PCA PRESS RELEASE
Yorkshire and England all-rounder Tim Bresnan is swapping his whites for Lycra for the next five days to raise money for the PCA Professional Cricketers' Trust and Tom Maynard Trust.
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Bresnan is one of around 60 riders who set off from Edgbaston this morning on a gruelling 360-mile journey which will end on Tuesday at the SSE SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff. The journey will take the riders via Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Sheffield, the Peak District, the Cheshire Plain, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Forest of Dean and Welsh mountains.
Although Bresnan rode from Oxford to Lord’s two years ago, this is the first time that he will have attempted to cycle more than 80 miles a day for five consecutive days.
“It’s fair to say this the first time I have ridden more than 80 miles in a day. I did an Ashes Cycle two years ago which was about 96 miles, but that was very easy – flat or downhill.
“This is very different. It’s going to be a very good challenge.
“I’m a bit apprehensive about it, but I’m also excited. I don’t know how good my fitness is to be able to cope with it. It’s totally different to cricket, hopefully I will be all right. I’m sure I will get around no matter how long it takes.”
As Yorkshire’s Professional Cricketers’ Association representative, Bresnan is aware of the range of support that the PCA Benevolent provides for past and present county cricketers and their families and that was one of the key factors in persuading him to take on the challenge.
“Pre-season the PCA come and visit, and this year they said they were doing the Big Bike Ride again. I decided to sign up to do something for the PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust and the Tom Maynard Trust.
“Everyone knows how immense a charity the PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust is and I think, as a professional cricketer, you should be supporting them in any way that you can.
“I supported the Professional Cricketers’ Trust in my benefit year and this is an added extra. Raising money for two great charities and challenging yourself at the same time.”
Bresnan, who will be joined on Big Bike Ride 3 by fellow Test players Marcus Trescothick, Geraint Jones, Gavin Hamilton, Matthew Maynard, Michael Vaughan and Steve James, got an idea of the distance he will travel on the first day of the ride, which ends at Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club, when he travelled to Birmingham on Thursday.
“We changed at Sheffield station on the train coming down so I know how far it is to get back there. It took an hour on the train and the train was tramming,” he said.
Among the past and present county cricketers taking part in Big Bike Ride 3 are former Yorkshire players Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Matt Wood and Alex Morris.
All proceeds from Big Bike Ride 3 will be shared between the PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust and the Tom Maynard Trust.
The PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust was set up in 2000, and supports past and present cricketers, and their immediate family members in times of hardship and upheaval.
The Tom Maynard Trust was set up in 2012 and supports aspiring young sports people in a number of ways including sponsorship of the PCA’s annual Rookie Camp.
Cricketers taking part in Big Bike Ride 3: Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire and England), Dan Cherry (Glamorgan), Alan Fordham (Northamptonshire), David Fulton (Kent), Gavin Hamilton (Yorkshire, Durham, England and Scotland), James Harris (Glamorgan and Middlesex), Geraint Jones (Kent, Gloucestershire and England), Steve James (Glamorgan and England – days 4 and 5 only), David Leatherdale (Worcestershire), Matthew Maynard (Glamorgan and England), Daryl Mitchell (Worcestershire), Alex Morris (Yorkshire and Hampshire), Charlie Mulraine (Warwickshire), Tony Murphy (Lancashire and Surrey), Gareth Rees (Glamorgan), Ian Saxelby (Gloucestershire), Marcus Trescothick (Somerset and England), Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire and England – day 2 only), Mark Wallace (Glamorgan), David Wigley (Yorkshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire), and Matthew Wood (Yorkshire and Glamorgan).
Big Ride 3 itinerary:
October 13: Edgbaston to Sheffield Collegiate CC – Depart Edgbaston 7am, Atherstone CC 9.40am, Quarndon CC 12.20pm, South Wingfield CC 2.20pm, Sheffield Collegiate CC 4.20pm
October 14: Sheffield Collegiate to Crewe Vagrants CC – Depart Sheffield Collegiate CC 7.20am, Buxton CC 10.20am, Poachers Inn, Bollington 12pm, Middlewich CC.2.20pm, Crewe Vagrants CC 3.30pm
October 15: Crewe to Worcestershire CCC – Depart Crewe Vagrants CC 7.25am, Calverhall CC 9am, Broseley CC 12pm, Cleobury Mortimer CC 2.20pm, Worcestershire CCC 4.30pm
October 16: Worcester to Monmouth School – Depart Worcestershire CCC 8.55am, Ledbury CC 11am, Ruardean Hill CC 12.40pm, Lydney CC 2.30pm, Monmouth School 3.20pm
October 17: Monmouth to SSE SWALEC Stadium – Depart Monmouth School 6.55am, Abergavenny CC 9.10am, Newbridge CC 12.20pm, St Fagans CC 2.20pm, Glamorgan CCC 4pm
Please note that all timings are approximate.
You can donate to the Big Bike Ride 3 by clicking here and supporting the PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust and Tom Maynard Trust.
