'The Fastest Classroom on Earth' - Disadvantaged kids in 350km Mont Blanc cycling challenge

Twenty children aged between 14 and 16 are off for the ultimate school trip for young cyclists this week as they ride 350km around Mont Blanc in an event billed ‘The Fastest Classroom on Earth.’

All of the youngsters participating in the event, which will take four days to complete, are affected by what are described as “complex behavioural and learning difficulties,” reports Southampton-based newspaper, the Daily Echo.

They will be joined by ten elite sports figures who will act as mentors, including former England rugby player Lewis Moody and round-the-world yachtsman Adam Tuffnell.

The trip forms part of the Extreme Classroom series, devised by Polar explorer Alan Chambers with past events including treks in the Himalayas and exploring the Arctic.

It aims to help participants build their personal skills and learn how to work as part of a team, thereby helping them overcome their problems.

Chambers said: “Building resilience, confidence and a sense of self-worth in our next generation using adventure will have a lasting impact on each of them.”

Tuffnell, who has taken part in the Fastnet Race, Cowes Week and the Global Challenge, said: “It’s a huge privilege to be part of the team, but it’s taken a while to grasp the gravitas of it all.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for everyone. Our job is to keep everyone going and to draw on our skills and experiences to give them the strength to dig deep.

“We think of ourselves as the Duracell batteries, giving them the determination to grit their teeth and keep going.”

He added: “I will be able to harness my determination and perseverance from sailing.

“It’s very much a case of mental as well as physical power to keep going. It’s about having a can-do and will-do attitude.”