A dynamique Angus duo are getting into gear for a mammoth charity vintage cycle challenge from Tayside to the heart of France.
Sam Holmes and Steven Esposito will saddle up on a pair of 40-year-old Peugeot bikes to pedal from their Michelin workplace in Dundee to the tyre giant’s headquarters 750 miles away.
They leave on June 8 for the event which will raise money for the international Mary’s Meals charity, and hope to average 70 miles a day before crossing the finish line at Clermont-Ferrand on June 19.
For machine operator Sam and engineer Steven it is an ambitious first charity ride and they will be completely unsupported on the trip, carrying all their own equipment and supplies.
Sam said: “We cycle to work together and have always said we should do something like a 24-hour cycle or cycle around Scotland.
“Then because we were both Michelin employees, we thought why don’t we do something a bit bigger?
“We considered going down to the Michelin plant in Stoke and then Steven came up with this fantastical idea about going down to Central.
“We thought this was a good opportunity as well to take in another Michelin facility at Troyes, and basically use this as a way to tie together the Baldovie plant with them and with Central — a pilgrimage of sorts.”
Their route will see them cycle to Newcastle, take a ferry to Amsterdam and then head through the Netherlands to Belgium, into northern France and on to Clermont-Ferrand.
The pair even sourced a couple of vintage Peugeot racing bikes which are older than they are.
“The main challenges will probably be the bikes. We’ve got Angus Cycle Hub on board and they found a bike for me and Steven managed to acquire one from a colleague for £40.
“They’ve not been touched since they were bought 40 years ago so they need a wee bit of an upgrade.
“Michelin are going to supply us with tyres and inner tubes and Angus Cycle Hub are freshening up the mechanisms, wheels, paint and fixing the brakes.
“The reliability of the bikes is probably the biggest issue for us, although weather may come a close second, tied with cycling for 11 days in a row without a rest.”
Steven added: “We’re also looking for local businesses to support the ride and help us to raise as much money for Mary’s Meals as we can by sponsoring an advert on our matching cycle gear.
“We chose this charity in memory of Morven MacKenzie, a local geography teacher at Grove Academy, who sadly passed away last November and whose husband is a colleague at Michelin.
“Morven was a passionate and committed teacher who was inspired by the vision of the charity.”
Steven added: “If anyone knows of anyone who stays along our route that we could bunk up with that would be great as we are trying to minimise costs and raise as much as we can for Mary’s Meals. We’re also taking a small tent for emergencies.”
Steven and Sam’s journey can be followed on the Dundee Randonee facebook page or through their Just Giving page.
