CYCLE TO MIPIM What started 10 years ago as a 17-rider adventure has grown into a meticulously organised, 100-strong ride that raises thousands for good causes. Samantha McClary sums up its progress so far
Every year for the past decade an ever-growing number of philanthropic, tight clothes-loving collection of men and women from the property industry have eschewed the relative luxury of that easyJet or British Airways flight to Nice and instead opted for an often cold, sometimes wet and always challenging cycle to Cannes for MIPIM.
This year the ride, the brainchild of New London Architecture chairman Peter Murray, celebrates its 10th anniversary. Just 17 property cyclists took part in the first 1,500km trek to Cannes. They travelled without outriders and the hoards of support today’s riders are treated to, camped and got lost. But they also created an event that has gone from strength to strength to become one of the most successful charity fundraising events in the industry.
Here, as this year’s 100-strong peloton counts down the last few weeks to the big off, Estates Gazette looks back at the achievements of the ride and speaks to members of the first batch of CYCLE TO riders who will be pulling their Lycra back on for the 10-year celebratory ride.
The CYCLE TO MIPIM is the closest any amateur rider will get to feeling like they are part of a professional cycling team. Rolling road closures mean that the peloton moves relentlessly forward, protected from traffic by a crew of talented motorcycle outriders and impeccably looked after by a crew of support staff that give up holiday time to make sure that the ride goes smoothly.
Every year a team of around 35 crew, from both the UK and France, work 14-plus-hour days, securing the route, laying on vital food stops, organising hotels, providing body-fixing massages and keeping a rabble of not always obedient property folk in order over the course of the six-day ride.
That level of support has attracted more than 750 people to take part in the ride over its lifespan who have helped to raise more than £1.7m for a number of charities.
Over the years, CYCLE TO has supported Article 25, Emthonjeni Trust, Multiple System Atrophy Trust, Tom’s Trust, LandAid and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The main beneficiary for the past few years has been Coram, the UK’s first dedicated children’s charity.
Margaret McCulloch, Coram’s head of fundraising, says: “Since it started, CYCLE TO has raised more than £1.7m in grants for charities including Coram. This is testament to both the generosity of the property industry and its support over the years as well as to the calibre of events that CYCLE TO organises.
“The funds raised will support our vital work with children, including helping us to find and prepare wonderful adoptive parents who can provide safe, permanent homes for boys and girls who badly need a loving family. Thanks to the commitment of everyone involved in Broadgate Estates and CYCLE TO MIPIM 2015, we can better the lives of thousands more children.”
In addition to title sponsor Broadgate Estates, this year’s six team sponsors are AHR, Argent, Elliott Wood, Invest in Nottingham, Savills and Sitematch London. Knight Frank is sponsoring the support crew and Berkeley Group the mechanics crew.
Plenty more sponsorship opportunities for this year’s ride are available. To find out more and pledge your support, and to help CYCLE TO break the £2m barrier, contact martin@cycle-to.org
Changing lives
CYCLE TO’s principal charity Coram was founded in 1739 by Captain Thomas Coram. Since then it has worked hard to find adoptive families for children in need, inspire at-risk children to make positive, healthy choices, give isolated children a roof over their heads and provide practical skills and emotional support to vulnerable parents. CYCLE TO riders have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the charity, helping change the lives of many vulnerable children for the better. Here are just two of their stories.
James
Due to concerns James* was suffering significant harm at home, he was taken to live with a foster family. James made good developmental progress with his foster family but it was very difficult to identify a family for him because he is genetically predisposed to developing mental illness. He was finally placed for adoption when he was three. When he joined his new Coram forever family, James’s development was slightly delayed. But he has since made wonderful progress: his speech has improved and he has become more confident and outgoing.
Roxy
Roxy* was taken into care at four days old, as her birth mother misused drugs and alcohol throughout pregnancy. Coram was able to match Roxy with two adoptive parents who could offer her the love and care she needed. Because of the difficulties she faced in utero, Roxy has developmental delay. But, after just a few months with her new parents she has begun to show real developmental improvements.
*names changed to protect identities
First-time tales
A decade ago, 17 riders decided it would be “fun” to ride to MIPIM instead of fly, train or drive. Some have done it almost every year since. Ten are coming back to help celebrate its 10th anniversary. Here, a few share their thoughts on the first versus this year’s epic ride.
Peter Murray, chairman, New London Architecture
“The first ride was hard work. The weather was the worst of any year with blizzards and arctic temperatures. Water froze in the bottles.
“From the ride, I learned the power of the peloton, of working together as a team – sharing the pain, bonding in adversity. From the fundraising, I discovered how generous the property business is. And I discovered the peloton to be a brilliant lesson in management – it includes teamwork, discipline, an element of competition but is essentially collaborative, the strong assist the weak, it soon sorts out the shirkers and it quickly becomes a community in itself – you talk to everyone as the positions in the group continually shift.
“I get quite emotional when I see a sleek line of speeding cyclists stretched out across the French countryside, or sweeping into the Palais de Festivals at Cannes at the start of MIPIM. The 10 years of CYCLE TO MIPIM has built up a significant community of riders, which I believe is having a real impact on attitudes to cycling in cities and the infrastructure and amenities needed to encourage it.”
Matt Mason, development director, Crosstree Real Estate Partners
“Epic is an overused word in cycling terms, but that first ride to MIPIM was just that. Seventeen strangers, the coldest weather you can imagine, sleeping in a wet and sweaty bus, cooking late at night, riding from 5am to 10pm, constantly getting lost, fixing punctures, but overall having the time of our lives – looking back now it was as far away from today’s CYCLE TO ride as a Desgrange Tour De France.
“But what really makes CYCLE TO
MIPIM epic is the money raised over
10 years, the friendships formed, networks and community created and the growth of a cycling brand, which is why it is still going from strength to strength today.”
JJ Lorraine, co-founder, Morrow+Lorraine
“CYCLE TO helped me build a business network from which my fledging practice was able to flourish. But it has actually done something that may be more important to me: introduced me to cycling. Before C2C I was sporty and a commuter but never a cyclist, I now will never not be one. The lessons drawn from life in a peloton ring true in life on a regular occurrence.”
Stories, photos and lessons learned from 10 years of CYCLE TO will be published in a commemorative book this May. Proceeds raised from sales will support CYCLE TO’s charities. For details e-mail david@newlondonquarterly.com
