11 men (actually 10 men and one brave lady) with a combined age of 470 powering 22 wheels to cover 410 miles across France in just 7 days… this is the cycling challenge a team from Manchester based wine importers Boutinot have set themselves to raise £5,000 for The Christie.
Inspired by British cycling success at both the Olympics and the Tour de France 2012, staff and customers of Manchester based wine importers Boutinot have joined together to form an elite cycling team which will cycle 410 miles from Champagne in Northern France to Cairanne in the Southern Rhône valley.
During the ‘Le Tour de Boutinot France’ ride the team will witness first hand the diversity of Boutinot’s award winning wine range. Champagne Gremillet and Champagne Lallier will support the team through the early stages of the race; while in Burgundy the team will be spurred on by Vallet-Frères, traditional Burgundian wine makers who were crowned IWSC French Wine Producer of the Year 2012.
After the most grueling day, a 70 mile ride from Gevrey-Chambertin to Boutinot’s French base in Mâcon, the team will follow the Rhône river to renowned producer Cave de Tain. They will celebrate the end of the challenge in the Southern Rhône at the company’s own wine estate in Cairanne, home of the Fide et Arte range which includes the award winning La Côte Sauvage Cairanne, Côtes du Rhône Villages.
The team, a mixture of experienced cyclist and lapsed riders who got back on their bike only 6 months ago, have been training determinedly during England’s longest and coldest winter.
Two members of the team – Dennis
Whitely and Michael Moriarty – recently
led Boutinot’s successful management
buy out. Both say they are happy to take
a back seat on this occasion as Alec
Street leads his colleagues and
customers from Betton Wines (North
Yorkshire) and The Cattle Grid
(London) on the cycling challenge of
their lives, powered on by the ambition
to raise £5k for cancer charity
The Christie.
To donate please see
www.boutinot.com/bigride