A businessman has been cycling in intense heat as he nears the end of a bike ride covering 8,500 miles to Melbourne.
After setting off from Bolton Lads and Girls Club at the end of July, insurance broker Andrew Crompton has undertaken an ardous cycle in West and Eastern Europe to Turkey, Kuwait, the UAE, India, and Vietnam.
Finally reaching Brisbane in Australia, there is still around 10 days to go for the Bolton businessman from Over Hulton as he cycles to raise money for BLGC and the Carers Trust.
Andrew said: “We have cycled through 17 countries and covered 13,500km.
“It has been absolutely amazing, and we’ve been riding around 100km a day.
“It was really quite punishing going through Saudi Arabia though, with a long stretch in the desert and we’d be cycling for five hours a day.”
Along the way, Andrew was welcomed into many different cultures and learnt a lot from his experiences.
He said: “India was absolutely stunning and of course you see poverty as well, but they live so plainly.
“Animals like water buffalos and monkeys joined us on the ride and I was constantly being stopped by people asking for pictures.
“I became a minor celebrity.
The team of cyclists were due to cross through Iran but conflict in the country meant they had to re-route and cycle to Kuwait instead.
The ‘incredible’ challenge has not been without problems with bikes needing repairs, the heat and detainments of over four hours in some places.
Andrew said: “In the Middle East, we could go 200km without any accommodation whatsoever.
“In India in December, I fell off my bike and had cuts, bruises and a sprained wrist.
“It’s all part of the challenge, and that’s the fun of it.
“After 35 years I’m being pushed out of my comfort zone and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
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In East Turkey, the team met a tribal leader who insisted on making dinner for them at his own home, and in India, Andrew became the honorary guest at a 75th birthday party.
Now, the team are preparing to cruise down the beautiful Gold Coast in Australia before heading to Sydney, Canberra and finally to Melbourne.
Donate to the page here. (https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/manchestertomelbourne)
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