Council team takes on 100km cycle challenge - in place of teachers

A team of council staff are taking on a 100km (62 mile) cycle challenge this week in place of teachers who need to stay in the classroom during the coronavirus lockdown.

Forty teachers from schools across the East Riding had been due to take part in the annual 100km bike ride as part of the Cycle4Life Challenge organised each year by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

But as the teachers are busy looking after pupils during the lockdown, four members of the council’s transport development team will be taking on the challenge themselves.

The four, David Butt, Christian Jordan, Julie Turner and Damian Gunn, will be riding from Withernsea lighthouse to Flamborough lighthouse this Thursday (June 18).

Two riders will cycle the first half of the way, with the remaining two cyclists taking over half way – all practising social distancing throughout the journey.

And to make sure the schools are still involved, the team will be stopping outside the school grounds of a number of schools along the route – including primary schools in Withernsea, Hedon, Brandesburton, Nafferton and Flamborough.

Paul McConnon, transport development manager at the council, said: “As the teachers had already put in so much training before the current lockdown, we felt it would be a nice gesture to complete the challenge on the teachers’ behalf.

“When they arrive at the school gates, our riders will stop for a photo outside the school grounds and will also tie a blue and green ribbons on the school gates as a show of support for the fantastic work being done by the NHS and all key workers at this time – including the school staff.

“Due to social distancing measures the riders will not be entering the schools’ grounds as they have done in previous years, when the teaching staff taking part in the cycle ride have been cheered on by pupils when they arrived at each school.”

In June last year, teachers and school staff took part in The Wolds 100 – a 100km bike ride across the Yorkshire Wolds.

The council’s Cycle4Life Challenge Week is an annual campaign to encourage people to take up cycling, although most of this year’s events have been cancelled.

Instead, the council’s transport development team is offering free, personal cycle training for East Riding residents aged 11 and over, to help them gain the skills and confidence to cycle more regularly.

For more information, advice or to discuss free cycle training requirements, please email: road.safety.training@eastriding.gov.uk

You can follow the cycle ride via the council’s Twitter @East_Riding and Facebook @eastridingcouncil pages #cycle4life.