EF Easypost pro cyclist Lachlan Morton is nearing the end of a 1,000km-plus non-stop ride from Munich in Germany to Poland’s border with Ukraine to raise funds for refugees fleeing the country invaded by Russia three weeks ago and has gone well beyond his initial target.
“I’m not an overly political person,” the 30 year old said in a post on his team’s website. “I’m not an expert in any of this.
“I’m just trying to do the one thing I know how to do and engage the bike-riding community to help.
“My idea is to highlight the fact that war is not a far-off problem. Conflicts are a bike ride away, all over the world.”
He added: "I want to try and raise as much money as we can to help out all of the people who have been displaced.”
The Australian had set a fundraising target of $50,000 – and has absolutely smashed that, with donations nearing $175,000 at the time of writing.
He set off from Munich yesterday to cover the 1,063km to the Korczowa-Krakovets border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, only 63km from Lviv, heading to Poland via Czechia.
Giving background on the charity for which he is raising money, his team said: “GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund is raising money to help Ukrainians who have had to flee the Russian invasion.
“The fund works with local partners to provide Ukrainian refugees with the aid they need most right now.
“Donations will help to provide Ukrainians with shelter, food, clean water, as well as health and psychological support and access to education and economic assistance.”
Morton joined EF-Easypost in 2019, and if you were to look at his participations for the team since then, you could be forgiven for being underwhelmed at his apparent lack of racing.
In fact, Jonathan Vaughters’ team has given him free rein to pursue his own interests – last year, he rode the entire route of the Tour de France, including transfers, solo and unsupported, and has also proven himself a very successful gravel racer.
> Data reveals huge strain of Lachlan Morton’s solo Alt Tour vs. EF-Education Nippo’s Tour de France efforts
We are hard-pushed to think of another non-star-name rider in the peloton who has generated as much media coverage in the past few years as he has – and as for his latest effort, all we can say is, ‘Chapeau’.
You can donate here.
We need to also take into account the van driver's viewpoint. He may have been obese and on his way to McDonalds for a salt/ sugar / fat fix. Can...
Can't believe that child threw his bike on the floor at the end of that. Young people today have no respect... ;))
Its not the same stem fitted to the two bikes though, and we aren't talking about HTA we are talking about stem inclination or "stem rise" to use...
My new double glazed wooden framed sash windows are £1600 plus vat per (quite large) window. House built in 1904. The cost includes fitting and...
We promote #bikefriday You dont need it - go for a spin. Nice bikes and kit are lovely, but not as noice as a dawn spin this friday morning with a...
Council acting like ‘the Sheriff of Nottingham’ with parking charges...
Man taken to hospital after vehicle crashes into pub...
Car flips in Millennium Way, Sheerness, near former Aldi supermarket that reopens as Home Bargains this weekend...
Ive been using the same £2-3 dish brush I bought from wilko, tesco or pound land for as long as I can remember. I dont understand why anyone would...
GPWM