13 July 2007

Four consultants from Detica, the business and technology consultancy, recently completed a 1000km bike ride in aid of the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity. The trip, from Geneva in Switzerland, across the Alps to Rome in Italy, took the team six days — cycling over 150km per day — to complete the journey.

A total of £2,465 was raised by Nick Branson, Chris Priest, Scott Coey and Simon Lyon — from Detica's Global Financial Services team — for Marie Curie, which is the company's nominated charity for 2007.

The toughest part of the ride saw the cyclists climb 9,000 feet up through Val d'Isere to the Col de l'Iseran, and over the border to Italy via the Col du Mont Cenis. "At one point, we were trudging through snow in the Alps, and having to dodge snow machines clearing the road," said Nick Branson, team leader of the journey.

After leaving Turin, the team moved through Piemonte to the Italian coast at Genova Liguria and into Tuscany, across the Pisa Coastal Tuscan plains and into the ancient town of Orbetello, before the final cruise through Lazio and into Rome.

Nick Branson said of the journey: "I'm not sure what beer they served in Rome, but it tasted so good when we got there!"

Sally Clift or Rachel Ringstead Porter NovelliTel: +44 (0)207 853 2222email: or