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Raceline Reports
Day Sixteen 15.09.08 (Waynesboro - Delaware 160 miles) State Pennsylvania - New Jersey Team A Alan Sadler © Gary Morton, Dave Thomas, Mark Sheldon Team B John Olkiewicz © Sean Pearce, Andrew Glover, Graeme Bailey Team C Gary Torr © Richard Gyde, Keith Aspinall, Yvonne McGregor, Iain McInnes To make up for the 17 miles we are behind from yesterday team A admirably get up and load for 7am and are away by 8am with Brocko' for support. The rest of us have the luxury of a lie in with bags at 8am and leaving for 9am. Team B leave from the hotel and after spinning our way to 3.5 miles suddenly see a sign stating "Slow lane for Trucks 1,000 feet", your heart sinks. Some time later we're flying down the other side at 40mph and at 12 miles out we are turning left for Gettysburg which is another 12 miles east. By now the road has flattened out and we slide past a lake resort with the local golf society members slowly working there way round a sun drenched course. 
It's time to head for the town of Hanover on east 116, when we get there we need to look for east 216 (not as easy as you think, they're not big on signs over here and the locals are unreliable with directions as Team C will find out later). Following on from Hanover we have to head to for New Freedom and journeys end for today, we'll have covered around 54 miles and the last 3 miles where memorable for 3 hills we had to climb to get us to the RV. At one point heading downhill and whistling Dixie I just lost concentration long enough to realise that as we started the next climb I was in way too low a gear and by the time I'd found one I was balancing at best, after giving myself a loud verbal roasting much to the amusement of the rest of the team who by now where over the climb and wondering where I'd gone I arrived at the top offering to sell the lactic acid from my legs as clearly I had bucket loads burning like hell. Finally we're picked up and that's it for us for one more day. 
46 miles into their ride Team C pass us at a crossroads, they've 9 to go and Gary Torr cycles past with hardly a word.
Back in the RV now and heading for the hotel, Team A are still out there and not expected back until around 6.30pm this evening. Gaz' is a bit tetchy with Keith on the RV for leaving him at the front of the group for 6.5 miles "while the wind was blowing a gale", Keith hotly denies any wrongdoing saying "they where letting Gaz' go at his own pace for a while". There's no spat and it'll all seems better after 30 minutes rest in the RV. Meanwhile Richard and John are fussing at the back of the RV loading the bikes, Richards forks are catching Gaz' wheel and he's worried about his paintwork.
There's a big surprise in store for us when we reach the hotel at 6pm. Team C have made a remarkable effort and are already checked in and we have two additional guests. Alan Rothwell and Alan Tupman both close friends of many of the group and good supporters of GM Fundraising had flown over to New York on Saturday to surprise us. They've even hired a Harley Davidson and arrived in style. It's great to see them.
After an hour unpacking and settling in we're whisked off to the Bugaboo Steak House in Delaware and for once on this trip the food is worth eating. Tuppers' and Darth' waste no time in joining in with the banter and a good night is had by all.
Day Seventeen 16.09.08 (Delaware - Atlantic City 65 miles)
States Delaware - New Jersey
The Full Squad :-
Iain McInnes, Yvonne McGregor, Gary Morton, Gary Torr, Alan Sadler, Mark Sheldon, Graeme Bailey, Keith Aspinall, Dave Thomas, Richard Gyde, Sean Pearce, Andrew Glover, John Olkiewicz assisted by drivers Dave Broxton and Anthony Taylor.
There's an easy mood of confidence this morning, we've had a lie in and we're not loading till 9.30am. When we eventually get ready to leave there's handshakes and best wishes all round and it's time for a good many team photographs to be taken.
 Gary gives us his rallying speech and Iain offers us all a word of caution against complacency. We've still 65 miles to go and on any other day this would be considered a long ride. Think about it for a moment, cycle from Stoke to Preston or Wolverhampton to Warrington or Leeds to Leicester, they're all roughly the same distance and it'll give you some sort of scale. The weather is dull and overcast in the morning and a bit cold. We're off and the RVs lead the way, all thirteen riders will stay together for the ride and we all look pretty impressive. We've learned over the last 17 days how to ride in a group and it's a different discipline to when you normally ride on your own when training. Your not just looking out for yourself you're looking at how the other riders are coping, watching out for pot holes to warn others and offering support wherever possible as well as keeping up the required pace to keep the ride on schedule. It's 25 miles later and we've not stopped once and we're cracking on at a pace of around 19 mph. There's a definite need for a toilet break though and Dave leads the way followed by Keith. Moments later though, Morty shouts out for a coffee break and we all pile in to the local diner. 12 coffees, 10 Hot chocolate and 13 plates of food later we're reminded we still have 40 miles to go and once again the thighs remind you that they're going to hurt for the next 4 miles just because you stopped. The route takes us on a seemingly never ending slight downhill run and we're all enjoying it. For the first time while in America we see frequent signs telling us we're going in the right direction, Atlantic City 58, Atlantic City 55, Atlantic City 50, Atlantic City 47. In no time at all we pick the pace up again and Andrew, Dave, Graeme, Sean, Richard and John all seem to be in the first group chopping and changing every mile or so. Morty, Iain, Yvonne, Gaz' Sadler, Shelly & Keith have dropped into a splinter group and are behind us. Morty cycles to the front and borrows Iain who has only been up with us for a few minutes. Master of Mischief Keith along with Gaz urges everyone to put on a bit of a pace to leave Morty stranded. The pace is upped to 22mph and within seconds there is a quarter mile gap and growing, but there evil plan is thwarted when the lights change on the highway and moments later they've rejoined the group none the wiser a plot had been hatched to "drop them". For the rest of the group after cycling comfortably at 19mph we are left to recover from our short burst of speed, but we manage to hide it well.
 The last few miles are a little tricky with stops at the lights all down the remaining few miles of highway. We're on a high now we see the sign "Welcome to Atlantic City" and on the left in the distance we can see our hotel, we're close, the road is flat, the sun has come out to greet us and we're relaxing now, coasting home. Looking for our last major turn to the left we suddenly spot the hairy bikers Tupper's and Darth' with there bucket helmets tucked in at the petrol station and waving us on. Finally we arrive at Caesars Hotel and we're stopped at the of the road while the support crew and one or two familiar faces hold out a union jack flag across the entrance to the beech. We're off again for the last 300 yards and two by two cross the line. David and Julie Featherstone of Hope house have flown over at there own expense to meet and greet us, Jane Olkiewicz and son Joseph have made the trip across to meet John and of course the Hairy bikers have joined in. There's a champagne reception in plastic cups as we take our bikes to the Atlantic and dip our front tyres in the water. The mobiles are out in force as we ring everyone with the news that we've completed the ride. Every rider embraces each other and the support crew, there's handshakes all round, then the cameras come out along with the Union Jack and the American Flag. There are some on the each looking bemused, not quite sure what's going on. The reality of what has just been achieved hasn't quite sunk in and nor will it for a few days yet, we've still got to get home. We still have a couple of more miles to go and that is to our hotel, The Borgata a 5,000 room monolith climbing 23 storeys into the sky There is welcome surprise for us as the hotel has upgraded all the riders and crew to guest suites instead of the normal rooms and the suites are fabulous with king size bed, sofa, writing table, TV, and a bathroom with walk in shower, twin wash basins a 6' long bath that's wider than normal and deep. We're here for two nights so make the most of it. For some of us it's been a long day and we slope off for an early night, for others like Alan, Dave and Andrew it's off to the dark side with Rother's and a few others some will not re appear from the bar until 5.30am, others like Mr Sadler will pay the penalty for trying to keep up with the big boys and will finally succumb and go to bed at 12 noon the next day. We're cleaning the RVs out at 4pm and Shelly and Morty wake Alan up to ask if he'll be assisting, we'll not print the reply. 
END OF RIDE
For the next couple of days we're pottering about the hotel and making the odd visit into town. Atlantic City is larger version of Blackpool with warmer weather. Some of the lads have sampled a bit of gambling and Dave Thomas races up profits of $ 250 before passing to Alan Rothwell to look after while he goes to bed. Keith has a dabble at the black jack table and wins another $ 350 (has he handed it over yet, Sharon).
Richard, Sean and Andrew have had a night off from the restaurants and gone walkabout in town looking for a few bars, but they find themselves on the wrong side of the tracks and make a retreat. For the rest of the group we've been recommended by Gary Torr to try out a steak at a chain called Ruth/Chris's.
We are at breakfast and Keith is ringing us, "where are we", "hurry up, Keith" we're packing at 10.30am, "I thought it we're 12 O'Clock". He's only in the spa spending $ 80 on a hair cut, wet shave and manicure (what a tart), still Alan and Shelly are mighty impressed with the smoothness of his fingernails, let's hope he doesn't break one loading the bags.
We've got bikes to pack of course and some are a bit casual about it like myself while others can be described as fussy, over attentive and must have everything taken apart cleaned and packed in just about the right place. Richard for example has soft pipe tubing all over the lace (74 pieces of it in fact) and numbered as to where it goes, no wonder there's not a scratch on it. Iain takes everything off the bike and it's so lightweight when he's done, as for John Olkiewicz there's polystyrene reinforcing his bag and lagging everywhere. It's the only bag that can stand upright and look fully square compared to the rest it must take an hour and a half to sort out then Gaz tells us all it takes two hours to pack his bike, Keith similar, I mean what's going on.
We leave the Borgata at around 12 noon shadowed by Tuppers and Rothers' on the Harley. Brocko' heads off into an early lead but it's short lived as he takes a wrong turn 200 yards later. Anthony is away having swallowed the map and with Yvonne as co pilot we're rattling along.
We've arrived at Newark airport it's 3.30pm U.S time and the CD player is playing U2 ("streets have no name") which has become something of a theme tune throughout the tour and would be ideal for a backing theme for a DVD.
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Dear Friends and Supporters
Well its over (YIPPEE) 3182 miles of blood sweat and gears but was it worth it ?
In this final news letter read the personal reflection of each team member and what it meant to them. I would like to thank everyone who has responded to this newsletter and who have left messages for us on Facebook.
Enjoy the newsletter and if you have not donated please give a little.
Alan Sadler |
The Party is Over
A Message from Gary Morton
GM Fundraising
And so, that's it. 2 years in planning, countless sleepless nights, 17 days to complete and in the blink of an eye it ends - gone, never to be repeated.
The very sad thing about completing such an epic journey is that an end is bought to the camaraderie, the strong bond of the team, the jokes, the mickey taking and in a perverse sort of way, the endless hours of pain in the saddle.
This has, without any shadow of doubt, been the toughest of all the GMF rides and by a long way too. None the less, the team have responded magnificently to the challenge and each and every one of them should feel justifiably proud of what they have achieved both personally and as part of the team.
A special thank you should go to the support crew, Anthony Taylor, David Broxton and Yvonne McGregor M.B.E. are very unique people. To give up 3 weeks of their busy lives, to fetch and carry the team around and pay for privilege of doing so is magnificent. I know the team appreciates them enormously, after all, it is not every day you have a medal winning Olympian cyclist washing your bottles for you is it ?
A mention should also go to Alan Sadler who, after spending all day on a bike, then spent hour after hour putting together our Facebook site, along with the regular newsletter email and our just giving donation site (www.justgiving.com/ride4hope) Well done mate, a great job which has kept everyone who had an interest well informed.
Iain McInnes also comes in for a particular mention. Iain has been the foundation of the ride in so many ways. Technically superb, his attention to detail in the route, preparation of riders training and diet has been second to none. At the risk of repeating myself, this ride would not have gone ahead were it not for his very major contribution. Iain, thank you and really well done.
Finally, a tribute to all the riders. Each of them will have their own moments and stories from the trip. However, each, I am sure, will share the common memory of the difficult start we had and the mental and physical toughness required to complete it all. Well done to you all, you have earned the right to boast to family and friends alike for some time to come.
As for myself, I feel glad it is over and sad that it is over very sad.
Thank you to you all |
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Reflection on the Ride
Gary Morton
Firstly, I have great pride in the people who pulled off this wonderful achievement. In spite of everything that was thrown at us we pulled together and pushed on through, like all great teams do. It was indeed a privilege and a pleasure (well, sometimes a pleasure) to be a part of it and the memories will with me for a very long time. Particular thanks must go to Iain McInnes for his wonderful organisation and planning and of course to our great support team of Yvonne, Dave and Anthony, without whom the trip would have been impossible. Finally to the riders themselves, heroes one and all.
Yvonne McGregor
I had an absolute ball!
I have enjoyed the trip more than I ever thought I would and that is purely down to14 guys who gave up so much. I have had lots of adventures in the past and spent lots of cycling/training weeks with the likes of Chris Hoy doing want they know best but this was an attempt by truly amateur cycling guys to do something out of the ordinary!!. That's not denying it has been tough at times. Everyone had one of those 'WHY THE HELL AM I DOING THIS DAYS'! but got through it with the support of their mates but above all the sheer determination to succeed and never ever forgetting the REAL reason....those very special kids at Hope House.
Dave Thomas
The Ride 4 Hope across America is an adventure that will stay with me for always. The highs far outweigh the lows as the team laughed their way through hardship to arrive at their destination.
Quite a few things were thrown at us including vehicle breakdowns, bad diet, very little beer, long days and little sleep. I think as a team of riders and support crew, we coped admirably and got on with the task ahead. I would like to thank everyone involved for a great time and the money raised could not have gone to a better cause.
Andrew Glover
There were a number of contributing factures for me doing this ride. At the start I needed to change my Beer and Take Away lifestyle and as a person that has enjoyed cycling in the past, though that it would be a great way to get fit. Increasingly though, especially after the visit to the hospice, I realized that this was not about me, but was about a team effort to raise money for a great cause.
When I started the ride in Ocean Side, I was full of hope (excuse the pun!) that I would be able to finish it. After 3 days my body and mind had completely lost all hope and wanted to go home, but, as we got further into it, I realised that it was possible and after completing my personal goal of 100 miles, I knew I could do it.
It was the most amazing adventure a grown up could have. 3 weeks with a group of people who all had the same feelings of doing good and taking themselves to the limit.
Not sure if I would do it again, I would have to be really drunk to accept it!!! Thank you all for making it fantastic for me, I really appreciate it.
Keith Aspinall
As I sit in my hotel room overlooking Atlantic City at 1.20 am the reality of what the Team has achieved is finally sinking in. It's 20 days since we set off from Manchester airport and I am sure if asked none of us really new what we where about to undertake. But what I have seen over the last few weeks has been remarkable everyone has endured heat, winds and climbs like they have never seen before and still we pushed forward to Atlantic City and without our Support Team (Dave Anthony & Yvonne) we simply could not have completed the ride.
My most memorable part of the ride was riding through Monument Valley with 3 of my riding buddies the views where breathtaking. To be able to undertake this ride has been honour and an absolute pleasure to spend so much time with a group of gents & a remarkable lady of which the memories will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Goodnight & God Bless Frankie xxx
Sean Pearce
Well, we did it!! and what an experience it was. I have to say after the first couple of days of suffering heat exhaustion with the excessive temperatures I would sit in my room at the end of the day saying to myself what the hell was I doing here and why was I putting myself through it. It took a good 3 or 4 days for me to get into the routine of living out of the top of my bag and getting myself ready for 5.30am starts and late finishes, but once I did I really started to enjoy it.
We have seen some amazing countryside, had some really tough rides but with the great support from all of the team, the laughs, the aches and tears, we achieved our goal of riding from one side of America to the other, arriving as a team and all in one piece!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole team, support crew, my family and friends, my employers and work colleagues and everybody who has sponsored me, without any of you I would not have achieved this very special ride for this most worthy of causes, the memories of which will stay with me forever.
Iain McInnes
For me it was a case of getting everyone across the USA safely and in some sort of reasonable shape at the end in Atlantic City. Despite nearly 2 years in the planning, I had a number of worries in terms of the daily mileage, fatigue, illness, crashes and the unexpected. We had issues to deal with along the way, but teamwork and a real collective ethic saw us arrive in Atlantic City jaded but thoroughly rewarded. There was the obvious personal gains and experiences but the overall beneficiary was Hope House and those kids and families who will benefit from our exploits. Sadly, Frankie was not around to share in our success.
Mark Sheldon aged 45 and a third
Hot, Cool, Dry, Wet, Very Dry, Damp, Very Hot, Air Conditioning, Laughter, Frustration, Tough, Easy, Painful, Soothing, Assos, Camaraderie, Sarcasm, Togetherness, Lonely, Sharing, Selfish, Helping, Fines, Teamwork, Discipline, Climbing, Headwind, Grinding, Boring, Exciting, Monotonous, Enjoyable, Spirit, Tiredness, Lively, Passionate, Sleep, Mountains, Plains, Desert, Greenery, Lush, Sparse, Long, Straight, Winding, Fast, Slow, Lost, Confused, Smelly, Experience, Pride, Achievement.
Gary Torr
Hell of a workout this trip has been!
The riders and the support staff on this tour was some of the best camaraderie I have seen on any trip that I have been on. This trip was never going to be easy and the team work was paramount to getting through some very tough days.
Not once do I remember a team member being left behind to finish his stint on his own.
When the days became tough for a team member he was pulled through to the end. A truly great achievement from Mort and Iain in the planning stages, to the riders and support staff who participated in the ride itself.
John Olkiewicz
The Ride 4 Hope has been a fantastic emotional experience which will remain with me for all time and I dearly hope that the friendships that developed over the 17 days will not fade, as we all get back into our busy lives. The problems that we had to overcome from the outset and the success we achieved were an example of how it is possible to triumph in the face of adversity. However, the sad and untimely news of the passing of Frankie helped to put things into perspective. What we were enduring was really nothing by comparison and the news served as a reminder of why were doing this, to raise funds to help those children and their families, who are less fortunate than us. So if you haven't already sponsored someone, then please do so now.
Dave Broxton
So the Ride 4 Hope is over, all bar getting the sponsorship money in. Did I enjoy it? In the main I didn't but then I never expected too. I knew at the outset that it would not be a holiday, just long days of sheer hard graft but for me it was still the trip of a lifetime. A contradiction? Not really. I have seen magnificent varied landscapes too many to mention, crossed Kansas in the most boring drive ever, witnessed incredible personal triumphs by all the riders, shed tears over the futility of our efforts compared to losing a child, felt despair on losing the first RV, experienced total physical and mental exhaustion on a couple of occasions, split my sides at some of the ride humour, stood outside the group to capture moments I really wanted to share, made a few huge mistakes only to be forgiven unconditionally, made a few small mistakes only to suffer the frustration of others, experienced unreserved gratitude and been dismissed offhand and finally enjoyed the satisfaction of a job well done. For the support team there was no personal glory, no lifetime achievement. We counted them all out and we counted them all back - job done.
Graeme Bailey
A great experience, trepidation at first as we were into the unknown and we had no idea how we would manage to get up in a morning every day for 17 days and cycle through places we've rarely if ever heard of let alone seen. Some fantastic sites, Monument Valley, Colorado, Arizona desert, the green fields at long last as we hit Missouri, the loneliness of Kansas and the final elation of reaching Atlantic City and heading home to family.
I wouldn't have missed it, it's been a great adventure with great company, a bunch of people who would have done anything to help you get through it, a real team effort.
Anthony Taylor
My view on the trip was relatively simple:- there were good times and bad times, up's and down's, laughter and sadness and times when the hardship made us lose focus on the real reason we were doing it. But in the end it all came good. We all gelled and the end result speaks for itself. I am immensely proud of everyone on the trip (and I mean everyone), I have made some great friends and I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Richard Gyde
Having done the Tower2Tower ride I thought I would have a good understanding what to expect in the USA, how wrong I was ! Riding through deserts in 110 degrees, climbing 3 mountain ranges, peddling full on into headwinds to reach a massive 13mph ! The list goes on, but what made it worth it was the sense of achievement at the end, some of it for personal satisfaction but more than that delivering the promise of crossing the USA for Hope House.
Alan Sadler
Hauling my backside out of bed most mornings at 5am to get ready, pack, trying not to see too much of Shelly's naked body (my roommate) load trucks, eat breakfast and go was a discipline in itself, the riding and the physical element was something we just dealt with, what you can't plan for is the mental side of the ride. With so much of your day sat in the saddle, you can only listen to so much music, conversation is limited due to riding formation so you are alone with your thoughts!!
Self sympathy was soon put into perspective with the sad news of Frankie's death, I have never met him but this devastating news made me focus on why I was doing this, I felt blessed that my family safe at home may never need the care and support that Hope House gives and that this massive effort the Ride4Hope team are making will provide continued support for families who do need their help.
I would like to thank all of the team for making it a memorable experience and a message to Morty ! don't come near me in future with a promise of free beer !! you have sinister motives.
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Rider Profile Gary Morton
Gary "Mort-Morty-The Ginger Prince-Mr Moanivator" Morton is the founder of GM Fundraising and is married to Karen with 2 daughters - Esther and Sophie. Gary has fronted many events for GMF so I asked him his motivation for this ride his answer was simple "to achieve the goal and to help the kids and their families." Gary has quite a bit of charity cycling experience, Top 2 Bottom ride and Tower2Tower ride.
When it come to GM Fundraising to say that Mort is a pain in the ass gives saddle sores a bad name ! He nags you to do stuff, moans when his deadlines are not met, he wants to know every decision that has been made and has no problem in telling what he thinks in his own special way.
He makes you want to kill him, BUT if Gary did not wake up one day and think, today I will start raising money for children's charities we may not have shared these experiences made new friends and felt that warm feeling of self pride knowing that you have made a difference.
It's because Mort cares so much about the success of GMF and Hope House that he is such a pain, we nearly lynched him in week 1 because of his "Qualities" but he was only being like this because his focus was the success of the ride which he delivered in buckets !
So "Mort-Morty-The Ginger Prince- Mr Moanivator" on behalf of all the riders, support crew our families and the staff, kids and families at Hope House,
"You're a pain in the ass that we don't want to cure !"
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Day sixteen is the last of the individual team changes with 154 miles needing to be covered ending at the Delaware Bridge. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River. The bridges provide an important regional connection for long-distance travelers.
Day seventeen is the last day and the team rides as a whole for the 65 miles to Atlantic City, where a well deserved rest is in order! Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, and the inspiration for the board game Monopoly.
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