BIG BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE PARIS TO WINDSOR VIA NORMANDY BEACHES JUNE 2015

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "BIG BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE PARIS TO WINDSOR VIA NORMANDY BEACHES JUNE 2015"

Richard Carpenter
6 years ago
Views:

BIG BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE PARIS TO WINDSOR VIA NORMANDY BEACHES 14 21 JUNE 2015 The Big Battlefield Bike Ride (BBBR) is the original Help for Heroes fundraiser and Mates4Mates have been fortunate

For the eighth annual challenge, the route will follow a World War 2 theme, taking you on an emotional and challenging journey as you ride from Paris to Cherbourg taking in the Normandy D-Day beaches.

1 BIG BATTLEFIELD BIKE RIDE PARIS TO WINDSOR VIA NORMANDY BEACHES JUNE 2015 The Big Battlefield Bike Ride (BBBR) is the original Help for Heroes fundraiser and Mates4Mates have been fortunate enough to be offered a very limited number of spaces next year. For the eighth annual challenge, the route will follow a World War 2 theme, taking you on an emotional and challenging journey as you ride from Paris to Cherbourg taking in the Normandy D-Day beaches. You will visit these historic World War 2 sites while cycling alongside the Help for Heroes Band of Brothers, your fellow wounded, injured and sick heroes. Facts about the Big Battlefield Bike Ride Challenge Dates: Sunday 14 st June to Sunday 21 st June 2015 (ride) Start: Finish: Duration: Hotels: Meals: Activity: Paris, France Windsor, England (via Normandy Beaches) 8 days riding During ride: 7 Nights twin/triple share, plus 1 night either side organised by M4M All meals provided during the ride (see full itinerary below). Approx 12 days with 8 days cycling, 2 days each side for travel. 4 Higgs Street, Albion Q 4010 PO Box 629, Spring Hill Q 4004 P MATES W mates4mates.org

2 About Mates4Mates Mates4Mates is a not-for-profit organisation. It is an apolitical and non-religious charitable entity that provides holistic welfare and rehabilitation treatment programs that give direct support to physically and/or psychologically wounded, injured or ill current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families. Mates4Mates works collaboratively with the ADF, other existing public and charitable programs as well as support people or professionals involved in the rehabilitation of the wounded, injured or ill. About Help4Heroes Help4Heroes is our sister organisation in the UK and is a tri-service military charity, providing support to full time, reservist Servicemen and women and veterans from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force who have been wounded or injured, or have become sick, as a result of serving their country. Additionally their families and dependents receive support from the Charity as they care for their loved one, and adapt to the new challenges that they face. Trip Overview (full Itinerary next page) Day 1: Transfer London to Paris (Eurostar) Day 2: Paris to Evreux (96 km) Day 3: Evreux to Lisieux (88 km) Day 5: Caen to Bayeux (74 km) Day 6: Bayeux to Cherbourg (101 km) Day 7: Transfer Cherboug to Windsor (Ferry) Day 4: Lisieux to Caen (88 km) Day 8: Hero Ride Finale to Old Windsor 2 P a g e

3 Full Ride Itinerary Day 1 Sunday 14 June 2015 Transfer London to Paris Meet your fellow riders at St Pancras Station in London to catch the Eurostar to Paris where our journey begins. On arrival we will transfer to our hotel for a welcome briefing and dinner before a good night s rest. (Dinner) Day 2 Monday 15 June 2015 Paris to Évreux (60 miles) Our ride begins with a short transfer out to the impressive Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the headquarters of the Germany army during WW2 and the start line for our challenge ahead. After a rousing send off, we head north-west to La Roche-Guyon, Rommel s HQ, where we will learn more about the German perspective of the Normandy campaign. We finish in Évreux for the evening. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) Day 3 Tuesday 16 June 2015 Évreux to Lisieux (57 miles) Today, as we cover the miles to Lisieux, we experience the beautiful French countryside, passing through many small, peaceful villages. We will explore the stories of the resistance and the impact on the local population as we cover the miles to Lisieux. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) Day 4 Wednesday 17 June 2015 Lisieux to Caen (55 miles) As we ride towards the coast our theme today covers the various airborne tactics used in WW2. Our final stop today is at Pegasus Bridge, the successful taking of which limited the effectiveness of a German counter-attack, and spend some time at Café Gondrée, rumoured to be the first French house to be liberated during D-Day. From here it is a short ride along the canal to our overnight stop in Caen.(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) Day 5 Thursday 18 June 2015 Caen to Bayeux (46 miles) Today will be a more relaxed ride visiting the key beaches involved in D-Day, 6 June We will hear about the Canadian involvement at Juno Beach and the role of the Royal Navy during Op NEPTUNE on Gold Beach. There will also be the opportunity to visit Longues sur Mer battery, the best preserved in Normandy which was featured in the film, Longest Day. We finish the day with a ceremony at Bayeux War Cemetery and Memorial, the largest WW2 cemetery in France, to pay our respects. (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) 3 P a g e

4 Day 6 Friday 19 June 2015 Bayeux to Cherbourg (63 miles) With a key theme of US involvement, the morning starts with a poignant ceremony at Omaha US Cemetery, where we will also hear the true story of the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. We continue to ride along the coast visiting key sites, before dropping inland to visit Sainte- Mère-Église, famous for being one of the first towns to be liberated in the invasion due to key involvement from US airborne paratroopers. Arriving in Cherbourg we finish our journey through the battlefields as a team, reflecting on our achievements. (Breakfast/Lunch. Dinner is not included) Day 7 Saturday 20 June 2015 TRANSFER TO UK Transfer Cherbourg to Windsor Celebration Meal A chance to rest your legs as we transfer back to the UK, with an early start to catch the ferry to Portsmouth from Caen, and a transfer from Portsmouth to Windsor. In Windsor we will have a chance to rest before joining together as a team for a well-deserved celebration meal. (Breakfast/Dinner) Day 8 Sunday 21 June 2015 HERO RIDE FINALE A short peddle will take us to Old Windsor where we will unite with the other Hero Ride routes arriving from around the country. Our finale riding alongside hundreds of other cyclists will be a spectacular and poignant conclusion to our journey. (Breakfast/Brunch) What will the cycling be like? Northern France is undulating so you must put in the effort to train! There will be people of all standards on the ride, from those who haven t been on a bike for years, to those who go out every weekend. You can go at your own pace, and it is likely that you will find yourself cycling with people of a similar standard. What will the food be like? Breakfast and the evening meal will be served in your hotel (or occasionally a local restaurant). Lunch will be provided at a designated lunch stop and there will be lots of carbohydrates for re-fuelling! There will also be fruit, cereal bars, sweets and water/cordial at all water stops en route, but if you are used to training with anything specific (e.g. gels) then we advise that you carry your own supply. What s included? Return transport from Brisbane to London (including transfers) Accommodation, based on twin/triple share (hotels are broadly equivalent to mid-range European standard) All meals on the majority of biking days (ex. alcohol) see the full itinerary for more info. Fully trained leaders, English-speaking doctor and mechanics 4 P a g e

5 What are my personal costs? Passport (civilian) Personal equipment you will need your own bike and riding gear including helmet. You will be given a Mates4Mates cycling jersey. A full equipment list will be provided closer to the ride. Some meals (on non-riding days) Spending money HELP US... HELP A MATE To allow us to continue to offer these amazing opportunities in the long term to you, your mates and your families, we need your help with fundraising. The funds you raise as part of this incredible Adventure Challenge will help to spread the word, inspire support from the community and most of all, ensures Mates4Mates continues to provide vital support services to other Brave Mates and their families now and into the future. Mates4Mates have partnered with Everyday Hero to give you the ability to create your own online fundraising page. Our fundraising team can help you build and customise your online fundraising page. All you need to do then is start sharing the link with your supporters asking them for a donation. Each donation is recorded on your page along with any messages of support. Every time someone donates to your page they will receive an instant tax deductible receipt. Or if you prefer, why not partner with other Brave Mates on the Adventure Challenge and fundraise as a group? You might like to hold a fundraising BBQ on a Saturday morning the options are endless and you ll be support along the way by the Mates4Mates fundraising team. Expressions of Interest To register your interest in the Big Battlefield Bike Ride Adventure Challenge, please complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form and return to enquiry@mates4mates.org or call Mates4Mates on MATES ( ) for more details. Closing date for EOIs is 30 November P a g e

In partnership with July 2018

In partnership with July 2018 Tour de France 2018 London to Paris In partnership with 25 29 July 2018 Join Team Mind for the ride of your life - 4 days to cycle 300 miles across England and France, reaching Paris in time for the finale