Date: 15th June, 2018
There will be a twinning trip with a difference next month when a group of mostly Fire and Rescue Service personnel cycle from Devizes to its French twin town of Mayenne.
The eight cyclists, many of them firefighters in Devizes, will take on the journey of approximately 185 miles to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The group will be waved off by the Mayor of Devizes, Cllr Andy Geddes, at 1.30pm on Wednesday 11 July. They will then ride down to Portsmouth, where they will get the overnight ferry to St Malo.
On the Thursday, they will ride from St Malo to Mayenne, where their first stop will be the town’s fire station to present a Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service plaque. Later, they will attend a twinning association reception at Mayenne Town Hall.
Friday will be a rest day, watching the Tour de France, before travelling back – this time by minibus! – to Devizes.
The riders are Devizes firefighters Mike Cleaver, Richard Lake, Andy Olsen and Tom Brolan; Westbury firefighter Pete Eastland; Potterne-based project lead Stuart King; and Mike’s brother-in-law Danyl Scott. The minibus will be driven by Devizes firefighter Iain Taylor, who will get on his bike to join the cyclists for the final leg into Mayenne.
Mike said: “We’re all keen cyclists and many of us have taken on various distance challenges to raise money for charity in the past. We’re supporting the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Fire Fighters Charity, as both have given direct support to team members and their families. We hope to raise a lot of money, but also some awareness, so that other people might show them support as well.”
He added: “We are incredibly grateful to the Devizes twinning association for all the help they have given us in planning this challenge, and some of them will be in Mayenne to welcome us when we arrive. It should be a fabulous few days!”
A car wash is being held at Devizes fire station on Saturday 23 June between 10am and 2pm, where the proceeds will go directly into the joint pot for the Fire Fighters Charity and Motor Neurone Disease Association.
To support the team in their fundraising, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/2018TourtoMayenne