LifeCyclists cross Spanish border today

AS the LifeCycle Challenge - an annual event to raise funds for the Renal Unit at St Luke's Hospital - reaches its sixth day today, the team, which was initially made up of 32 members, is now down to 28.

The challengers will be crossing the Spanish border today as they cycle 145 km through mountainous terrain from Orthez to Pamplona.

The challenge started on Tuesday when the team arrived in Paris and after an opening ceremony presided over by Malta's ambassador to France, Professor Salvino Busuttil, cycled 53 km from Versaille to Epernon.

On Wednesday, it covered 200 km, going on to Amboise and on Thursday another 155 km were covered as the team cycled on to Poittiers.

Unfortunately, the first two members of the team had to drop out on Thursday, one due to tendonitis, the other because of a knee injury.

On Friday, the 30 remaining cyclists continued with their journey to St Andre de Cubzac, covering around 250 km but unfortunately only 29 cyclists arrived at their destination as another had to drop out.

This was a really tough day with the team only arriving at the place where they were spending the night at midnight.

The fourth cyclist dropped out yesterday when the team covered 205 km from St Andre de Cubzac to Orthez.

Event organisor Alan Curry said yesterday that the team, now down to 28, included some four or five cyclists who, although still cycling were suffering from injuries, some of them severe.

One crashed into a car in Saintes and injured his knee and had to have stitches above his eye but he was continuing with the journey.

Mr Curry said that the weather was scorching hot and this was leading to several cyclists suffering from sunburn and dehydration.

Karen Casha, the cyclist who dropped out on Wednesday due to a knee injury, yesterday expressed her disappointment at having to give up the challenge, for which she had trained so hard throughout the summer.

However, she said she was still proud to have taken part in it since it had such an honourable aim.

Donations to LifeCycle can be made directly through their Website, www.lifecyclechallenge.com or to the Renal Unit.

One can also send a donation through a deposit to the following accounts: HSBC 61141628050 or Bank of Valletta 14814521017. Otherwise an SMS can be sent to: Go Mobile: 5061-8073 for Lm2; 5061-8915 for Lm3; 5061-9208 for Lm5; and Vodafone: 5061-7317 for Lm1; 5061-7900 for Lm2 and 5061-8816 for Lm3.