We’re in the paper…again!

From Kinsale to Kolkata By Leo McMahon ( Article in The Southern Star)

Outside Robbie’s bike shop

THREE brave men are busy getting ready and fundraising for an epic 10,000 kilometres bike ride from Kinsale to Kolkata (Calcutta), India in aid of Cork-based Hope Foundation.

Joe Claydon, Sam Edstrom and Will Gander will be setting off on Saturday, March 30th and aim to raise at least €1 per kilometre.

Following the relatively short ride to Ringaskiddy, they will sail to Roscoff. After that the plan is to take the EuroVelo 1 to Nantes, then follow the EuroVelo 6  across France and branch off to go over the Alps and join the EuroVelo 8 near Turin in Italy. The cyclists will then cross Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Greece, leave the EuroVelo 8 and proceed to Turkey and the Asian states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, across the Caspian Sea to either Kazakhstan or Turkmenistan and on to Kyrgyzstan, China and Nepal before finally arriving in India. The route, of course, is subject to change.

At Kolkata, the trio will volunteer for a few months with Hope Foundation in its education centres and homes for some of the city’s 250,000 street children.

Aged 28, Joe Claydon was born in Norfolk, England, is currently working at Diva’s Boutique Bakery, Ballinspittle and resides in Ballinadee. He has been visiting India since the age of seven and previously travelled all over India on the back of his father’s Enfield, which was the start of his love of India and motorbikes.

Born in Skibbereen in September 1984, Will Gander went to college in Kinsale, where he trained as an outdoor pursuits instructor. He is senior instructor at Ardmore Adventures, Co Waterford. ‘I spent my 20th birthday in India and have always intended to go back’, he said.

Sam Edstrom was born in April 1986 at Handsworth, Birmingham and moved to Norfolk when he was 12. He resides in Norwich, where he works as a chef. ‘I have always cycled everywhere since I was a kid so I was really excited about the idea of going to India with two of my very good friends, Joe and Will’.

The trio, who are busy training and getting prepared for their expedition, said they were very lucky to get their bikes from Robbie’s Bike Shop, located off Crosshaven Road, Carrigline, who gave them a great deal as well as lots of advice and support.

‘If there are any businesses or individuals out there who can offer help or sponsorship we would be very grateful,’ said Will. ‘We have a mycharity.ie link on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/k2kcycle and all the money donated through that goes directly to Hope.