Serge Betsen Launches Rugby Bike Challenge
Former London Wasps and France flanker Serge Betsen is inviting visitors to the Tour de France Fan Park in Green Park, to take part in a unique bike challenge with professional rugby players, in a bid to raise funds for the Serge Betsen Academy, with the support of Velo-GoGo.
The Serge Betsen Academy marks its 10th anniversary this year, which coincides with the fourth visit of the Tour de France to English shores.
The static bike challenge will see four London Aviva Premiership rugby clubs take each other on, as well as the public.
The challenge will be taking place on the 5th and 6th July from 10am to 9pm and from 10am to 4pm on Monday, 7th July.
Each rugby club team will supply four riders who will race on the Monday, over a set distance of 1 mile on the main stage.
During the event days, members of the public can pay £5 to record their own time over 1 mile, with the top four times winning a pair of donated season tickets to the Harlequins, London Wasps, London Irish, or a box of twenty tickets with the Saracens.
Other prizes will be awarded to participants with the best designed bicycle, best family time, best time for youngest/oldest participants, and the participant with the best “French touch”.
Betsen commented: ‘This will be an exciting time for Fan Park visitors. The Tour de France will be in London, and visitors can emulate the competition by measuring their own time to that of rugby athletes, and at the same time raise funds for a worthy charity.’
The Serge Betsen Academy uses rugby as a vehicle for social integration and supports access to education and basic healthcare for hundreds of underprivileged children in Yaounde and its suburbs.
The aim of the charity is to bring the passion of rugby to children in Cameroon, and to help their development by instilling a passion for sport. The charity also provides the children with academic support to help prepare them better for their professional future. Finally, the charity arranges medical care by health professionals, organises immunisation campaigns and provides information on STDs.
