Help one of the Boro team gain the Men United Orange Jersey
Stevenage fans are being called upon to back members of their team as they prepare for the London to Amsterdam cycle challenge between next weekend (6th-8th June).
More than 150 members of the football family will be cycling from London to Amsterdam in support of Prostate Cancer UK, The Football League’s long-term Official Charity Partner, including seven from Stevenage.
The Boro contingent includes Steve Watkins, Steve Clarkson, Rich Cooksley, Mike Green, Andrew Southwell, Ben Storey and former player Neil Trebble. One of the club's Dutch fans, Peter Van Poelgeest, will also join up with the team and ride from the Hook of Holland through to Amsterdam.
Representatives from more than 50 clubs will join the peloton at Leyton Orient FC in the early hours of Friday morning with ex-England star Luther Blissett among a host of former players signed up for the exciting 150-mile challenge which hopes to raise £150,000 for the charity.
Steve Watkins will lead the ‘Team Stevenage’ contingent, and by using pedal power to conquer the picturesque 150-mile challenge riders will be helping more men survive prostate cancer and enjoy a better quality of life.
One in eight men will be affected by prostate cancer and there are 250,000 men living with the disease in the UK, and Steve said: “I’m delighted to lead ‘Team Stevenage’ in this exciting adventure and at the same time raise money and awareness for an amazing cause. I’m calling on all Stevenage FC supporters to help keep the Orange Jersey in the family by donating via one of the giving sites below:
London to Amsterdam - The Journey
The Grand Depart is in East London early on Friday, 6 June, from Leyton Orient’s Matchroom Stadium, heading out of London through rural English countryside, and stopping off at a second ground, Colchester United’s Weston Homes Community Stadium, for refreshments.
After completing the 90 mile sojourn to Harwich by dusk, the intrepid team cross the Channel overnight, before riding a further 60 miles across the flat landscape of Dutch Zeeland. The climax sees the peloton arrive in the country’s capital and its network of canals, cobbled streets and wonderful architecture.
There will be a chance to wind down and reflect on a notable effort, on Saturday night in the city centre before a less energy-sapping return to London, via Eurostar, after lunch the next day.
The Orange Jersey
Head of Events at Prostate Cancer UK, Andy Sallnow said: “The fact that there are more than 150 riders on the startline represents the incredible progress this event has made over the past 12 months and we are really grateful for all of the football league clubs and fans supporting the event with such enthusiasm.
“Almost 50 different football clubs will be represented on the ride, and we’re really looking forward to convening at Leyton Orient on June 6 for what’s set to be an unforgettable few days.
“Our unique ‘Orange Jersey’ will not only add a splash of colour as we make our way through 150 picturesque miles into The Netherlands, but will also work as a fundraising incentive, worn by the individual who leads the event in sponsorship raised. We look forward to the fans digging deep as those representing their club step on the pedals and raise money to combat a disease that kills one man every hour in the UK.”
More information
Although the deadline for entrants for the 2014 event has passed, to register an interest for next year’s London to Amsterdam cycling challenge go to prostatecanceruk.org/Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, to register for Prostate Cancer UK’s regular football newsletter packed full of all the latest Men United news and features by the finest football writers on the web visit prostatecanceruk.org/football.
If you have concerns about prostate cancer please call Prostate Cancer UK's confidential Helpline on 0800 074 8383 or visit www.prostatecanceruk.org. The helpline is free to landlines, staffed by specialist nurses, and open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays.