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Thailand End-to-end Cycle Marathon 2004 In aid of the Pattaya Orphanage Trust’s Home for Street Kids Departure Date from Mae Sai: Monday 25 October 2004 Arrive at Sa dao border pass (Thailand/Malaysia): Wed 3 November 2004 Ian Franklin, British Cycling member and a lifelong
cyclist, has wanted to complete a meaningful cycle challenge for some
years and in doing so to benefit a worthwhile charity. This is what
he has to say about the Thailand End-toEnd Cycle Marathon. There appear to be few opportunities for experienced racing cyclists and club riders to participate in such rides so this challenge was devised for precisely these types of riders. We would hope that this could become an annual or bi-annual event. It is not a race. The challenge is to follow a set route from Thailand’s northern border with Myanmar to its southernmost border with Malaysia in 10 days. This will be a major venture, even for the experienced cyclist as the distances to be covered in the heat of Thailand are relentless with no rest days in which to recover. 1900 kilometres (1187 miles) is a long way in 10 days and this ride is therefore a true marathon challenge. All cyclists are invited to join in this ride which allows participants to cover as little or as much of the route as they wish. Participants also have the option of riding fewer kilometres each day and travelling to that day’s destination by van if necessary. The logistics The Thai end of this challenge is being organised by Khun Tanin Rittavirun and Lek Rittavirun, cyclists and proprietors of Bike & Travel as follows: Bike & Travel TAT. No 11/1239 Telephone: (662) 990-0274 Email: mdbike@cyclingthailand.com Bike & Travel are fully accredited by the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) and have won national awards in Thailand. The number of following vehicles and motorbike escorts will depend on the number of riders . Bike & Travel are experienced in providing mechanical support (a full-time mechanic from Pro-bike in Bangkok is envisaged), masseurs and first aid facilities. All food and drink (except personal alcohol etc) is included in the price as is accommodation, insurance and internal flights. The hotels are of a good standard. Riders will be responsible for getting themselves to Bangkok airport. The cost is as follows: Group of 4-5 people: 90,000 Thai Baht per person (approx
£UK 1267; $US 2337) Deposits should be paid direct to Bike & Travel by credit card, money transfer or traveller’s cheques. Cycling in Thailand I have cycled many times in Thailand and have found that away from the main cities the roads are safe. We will be riding on major highways where there is a two to three meter smooth tarmac strip which runs besides most roads. These are ideal for cycling on. Because of the consistently warmer weather, the riding tends to be 2-3 mph (3.5 to 4.8kph) faster than in the UK. The ride expects to follow the wind and the road gradients are more down than up. Quite high average speeds are therefore expected. I have always found motorists curious, and generally careful and people are very friendly towards cyclists. Charity fundraising Most charity rides insist on a minimum amount that the riders must raise in order to participate. In this case we are not setting a base amount – it is more important at this stage that we have as many riders as possible on the ride. We are hoping to subsidise the entry cost to reflect the amount of sponsorship raised by each individual participant but this has not yet been organised. It is my personal goal to raise £30,000 UK for the Street Kids’ Home (or $US54,000, Thai Baht 2 million). THE PROGRAMME
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