TO ENTER EVENT PLEASE CLICK THE BANNER BELOW...
The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign raises money to help the hospital stay at the leading edge of cancer treatment, research and care. It is a centre of excellence for cancer sufferers, helping people of all ages from all over the country. Cancer touches the lives of so many people and we at Pearsons owe a great debt to the Marsden, for the treatment that Roger Pearson (4th generation of Pearson to run the business) received following diagnosis and in his final days battling this disease.
So please join us for the 2012 Pearson Cycle Challenge, you will enjoy a fantastic day out and also be raising money for this cause through your entry. Thank you!
We have created a Just Giving page for all participants to direct any other sponsorship to the Marsden. Please request that any donors state the participants name when donating as reference.
Improvements for 2012:
The Pearson 150 (150km) route will take you south through the lanes of Surrey and Sussex, taking in the climbs of the North and South downs, followed by a swift descent to the half way marker at Brighton. There you can take in the sea air and refuel. The second half of the route will take you north again, riding through exquisite undulating scenery to the finish. Timing chips will be clocked in and results instantly available. ENTER 150 ROUTE
Below are downloads available for you to view and print out for the day if you would like them with you. Please note that we will not be providing them on the day.
The Challenge route is 75km through leafy lanes in Surrey taking in the easier ascents of the north downs. The halfway mark will be just on the borders of Sussex where the ride turns for home via a refuelling point and more beautiful lanes en route. Timing chips will be clocked in and results instantly available. ENTER CHALLENGE ROUTE
Click here for an online map of the 75km route and Garmin route files.
Below are downloads available for you to view and print out for the day if you would like them with you. Please note that we will not be providing them on the day.
Click an image to enlarge it.
For more pictures of last year's sportive, check out our Flickr page.
Forewarned is forearmed, and 150kms is going to be a long day out, but the course does give spectacular views and a great satisfaction in completing what will be a tough ride.
Like a drunken bridegroom on his wedding night, there was much sweating, grovelling and heavy breathing. But I made it to the top without imploding completely. So on I went, still with the group as we plunged off the top of Ditchling, down into Brighton.
We made easy work of Turners Hill, heeding the advice on our map to “go hard or go home”. The lure of sea air seemed to be working: Ardingly Reservoir, Paxhill Park and Haywards Heath passed in a blur of pedals and sprockets.
The final challenge started with the long slow climb up Box Hill, getting steeper and steeper towards the end. Once at the top and a twisty descent it was the last little kick up to Tatennham Corner at Epsom.
I just wanted to drop you a quick email to say a big thanks to you and all your team at Pearson for a top day on Sunday. When things run smoothly it normally means a large amount of time has gone into the organisation. The route was excellent – we struggled to remember a flat section or any prolonged main road time – and well signposted throughout. The feed stations were great – we had expected gels and water; the cake, banana and cereal bars were very welcome. The weather of course was outside of your control, but I suppose the headwinds going South added to the challenge and the heavy showers refreshed us. I hope you raised a healthy amount for the Royal Marsden.
If you're looking to improve your time, or you're just not feeling right on your bike and want to improve your levels of comfort or efficiency, our Pearson Cyclefit service is just what you need.
The CycleFit appointment takes approximately three hours and is a very personal and considered appraisal of an your cycling physiology, technique and alignment. The findings are then individually evaluated and assessed to find your optimum riding position.
Make sure that you make the most out of your bike on our sportive and all future rides; see below for a breakdown of what you'll be getting in this unrivaled service: