Telindus charity cycle ride supported by England rugby player Andrew Gomarsall, MBE

The Rugby World Cup winning scrum half will offer motivational advice and wave off the “Telindus Tour 2013”, a 256-mile bike ride from the company’s Camberley headquarters to the group’s headquarters in Brussels between 21 and 24 June 2013. The team includes 20 riders and four support staff.
Andrew Gomarsall, 38, has 35 England caps, played in three England World Cup campaigns and holds a World Cup medal. He is a keen supporter of many charities and completed a 350-mile charity cycle ride from London to Nantes last year.

He said: “I am pleased to lend support to such a worthy cause. Long distance cycle rides are a real challenge and the time spent in the saddle in all weathers will put many outside of their comfort zone. The riders will need to drink plenty of fluids, eat well and keep focused. Good luck to them all.”
Telindus Manager Director, Marek Lowther, said: “We appreciate the support of Andrew Gomarsall, an inspiring sporting champion. To hear his words of encouragement will mean a lot to our riders, many of whom are new to road cycling and will be spending more than five hours a day on a saddle.”
The Telindus Tour 2013 was the brainchild of Telindus’ Solutions Architect Paul Sweeney, who is in remission after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2009. He is joined by two other former cancer patients and Telindus employees, Client Director Kevin Mott and Network Consultant Mark Barrett.

The 20-strong team of riders will consume 288,000 calories during the ride, the equivalent of 450 roast turkey dinners. Each of the riders is available for sponsorship by a corporate backer, in return for a generous donation to the fundraising total.

Some of Telindus’ suppliers and partners have also helped out. Martins VW Van Centre has donated a second support vehicle to carry supplies, spare parts, luggage and a support team. Juniper Networks has supplied 20 Garmin Edge 500 Cycling GPS devices, one for each of the riders.

“We are delighted to be supporting Tour Telindus 2013. Telindus is a Juniper Networks Elite Partner and we have a close working relationship with the team of Telindus riders and welcome the opportunity to play a part in such a great initiative,” said Darryl Brick, Channel Director for UKI, Juniper Networks.

Fund raising efforts have been led by the riders, promoted through the Virgin Money Giving page. You can follow fundraising efforts and the ride on Twitter via @TourTelindus, as one of the support team will be live tweeting to show the team’s progress.

The target of raising £10,000 has already been smashed and the donations are still coming in.