The Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2008 starts tomorrow.
The challenge will see a team of Isle of Wight Firefighters cycling 1,400 miles each over 14 days from St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight, Great Britain to St Peter’s Square, Vatican, Italy.
The Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2008 Appeal is raising money for the diagnosis, treatment and care of Isle of Wight cancer and leukaemia patients.
The total raised to date is £57,500, with the current target of £60,000; the original target set on launch of the challenge in August 2007 was £25,000. The appeal has received tremendous support from the public, as well as local, national and international businesses.
The challenge is dedicated to and in memory of Anthony Minghella, CBE, by kind permission of his parents.
The SQ2SQ 2008 Team comprises of ten cyclists and five support crew and they will start their departure day with a cycle around the Isle of Wight, starting at 8am from St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight on Saturday 30th August 2008.
During this circuit of the island they will be calling at all ten Isle of Wight Fire Stations, returning to St Thomas’ Square, Newport at approximately 2pm.
The SQ2SQ 2008 Team then rest for a few hours before returning to St Thomas’ Square, Newport at 6.30pm for the send off, with a speech from the Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight and the Chief Fire Officer, Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service.
The Team then leave the square at 7pm.
Full details of the schedule for the departure day and the daily route for the challenge appear below; more details are at the challenge website: www.SQ2SQ.com.
Saturday 30 August 2008 to 13th September 2008: Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge starts –
Start time 0755 hrs from Newport Fire Station to St Thomas’ Square
08.00hrs leave St Thomas’ Square to A10 (Yarmouth)
Arrive A10 (Yarmouth) approx 0840 hrs. Depart 0845 hrs
Arrive A9 (Freshwater) approx 0900 hrs. Depart 0905 hrs
Arrive A8 (Ventnor) approx 1030 hrs. Depart 1035 hrs
Arrive A7 (Shanklin) approx 1050 hrs. Depart 1055 hrs
Arrive A6 (Sandown) approx 1110 hrs. Depart 1115 hrs
Arrive A5 (Bembridge) approx 1145 hrs. Depart 1205 hrs(20 min lunch break)
Arrive A4 (Ryde) approx 1230 hrs. Depart 1235 hrs
Arrive A3 (East Cowes) approx 1305 hrs. Depart 1310 hrs
Arrive A2 (Cowes) approx 1320 hrs. Depart 1325 hrs
Arrive St Thomas’s Square 1345 hrs.
2 to 2.30pm approx. return to Newport Fire Station
6.30pm St Thomas’ Square – Attended by HM Lord Lieutenant and Mrs White, Chief Fire Officer Paul Street
7pm leave St Thomas’ Square
Wightlink ferry: Fishbourne to Portsmouth – 30th August 2008 (2008/08/30) – 8pm
LD Lines ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre- overnight on 30th August 2008 (2008/08/30) – 11pm – arrive Le Havre at 8am on 31st August (2008/08/31).
The distances are conservative, for many of the days the distances will be plus 10 miles.
Day One: Sunday 31 August 2008: Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2008
Le Havre , France to Evreux, France – 105 miles
SEPTEMBER 2008
Departure Day: Saturday 30th August 2008
8am: Round the Island cycle ride (65 miles/105km) from St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight – return 2pm.
7pm: St Thomas’ Square, Newport: SQ2SQ 2008 Team depart –
Ferry to Portsmouth then overnight ferry to Le Havre, France.
Day 1: Sunday 31 August 2008:
Le Havre , France to Evreux, France – 105 miles/169km
Day 2: Monday 1 September 2008: Evreux, France to Orleans, France – 102 miles/164km
Day 3: Tuesday 2 September 2008: Orleans, France to Nevers, France – 101 miles/163km
Day 4: Wednesday 3 September 2008: Nevers, France to Roanne, France – 106 miles/171km
Day 5: Thursday 4 September 2008: Roanne, France to Creys Mepieu, France – 107 miles/172km
Day 6: Friday 5 September 2008: Creys Mepieu, France to Briancon, France – 105 miles/169km
Day 7: Saturday 6 September 2008: Briancon, France to Asti, Italy – 101 miles/163km
Day 8: Sunday 7 September 2008: Asti, Italy to Milan, Italy – 100 miles/161km
Day 9: Monday 8 September 2008: Milan, Italy to Palma, Italy – 100 miles/161km
Day 10: Tuesday 9 September 2008: Palma, Italy to Ostellato, Italy – 98 miles/158km
Civic reception from Ostellato Town Mayor.
Day 11: Wednesday 10 September 2008: Ostellato, Italy to Forli, Italy – 100 miles/161km
Day 12: Thursday 11 September 2008: Forli, Italy to Siena, Italy – 91 miles/146km
Day 13: Friday 12 September 2008: Siena, Italy to Sutri, Italy – 103 miles/166km
Day 14: Saturday 13 September 2008: Sutri, Italy to St Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Italy – 40 miles/64km
The distances are conservative, for many of the days the distances will be plus 10 miles/16km.
