Cricket-mad cyclist Oli Broom set off for his 14-month charity trek to the Ashes in Brisbane, Australia on Saturday – and he has already been hit for six. Having been cycling in Northern France, a bike thief has already struck.
Broom’s last tweet on social networking site Twitter said: “confronted with my pretty valuable bike, an overnight robber thieved my chuffing front and rear bike lights. what a loser.bit annoying mind.”
The bike in question is a steel framed 26" wheel, baby blue Santos Travelmaster, made and assembled in Holland. It is a similar bike to the one that round-the-world cyclist James Bowthorpe used for his recent charity ride.
Oli set off from Lord's cricket ground on Saturday morning and is currently in Loon-Plage, France.
The 15,600 mile journey across 20 countries by bicycle to Brisbane to arrive in time for the First Test at the city’s famous ground, The Gabba, takes Broom across Europe to Istanbul, then through Syria to Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. After a sea crossing to India, Broom then aims to catch some Indian Premier League action, before heading to Australia via Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The 29-year-old chartered surveyor, from Cookham, Maidenhead, hopes to raise £100,000 for the British Neurological Research Trust, as well as for the cricket-focused charity, The Lord’s Taverners, and teach the locals a thing or two about cricket on the way. He will carry a tent on his bike but will also stay with dozens of cricket players and fans along the way.
Broom’s quest has the support of England captain, Andrew Strauss. Both attended Radley College, Oxfordshire, and Strauss says, “I've known Oli since our school days and can vouch for his sanity.
His journey can be followed through Twitter at http://twitter.com/cyclingtoashes and www.cyclingtotheashes.co.uk.
People who are subsidised* to make big holes in road (amongst other negative effects) complain about the holes in the road. Same people also...
Half expecting an eventual response on twitter from drivers about how the cyclist should be closer to the kerb (despite 1/3 the handle bar being...
Yes, obviously complain, a (registered) letter to the CEO perhaps? This should not have happened by Avanti's stated procedure....
If you ask the world's leading economic commentators how many people have been rescued from abject poverty by capitalism the average answer would...
loads of parking
I hate it when I can't find the obvious source of a puncture.
Similar to how apparently there's nothing wrong with cyclists sharing a road with cars and SUVs and HGVs and yet shared use infrastructure...
Now, if we're talking gravel bikes, that's a whole different story. Gimme, gimme, gimme! Apologies for the Facebook link....
The police are operationally independent, in fact the regional Police and Crime Commissioners have to swear in their oath of office that they will...
"'Right", said Fred, "we'll 'ave to get a move on…"