Great lengths: Former Lions legend Peter Winterbottom calls on the people of Sydney to get behind these great causes
BRITISH AND Irish Lions legends Roger Uttley OBE (1974), Mike Teague (1989, 1993), Peter Winterbottom (1983, 1993) and Tyrone Howe (2001) announced their involvement in the Ride of the Lions cycling challenge. Peter Winterbottom and Captain Guy Disney from Walking with the Wounded will be supported by QBE, the business insurance specialist, as the former Lions hope to complete the 1,000km ride across Australia from 30 June.
The former Lions will be riding from the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne to the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, where the British and Irish Lions will face Australia in the second and third Test matches this summer. They will be accompanied by ex-Wallabies Simon Poidevin, Warwick Waugh and Andrew Heath, plus a number of guest riders aiming to raise £250,000 for the Walking with the Wounded and Redkite charities. The QBE Foundation has donated £50,000 to these very worthy charities.
As well as this gruelling ride, the legends will also attempt to break the world record for the ‘longest bike bus’ which currently stands at 649 riders. They will be calling on residents of Sydney to help them break the record when they arrive in the city on Saturday 6 July. At the head of the bike bus will be the official match ball for the Lions third Test against Australia which the riders will carry with them between the stadiums.
Former Lions and England international Peter Winterbottom, said: “It’s fantastic that the QBE Foundation is getting behind Ride of the Lions. It gives us the opportunity to raise awareness for two great charities, Walking with the Wounded and Redkite. It also gives us the chance to team up with the old enemy to support these very worthy causes.”
The riders will form a red and gold peloton and be joined by a full support team to help them on their journey between the two cities. To track the progress of the initiative visit www.facebook.com/RideoftheLions between the scheduled departure and arrival dates of 30th June – 6th July. Donations to Ride of The Lions can be made online at www.justgiving.com/RideoftheLions.