With just two weeks to go until five Brigg’s cyclists take on their latest challenge – to ride the 350 miles from Briggs’ offices in Cumbernauld to Cannock in just five days, the team are making their final preparations and some are feeling more confident than others.
Peter Jones, Andrew Keyworth, Jamie Secker, Adam Alderson and Kathryn Hyde will start their journey on 13th of September, and have a tough five days ahead of them.
The team have set themselves a goal of raising £5,000 for their new charity of the year, Alzheimer’s Research UK. At the moment one in three people will die of the disease, and there are currently no cures or treatments available. Every penny raised will help make a difference for generations to come.
The route follows part of the tried and tested Lands’ End to John O’ Groats route for a large part of the ride.
13/09/18: Cumbernauld – Abingdon (47.2 miles)
14/09/18: Abingdon – Penrith (93.6 miles)
15/09/18: Penrith – Whalley (80 miles)
16/09/18: Whalley – Chesterfield (75.2 miles)
17/09/18: Chesterfield – Cannock (54 miles)
Total mileage: 350 miles
The team have already raised nearly £5,000 for the cause, thanks to our fantastic suppliers who have donated significant amounts of money to help us support the charity. Special thanks go to Hako, Hoppecke, Combilift, Pall-ex, Fork Truck Control, HSBC, Baumann Attachments, CIRM, Travis Perkins, Pinsent Mason and Secondsight.
There is still just over £100 to go for the team to reach their goal so if you wish to support them on their journey you can donate here: https://briggs-equipment-uk.everydayhero.com/uk/cumbernauld-to-cannock-350-mile-bike-ride
We caught up with the team to find out how their preparations have been going!
Pete Jones 
Pete has had a steady and consistent season, enjoying training rides around Anglesey. This endurance rider is unlikely to burn all of his matches in the first few days, so could prove to be one of the strongest as we enter the back end of the challenge. We certainly hope so as at this point we may need Pete’s cheery disposition to keep the rest of the team’s spirits high.
What inspired you to organise C2C?
“I did THE C2C last year (the Coast to Coast ride from Whitehaven to Sunderland) and thought Briggs should have its own C2C from Cumbernauld to Cannock. I also felt a multiday charity event connecting our Scottish and England and Wales headquarters would be a great platform to generate interest and raise funds for such a worthwhile cause as Alzheimer’s Research UK, a charity that is close to my heart as Sam’s mother has this condition giving us first-hand experience of the awful impact the disease has on a sufferer’s daily life.”
What are you looking forward to most during the challenge?
“I have to be honest and say crossing the line in Cannock! When I first conceived the idea I felt the ride would be challenging but doable. However as we get closer to the date and I’ve ramped the training up, I’m beginning to realise the scale of the challenge. The middle three days with an average of 80 miles per day will definitely test us!”
What have you done so far to prepare for the challenge?
“I’ve gradually built up my road miles over the last few weeks and took part in the Tour de Mon sportive on Anglesey a couple of weeks ago. I’ve also done quite a bit of cycling through Snowdonia to acclimatise my legs to the more than 17,500 feet of climbing we have on the route. I’ve also used my preparation to indulge in chocolate… to build up my energy reserves!”
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Andrew Keyworth 
Andrew Keyworth is the fashionista and borderline pro of the team and has both the endurance and speed to potentially make a solo breakaway to the finish line. Having recently completed some tough rides in the Peak District, and several “chain gangs” this challenge may be more a test of his patience than his cycling ability.
What inspired you to take part in C2C?
“C2C was the type of challenge I have never done before and with elderly parents (in their 90’s) I understand what living with Alzheimer’s can be like.”
What are you most looking forward to during the challenge?
“I am looking forward to the challenging climbs along the route, working with the team and a pint of lager at the end of each day.”
What have you done so far to prepare for the challenge?
“I train through the winter and have completed over 3500 miles so far this year, with recent cycle rides in the Peak District for climbing practice.”
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Adam Alderson 
Adam Alderson, although relatively new to the sport, is another strong candidate and there have been whispers of secret training sessions taking place from the Cannock Service Centre on week nights with Pete Jones. Could the bond formed between these two mean that they work together to take gold?
What inspired you to join the C2C ride for Alzheimer’s Research UK
“In the last few years of her life, my Mother in Law struggled with Dementia, and it was heart breaking to watch how this condition can have such an impact on a loved one and the people around her. So when the chance came up to raise money for the Alzheimer’s research charity I really wanted to help. At the same time I love a challenge and certainly for me, the 350 miles will be exactly that.”
What are you most and least looking forward to during the challenge?
“There are two things I am most looking forward to in this challenge. Firstly the sense of achievement when we finish, and secondly the chance to see parts of the UK I have never seen before at a speed it can be really appreciated.
“The two things I am least looking forward to are HILLS and RAIN (I am praying that the good weather continues and we are going to get an Indian summer) and as we are cycling through the Lake district, I am sure we will encounter both along our route hopefully just not all the way.”
What have you done to prepare for the challenge so far?
“I am relatively new to cycling so this year I have had to increase my training through early morning static bike sessions, and long rides at weekends. However, this will certainly be a challenge not just the distances each day, but having to repeat this day after day. Psychologically I am trying to convince myself that as it starts in Scotland it must be downhill!! (I suspect I may be wrong in that assumption).”
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Kathryn Hyde 
It will be interesting to see how the challenge plays out for Kathryn. Despite a solid and consistent winter’s training and an excellent start to the season having completed Festive 500 and training camps in Mallorca, it appears that Kathryn has got noticeably lazy in the months leading up to the challenge itself. We believe that the challenge may literally make or break Kathryn and a considerable amount of complaining should be expected.
What inspired you to take part in C2C?
“My colleague Hannah, who signed me up with our MD Pete Jones and then let me know that I was taking part. I’d have argued against this more than I did, but having been involved with the charity team I had a strong awareness of the impact of Dementia and it incentivised me to want to do something to help.”
What are you most looking forward to during the challenge?
“The only benefits of doing a challenge like this are that you can pretty much eat what you want afterwards without fear of weight gain. I’d say I am most looking forward to biscuits.”
What have you done so far to prepare for the challenge?
“Absolutely nothing. I started the year well training in rain, wind and snow. I enjoyed a fabulous sunny week in Mallorca completing coastal rides from Andraxt to Port Pollensa through Port Valdemossa and up Puig Major and completed the famous Sa Calobra climb in under the hour. I completed time trials, chain gangs and some tough rides in the peaks. I have completed over 4,000 miles this year to date, but then got lazy and lost all my fitness. I’ll be lucky to get round this.”
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Tony Whitehouse – Director de Sportif
Tony Whitehouse saw a recent promotion to Directeur de Sportif. He is a highly experienced logistician and is expected to adopt a tough love approach with riders.
His slightly unorthodox nutritional strategy could see riders spending more time in the back of the tour van dunking biscuits in tea than actually riding.
What inspired you to support C2C?
“As I had previous experience in supporting I mentioned it to Pete a few years ago and he asked me if I would like to support this challenge.”
What previous tour experience do you have?
“I supported three of my friends doing a coast to coast ride three years ago, which was over a week and was all off-road cycling so we had to put up and take down tents every day.”
What strategies will you adopt to ensure the team gets round?
“I’ll be on hand with plenty of water and booster snacks (one hundred packs of custard creams and one banana to share) to keep the riders going, and if that fails I have a big van with a loud horn to motivate them.”
Who is your money on for the Briggs’ Red Jersey?
“I would say Andrew could be a strong contender as his previous experience riding from Maidenhead to Cannock could put him in good stead.”
We wish all of our team the best of luck and look forward to reporting on their progress throughout the challenge. Keep an eye on our social media channels for regular updates.