Charity Cycling Oxford | Cycle4Sobell

Dr Mark Porter MBE

In our quest to get more exposure and support for our Oxford to Paris Charity cycle-ride in aid of the Sobell House Hospice, we’ve put the feelers out to a number of celebs for their endorsement and a few words of advice.

Some like Chris Boardman MBE, Olympic gold-medal-winning cyclist, are only too pleased to help. Others? Well, let’s just say that our people are still talking to their people.

Firmly in the super-responsive and all-round good-guy camp is Dr Mark Porter MBE: we sent him a late-night email asking for his support and advice on saddle sores – a subject close to our, erm,  heart – and he responded within 30 mins with some great advice!

Dr Porter is the medical correspondent for The Times and presenter of ‘Case Notes’, BBC Radio 4’s flagship medical series. He also spent 3 years presenting BBC 1’s consumer health programme ‘Watchdog Healthcheck’. Basically he knows a thing or two when it comes to medical matters…so what can we do save our tender rumps? Over to Dr Porter:

“There is no substitute for preparing your backside by spending time in the saddle during training. And make sure it’s a decent saddle that fits you properly - wide enough to be comfortable but not so wide that it rubs. Liberally cover your nether regions in talc each morning of the ride, and consider wearing two pairs of cycling shorts for max protection – a chamois padded pair underneath, and a plain pair over the top to protect against chafing. If all else fails, stand up! Best of luck on your charity cycle-ride.”

Dr Mark Porter MBE

Now talc was a new one on us as we’ve been using sudocrem with mixed results: some of the team seem to like it (the weird ones) while the more normal amongst us think it’s just too icky. Talc it is then.

Many thanks to Dr Porter for his advice and encouragement.

Well sometimes one has to take advantage of silliness such April Fools Day. And at cycle4sobell, we’ll try anything to get more coverage and sponsorship for our charity bike-ride from Oxford to Paris in aid of the Sobell House Hospice.

Yesterday we ran a ‘news’ story: ‘Jeremy Clarkson Cycles to Paris for Charity‘ in which we claimed that the presenter of Top Gear fame had agreed to don lycra and join our cycle ride. A nice idea but, sadly, not true (though we have actually approached Mr Clarkson to see if he’ll put his name to our cause).

Many thanks to all those who joined in to promote this spoof – apparently Jack FM, Oxfordshire’s local radio station, and The Oxford Mail newspaper received “a number of calls” requesting confirmation – even though some twigged that it was an April Fool.

Interestingly, the post has also kicked off a cycle4sobell group on Facebook.

So what gave away this story as a spoof? Well, the eagle-eyed amongst you noticed that the PR agency was Perodua Associates and the PR contact was called Kelisa. Put those two words together with a sprinkling of Clarkson and you get the video below. Enjoy.

Top Gear Presenter Joins cycle4sobell Oxford to Paris Ride

Jeremy Clarkson Cycles 4 Sobell

Recently the team at cycle4sobell were encouraged by the support of the one and only Chris Boardman, cycling legend.

In the spirit of balance, we thought: what if we could get Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear Presenter, Oxfordshire resident and all-round petrol-head, to say a few kind words about our cycle ride from Oxford to Paris in aid of the Sobell House Hospice – that’d be a nice karmic touch and maybe we’d pick up some press to boot. Well, hold on to your cycling helmets…

We initially contacted a very nice lady called Kelisa at his PR agency, Perodua Associates, to ask for a written statement of support from Jeremy. After 3 days with no response we got a call from the man himself. No statement of support but…bloody hell, he’s only agreed to cycle with us! Cue: falling off chairs.

OK, he’s not cycling the whole 250 odd miles, just the “interesting bit” of the route – the 85 miles in the North of France (apparently James May has a Chateau there) – but reality check: this is THE Jeremy Clarkson who allegedly hates cyclists and cycling; we’d have been happy with just a signed autograph to auction off.

Commenting on his participation, Jeremy said:

“Look, I’ve had some bad press in the past about “tapping” cyclists into hedges with my F355 [Ferrari] but I don’t hate all of them – only the gits that wear that ridiculous lycra! Seriously, Sobell House Hospice is a fantastic cause and what’s a few miles of my discomfort on one of the worst machines ever invented by man if my involvement can raise more money. I’ll also get to ransack James May’s wine cellar.”

Now, we’re wondering if we can get Chris Boardman to train Jeremy for the big ride.

Anyway, more details on this announcement will be posted soon so check back. For press enquiries, please email fund-raising@cycle4sobell.org.uk or contact Kelisa at Perodua Associates.

About Cycle4Sobell
Twelve (mostly) unfit and (wholly) middle-aged city cyclists attempt to ride from Oxford to Paris in just 2 1/2 days in aid of the Sobell House Hospice. Now with added Clarkson.

UPDATE: As some of you noticed from a clue in the above story (and the date!) this was, of course, an April Fool.

Chris Boardman, Tour de France 1998 having secured the yellow jersey.

No one would ever have expected to see the name Chris Boardman, the legendary British Olympic gold-medal-winning cyclist and MBE,  appear in the same sentence as cycle4sobell.

Well, Chris has kindly taken time out from his busy schedule to salute and encourage the cycle4sobell team – further proof, if needed, of our transformation from ‘recreational’ cyclists into a purring, tightly knit peloton.

Chris Boardman became a household name in 1992 when he won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics in the individual pursuit. His glittering competitive career ended in 2000 but not before he had won a further medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, held three World Hour Records and worn the prestigious yellow jersey in the Tour De France on THREE separate occasions.

During his peak, Chris was virtually unbeatable in time trials (racing against the clock). Since retiring, and this really is a man who needed to slow down but hasn’t, Chris has been part of the team behind the highly successful GB cycling medal haul at the Beijing Olympics; run the London Marathon; done a bit of TV punditry and more recently, unveiled a range of bikes and accessories bearing his name, available exclusively at Halfords.

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Andy's arm siezed solid after a difficult ascent of the Ridgeway with Dave

The punch in the air says it all!

Perhaps it was the lure of the early Spring sunshine?  Or maybe we had been spurred on by the words of the elderly gent in Wantage we had sought directions from: ‘You’ll never make it up there!” Or lastly, and most likely, it was Andy’s total inability to disengage his new SPDs that, had it not been for and fortuitous stop to consume an energy bar, would have seen him pounding ever onwards to Portsmouth, straight onto the first available ferry to France.

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