Team 34 - Cisco Quad Team

Another Challenge complete and it was a lot of fun.....

1) Highlights

• The Spirit of the event - everyone waving, offering help to other teams and giving encouragement
• Weather - it rained a bit and we didn't need sun cream, but compared to the forecast it seemed like we were very, very lucky!
• Shannon Ferry on day 2 - it bunched the teams up again so you got to see a lot of other cyclists and vans on the road which was great.
• Hollyhead Ferry - cooked breakfast and a chance to sit and read the Sunday paper (a rare treat when you have young kids!).

2) Favourite rides

• Jason (Day 1) - sun was out, and a long climb to the top of a pass with a team mate (Paul) on the road as well. Then through a tunnel and a cracking decent the other side.
• Paul (Day 2) - cycling along the coast, admiring the scenery and then coming head to head with a bull in the road!.
• Colin (Day 3) - slip-streaming with another cyclist towards the end of a hard ride when the legs were tiring
• Rich (Day 3) - challenge of a big hill with a broken derailer, then cycling along by a lake and under a bridge and knowing we were close to the finish!

3) Memorable teams

• Chrome domes - coming down a hill at 40 mph on their butchers bike dressed like leprechauns
• Team with capes on - shouting encouragement at everyone through their megaphone
• Tilshead Tortoises - who gave a couple of us a tow when we were tired (Jason owes Dave a beer still).
• Rear View - Rich had hoped to win this year!
• Everyone! - for smiling and waving at the video camera as we came past.

Some people asked for copies of the video and we'll try and edit some clips together and make it available

4) Best kit

• Gore top with sleeves that unzipped
• Borrowed bike!
• Gilet top which kept the wind off, but didn't get too hot
• Places to park outside all the houses!!

5) Biggest surprise

• Surprised how hard it was
• Surprised how many fields, lakes, mountains and how few houses
• Surprised how many dogs chased us out of their driveway
• Surprised how long the stretch battery lasts on a laptop when you're ready for bed!

6) Final thanks!!

• Hotel staff - for tolerating so many sweaty cyclists and the Hotel in Killarney in particular for a great cooked breakfast
• Abacus - for a good hire van and finding us a quick replacement on Day 0!
• Paul - our captain, for making the bike rack and organising the van hire and us
• The Team who organised lunch on the side of the road on day 2 - massive thanks, you have no idea how much we needed it at the time!!
• Marshalls and organisers - for all the work putting up the arrows and organisation that ran like clockwork.
• Finally, to all our sponsors - who gave so generously and helped us raise so much money for some very worthy causes.

Weather Update

Looking good for the weather for the next few days!. I’m impressed the wind changes direction between Friday and Sunday so you can cycle into it in both directions!

Look out for the green arrows.....

I’m definitely hoping I don't get lost going round the Cliffs of Moher like these cyclists!!

Countdown to Ireland

The forecast is for rain on Thursday for the Ring of Kerry, westerly gales for Friday as we cycle to Galway and I only hope it stays with us on Saturday to blow us to Dublin. The oil skins are packed, floats attached to the stabalisers and sou'wester dubbined. Ride on the courageous 288 for the 2010 Irish Challenge!

Cisco Quad Cycle Team - Visit to Cancer Research Centre

On a cold night in late November we headed down to the Somers Cancer Research Building at Southampton General Hospital for the handing over of the cheque from last year’s challenge. It was a special evening as the Chief Clinician of Cancer Research UK Prof Peter Johnson wanted to say thanks by taking us on a tour of the centre.

Cancer Research UK spends money researching all types of cancer from the most common to rare types of tumours. The Southampton research centre was one of the first in the UK and focuses on the biology and treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder and breast cancer and cancer genetics.

The tour started with a talk in which Professor Johnson reviewed global trends in cancer and some of the recent scientific breakthroughs. There were some very large numbers as approximately 11 million people a year are diagnosed with cancer of which 1.4 million are lung cancer, 1.1 million breast cancer, and around a million each for bowel and stomach cancer. Worldwide cancer is responsible for 13% of all deaths, but in developed countries like the United States its estimated to be responsible for as much as 25% and one in three people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime.

With these statistics in our mind and a quick crash course in cancer genetics we then spent time touring the labs and talking to the scientists carrying out the research. It was amazing to see how much technology played a key role in the research and the lab environment was a lot more sophisticated than when I did my PhD back in 1988! The analysis they were able to do was very impressive and there has been significant progress in the development of targeted therapy drugs that act specifically on detectable molecular abnormalities in certain tumors, and which minimize damage to normal cells. It was amazing to hear the progress being made and to see how the money raised was helping towards day-to-day care as well as cures and prevention.

Working in the field of collaboration technologies at Cisco and looking to improve the efficiencies of our global teams at work, I was also impressed at the way Cancer Research UK worked globally with cancer research centers in United States, Europe and beyond. It was clear this really was a global war against cancer and it was also clear how important all the money we raised was in that war. It’s something we’re all proud to support and we’re excited to be riding again for them and our other charities this year.