HIS return flight is already booked.
So Andy Fallon, from Deighton, had better get into gear if he’s going to make the 2,200 mile bike ride to Istanbul airport.
The father-of-one has set himself just 17 days to complete the challenge – all in a bid to raise money for Save the Children.
But not to worry – he’s no stranger to gruelling bike rides as last year he completed a 1,800 mile cycle to Gibraltar in a mere 16 days.
The 45-year-old told the Examiner: “Well, this May I’m doing something bigger.
“This time, I’m cycling from Huddersfield to Istanbul which is approximately 2,200 miles.
“On average I’ll be doing 130 miles a day and that includes a summit in the Alps – Col du Galibier – which a well-known summit in the Tour De France and is a whopping 8,678ft climb.”
Andy is a manager at Morrisons supermarket in Penistone Road, Waterloo, and is completing the challenge for the supermarket’s Raise a Smile campaign in partnership with Save the Children.
The cyclist – who is married with a six-year-old daughter – will do the challenge solo and carry all his own kit, weighing some 40lbs.
He’ll start in Huddersfield before catching the ferry over to Holland and cycling on through The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Albania, Macedonia and on to Turkey.
He is funding the whole trip himself, so all the money he raises will go to the good cause.
Andy said: “There is a good point to this trip – I have one extra day than my previous ride, but the bad news is it’s over 400 miles longer than my Gibraltar cycle.”
Training has not yet begun – as Andy hasn’t even got a bike. He sold his last racing bike in order to buy a touring bike but hasn’t got round to buying one.
You can sponsor Andy by visiting his just giving page at www.justgiving.com/MadHeadCyclist.
People can also donate by texting TNSY47 (and the amount you want to donate eg £5) to 70070.
Follow Andy on Twitter @MadHeadCyclist
