On Thursday 8th September at 7.30am Lucy Wallace and husband Peter set off from Ashtead on their bikes with a team of 60 cyclists fundraising for Rianna's Fund. They arrived in Colchester to get the overnight ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, on their 300 mile bike ride. Lucy said "this first day was tough, with many hills but we completed it as a team of 9 riders, one of them being a father and daughter team on a tandem bike, 100 miles down only 200 to go.
On day two they set off from the port, Lucy said "a flat route as today was a toughie, 110 miles was the order of the day. Luckily, head winds were not too bad however it was a very hot day. Holland is great for cyclists, there were proper bike paths! We cycled through some lovely villages with windmills and llamas however, not so lovely on the saddle the dreaded, cobbled streets, which were very very bumpy. We finally arrived in Leende for the evening after 9 hours of cycling."
Day three was a 90 mile ride. Lucy said "we passed through the border into Germany which involved not such a flat route. We left Ashtead together and arrived together in Cologne, it was an amazing experience, one we shall never forget. It makes all the pain we endured worthwhile knowing we would change the lives of many children, giving them an education. So far all the riders have raised approximately £52,000 and funds are still coming in. Our support vehicles were brilliant, they supplied us with water, cakes, sandwiches and lots of other goodies to keep us going until the end."