Foundation News

 

 

The Rugby World Cup winner and former England captain was joined in fancy dress by ex-footballers Lee Dixon and Les Ferdinand as they headed north through Italy towards Geneva.

The Dallaglio Cycle Slam began in Rome on Friday and will continue over the course of a month finishing in Edinburgh on 12^th March. The team will cycle through all of the RBS 6 Nations countries, taking in each of the international rugby stadia along the way.

 

The aim is to raise at least £1million, the net proceeds of which will be split equally between Sport Relief and the newly formed Dallaglio Foundation, whose beneficiaries include Cancer Research, DebRA, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, Help for Heroes and the RPA Benevolent Fund.

Lawrence Dallaglio, founder of the Dallaglio Foundation, said: “We’ve had a couple of challenging days and we are doing a lot of uphill cycling today so we wanted to do something to keep the spirits high. Everyone has joined in and is wearing a little bit of fancy dress. It is just a bit of fun and great to see everyone enjoying themselves.”

 

Dallaglio has been joined by over two hundred and fifty other cyclists including a host of celebrities and sports stars. Former footballers Lee Dixon and Les Ferdinand are taking part in the first leg riding from Rome to Italian city San Remo.

Ferdinand, who played seventeen times for England between 1993 and 1998, said: “It has really brought a smile to everyone’s face which is great. It has been gruelling so far but we are all enjoying the challenging and doing something like this just lightens the mood a little.”

 

Lee Dixon, capped 22 times by England, put a fake nose, glasses and bushy eyebrows. He said: “I feel like I am back in the football dressing room. Everyone is having a bit of fun and teasing each other which is important as we are working very hard at the moment. There has been a lot of uphill cycling which really takes it out of you, so it is important to remain cheerful.”

The group travelled through Pisa yesterday and on Thursday start the second stage of the punishing 2,800km route. The cycle is split into five stages, each of which will pass through an RBS 6 Nations country. They have already visited the Stadio Flaminio in Italy and next up is France and a trip to Paris’ Stade de France on 22^nd February before heading to the home of English rugby at Twickenham.

 

The peloton will then visit the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Dublin’s Croke Park before heading to Murrayfield in time to watch England and Scotland fight it out over the Calcutta Cup on 13th March.

This challenge is the latest in a long line of projects that the Dallaglio Foundation has been working towards in its inaugural year. Launched following the passing of Lawrence’s mother Eileen, who lost her courageous battle with cancer in December 2008, the Dallaglio Foundation has already helped to raise over £600,000 for Cancer Research UK through its prestigious charity party, 8Rocks, which took place in November.

Visit www.dallagliocycleslam.com for more information about this epic ride.

 

To donate, go to http://www.justgiving.com/dallagliocycleslam or text ‘SLAM’ to 70005 and sponsor Lawrence.

 

12 February 2010 – depart from the Stadio Flaminio, Rome

22February 2010 – arrive in Paris

26 February 2010 – Cycle through London and arrive at Twickenham

02 March 2010 – arrive in Cardiff

06 March 2010 – arrive in Dublin

08 March 2010 – arrive in Belfast

12 March 2010 – arrive in Edinburgh and final day of Dallaglio Cycle Slam

 

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