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In March, Luke de Quay casually suggested to Rob Owen that they should cycle to Lourdes and raise money for the Arundel & Brighton Pilgrimage trust, a charity set up to help disabled pilgrims and their carers make the pilgrimage to Lourdes, as part of the A&B annual pilgrimage. Always up for a challenge, Rob accepted, and started asking if anyone could lend him a bike.  In the meantime they discovered that John Watts, a fellow pilgrim, and Wonnersh seminarian, was planning a similar trip, having bought his first ever bike at Christmas. After one phone call, “Team A&B - To Lourdes in Lycra 2012” was formed!



Training in the unpredictable weather leading up to the ride was a challenge, but by the time they departed from the pilgrimage office on the 18th July, they were used to cycling in torrential rain, so the first days riding was not too much of a shock.



Using a compass and map, and only taking what they could carry, Rob, Luke, and John headed south through France, cycling between 80 and 100 miles each day. Along the way they experienced torrential rain, tarmac-melting heat, mountain passes, closed bridges, and narrowly escaped arrest by French police for riding on the wrong roads! After 8 days and 1050km of cycling, they arrived in Lourdes, in time to start helping on the pilgrimage the next day.



Luke, Rob, and John would like to thank everybody who supported them in their planning, and sponsored them so far, especially members of their local parishes, and fellow pilgrims, who have raised an estimated £4000 for the A&B Pilgrimage Trust. Its not too late to sponsor them either, you can donate via their Justgiving page by clicking here: