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Mike Harper, business development director at Stirling Lloyd, chairman of the Road Surface Treatment Association (RSTA) and keen cyclist, has biked 450km (280 miles) across two countries to raise money for charity.
Mike, together with Anthony McGarr, set a ‘BoysGoneBiking’ cycling challenge each year to support a charity of their choice. This year the duo is supporting The Joshua Tree with ‘Le Petit Tour de Manche’: a 450km bike ride through Brittany and Normandy in France, coming back along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset.
The challenge took place on May Bank Holiday weekend, with the aim of reaching the fundraising target of £2,400 for the charity.
The cycle challenge ties in closely with Mike’s role at Stirling Lloyd, after working together with TFL and TRL on the Cycle Superhighways project in London to provide high colour contrast, slip resistant surfaces, to allow cyclists to travel efficiently and quickly in their own designated road space.
Mike Harper comments: “Cycling is currently on a high in the UK, helped by fantastic cycling achievements by UK cyclists in the Tour de France and the Olympics. In fact, we started our cycle ride at the official start of Stage 1 in the 2016 Tour de France, following in the footsteps of many yellow jersey winners.
“Our efforts will help the Joshua Tree, which is a unique charity supporting children undergoing treatment for cancer. They support not only the child but the whole family through a desperately difficult time. This year they break ground on building a new support centre and holiday home for children fighting cancer, to enable them to get out of the hospital environment for a short while, and we are proud to be part of that.
“Taking part in this challenge is also a good way to encourage others to take up cycling and highlight road safety. People generally like the idea of cycling, and safety is always high on the agenda. If people have a safe space in which to cycle, they are far more likely to do so. It’s important to make sure cyclists and drivers alike are clear about the road space they should be using.”
