid-Spain to meet Paul, and offer him our support for a couple of days.
He is incredible in his resolve to complete this challenge, and despite some physical discomfort is mentally strong enough to complete this ride with the ongoing support and encouragement of others - so please keep tweeting/re-tweeting him!
Although the treacherous conditions of the Pyrenees mountains are now behind him, today we had the challenge of an extremely strong headwind and 36' heat with no shade or respite from the sun (preferable to the conditions he was riding in a couple of days ago, but equally draining)!
I have been extremely lucky and have managed to arrange to ride the rest of the challenge with him, so all being well should arrive in Gibraltar on Saturday afternoon after a final 77 mile leg, finishing on the top if the rock (nothing like finishing with a climb after 1,700 days eh?)......
Paul's update from today's leg is here; http://www.ride4care.com/tag/stage-13/
Thanks again for the ongoing support, the encouragement he is getting from everyone is keeping him going!!!
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