mini-SQ2SQ 2011

The mini-SQ2SQ 2011 will allow all Isle of Wight school pupils and college students the opportunity to take part in their own SQ2SQ 2011 challenge.

Whatever age we want you to get involved with a mini-SQ2SQ 2011 to kick-start the beginning of many years of enjoying cycling and making it part of your healthy lifestyle.

Find our more about the mini-SQ2SQ 2011 here.

What is Change4Life?

These days, ’modern life’ can mean that we’re a lot less active. With so many opportunities to watch TV or play computer games, and with so much convenience and fast food available, we don’t move about as much, or eat as well as we used to.

Change4Life for your kids

9 out of 10 of our kids today could grow up with dangerous amounts of fat in their bodies. This can cause life-threatening diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Change4Life for you

By the time we reach middle age, the majority of us could do with losing at least a bit of weight. Being overweight isn’t just about the way we look. It can lead to more aches and pains, problems sleeping and people report a loss of energy and confidence. It also increases our chances of getting heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Middle age comes to everyone – ‘middle aged spread’ doesn’t have to.

You’ve taken the first step towards getting yourself or your kids eating well, moving more and living longer just by being here – so welcome to Change4Life!

Related links:

Change 4 Life

Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust

In return for becoming a Gold Partner corporate sponsor of the SQ2SQ 2011 challenge, John Peck Construction will receive the following superb package of exposure:

• Logo/business name on the SQ2SQ 2011 22ft x 4ft banner on the front of Newport Fire Station for 12 month period;

• Logo/business name on the SQ2SQ 2011 promotional film, which will be shown to an estimated 15-20,000 island school pupils during presentations by the SQ2SQ 2011 Team, plus other presentations across the island;

• Logo/business name on the SQ2SQ 2011 Team cycling kit (designed and printed specifically for the challenge and Team);

• Logo/business name on the SQ2SQ 2011 Team polo shirts;

• Logo/business name on 15,000+ mini-SQ2SQ 2011 sponsor forms (for island pupils);

• Logo/business name on 20,000+ SQ2SQ 2011 flyers;

• Logo/business name on SQ2SQ 2011 banners within St Mary’s Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight – located in the Maternity Unit and Barely Born Intensive Care Neonatal Unit

• Logo/business name on the SQ2SQ 2011 Team van for 12 month period, which will be used across the island and during the 1,500 mile trip through Europe (France, Spain into Gibraltar);

• Logo/business name on the SQ2SQ 2011 letterhead.

Sincere thanks from the Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2011 Team to John Peck Construction for their kind generosity in sponsoring the Team to help them complete their challenge.

If you are interested in knowing more about becoming a Gold Partner Corporate Sponsor for the Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2011 please contact us.

Related links:

John Peck Construction

The Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2011 Team wish to express their sincere thanks to the Apollo Theatre Committee for their kind generosity in donating the use of the theatre for the challenge launch.

The SQ2SQ 2011 launch will see the SQ2SQ 2011 Team joined by representatives from the nominated charities for the Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2011 Appeal.

Lord-Lieutenant Major General White has kindly agreed to attend the launch, along with other officers of the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, Isle of Wight Council and the Isle of Wight NHS Primary Care Trust.

Local press and media have been invited to attend.

Related links:

Apollo Theatre

Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service

Isle of Wight Council

The Le Le Manche to Led Med Charity Cycle Challenge will see a team of four students cycle 600 miles in 9 consecutive days down through France.

The Team leave the U.K. today (Monday 2 August 2010), with their cycle challenge starting on Tuesday 3 August.

Cycling from Saint-Malo to St-Pierre La Mer, a distance of over 950 kilometres (600 miles). By cycling over 110kms every day, the cyclists are aiming to complete the distance in nine consectutive days.

The cycle challenge is raising funds for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

Related links:

Hospice Cycle Challenge

Earl Mountbatten Hospice

Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2011 will see a team of cyclists complete the challenge of cycling 1,400 to 1,600 miles each in 14 days from St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight to Casemates Square, Gibraltar in September 2011.

A formal launch will take place in September 2010, when fundraising and promotion will start for the chosen charities.

The cyclist and support crew are now working hard to ensure the challenge is a great success.

Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2011 follows on from challenges completed in 2005 and 2008 which have raised £86,500 for charity to date; in 2005 the team cycled 1,014 miles in 14 days from the Isle of Wight to Prague, Czech Republic, whilst in 2008 the team cycled 1,488 miles in 15 days from the Isle of Wight to the Vatican, Italy.

The challenge sawa team of Isle of Wight Firefighters cycling 1,488 miles each over 15 days from St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight, Great Britain to St Peter’s Square, Vatican, Italy, including round the island on the departure day.

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 comprised 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.

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.

Sincere thanks to Mark Adams, of British Cycling, for his kind assistance and knowledge in planning the route.

SQ2SQ CHARITY CYCLE CHALLENGE 2008 ROUTE AND DAILY SCHEDULE

The SQ2SQ Team 2008 will be cycling a minimum of 1,400 miles each over 14 days.

DA PIAZZA A PIAZZA Sfida ciclistica per beneficienza 2008

DE PLACE À PLACE Défi charitable en vélo 2008

Saturday 30 August 2008 to 13th September 2008: Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge starts -

Provisional timetable (subject to confirmation near the date of the start of the challenge).
8am leave Newport Fire Station – SQ2SQ cycling around the island calling at all fire stations – anti-clockwise direction – circa 70 miles

A1 (Newport) – A10 (Yarmouth) via St Thomas’ Square

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 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.

Updates for the route will be shown on this page.

The route shown below is as accurate as possible within the limitations of Google Maps systems.

The total distance will exceed 1,400 miles due to the need to use minor roads.

Over the weekend of Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th July 2008 the SQ2SQ 2008 Team completed 180 miles of cycle training in the New Forest.

The training weekend was designed to give the team an idea of what it will be like to complete near 100 miles per day back to back. For many of the cyclists this would be the first time they would have completed such a mileage on back to back days.

SQ2SQ 2008 cyclists on their training weekend in the New Forest

It was their first opportunity to complete some cycle training with one of the team, Mark Adams, who passed on much of his cycle coaching knowledge from his work in British Cycling.

Mark also planned the weekend, with the routes around an area where is a good knowledge of the terrain.

The training was over varied terrain in superb, but hot weather.

Cyclists were able to gain important knowledge about riding as a larger group consistently over 90 miles each day, as well as dealing with fluids and food in the heat.

Pace was a consistent average of 15-16mph, with the team covering 50 miles in around 3 hours 15 mins in the saddle.

This pace ensures that the team are on target to complete a similar pace for the challenge, with 100 miles completed in around 8 hours per day, including breaks.

SQ2SQ 2008 cyclists on their training weekend in the New Forest

The support crew were also able to gain valuable experience and an insight into the challenges that will face them providing support for the challenge.

Again the generosity of the public and businesses coming to the fore.

Forest Holidays Hollands Wood camp site in Brokenhurst kindly provided camping facilities free of charge and generously donated £50 to the SQ2SQ 2008 appeal.

A member of the public donated £10 to the team during the training ride and two couples donated £30 between then whilst the team were eating a meal in a local pub.

Thank you.

Some  of the SQ2SQ 2008 cyclists are photographed here during their training ride and during a break.

Henry the Bear from St Mary’s Primary School, Ryde, Isle of Wight also makes an appearance, joining the team for the first time on their training.

Henry the Bear is one of the mascots for St Mary’s Primary School and he has travelled all around the world on various trips.

Henry the Bear will be joining the team whilst they complete the Square to Square Charity Cycle Challenge 2008.

Photograph to left: from left to right: Darren Bacon, Mark Adams, Gareth Drisoll, Henry the Bear, Andy Cooper, Ian Rock.

Statistics for each day of the training rides appear below – heart rate and calories stats relate specifically to Coops.

Training ride: 27 July 2008:

Route: Day One: SQ2SQ 2008 training weekend in the New Forest

Cycle Training: road cycling

Distance: 90 miles

Time: 5:51

Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,603 m / -1,609 m

Min/Max Elevation: 0 m / 169 m

Avg Speed: 15.3 mph
Max Speed: 34.1 mph

Heart rate average: 123 bpm

Heart rate max: 147 bpm

Calories used: 4,617 kcals

Training ride: 26 July 2008:

Route: Day Two: SQ2SQ 2008 training weekend in the New Forest

Cycle Training: road cycling

Distance: 90 miles

Time: 5:35

Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,704 m / -1,662 m

Min/Max Elevation: 0 m / 169 m

Avg Speed: 15.7 mph
Max Speed: 38.8 mph

Heart rate average: 125 bpm

Heart rate max: 166 bpm

Calories used: 4,574 kcals

The Wessex Cancer Trust West Wight Group raised and donated £2,500 for the SQ2SQ 2008 appeal.

These hardworking fundrasisers for the Wessex Cancer Trust kindly donated the £2,500 to the SQ2SQ 2008 appeal at a meeting on Thursday 10th July 2008.

Wessex Cancer Trust West Wight Group raise £2500 for the SQ2SQ 2008 appeal

Andrew Cooper, co-organiser of SQ2SQ 2008, expressed his gratitude to those present at the meeting “This is a superb effort by all involved in the WCT West Wight Group. Fundraising is hard work and few realise this until they are involved themselves. This latest donation of £2,500 brings our total raised to an amazing £43,762.92 since the SQ2SQ 2008 appeal was launched in August 2007.

The ladies in the WCT West Wight Group have been involved with SQ2SQ 2008 from the outset and their involvement is invaluable to making it a success.”

Sincere thanks from all the SQ2SQ 2008 Team for the donation from the WCT West Wight Group.

The SQ2SQ 2008 appeal total is now raised to £43,762.92.