Real estate charity cyclists in 1,500km Regent’s Park ride after Mipim relay cancelled over coronavirus worries
Cyclists from the real estate sector are trying to cover 1,500km around Regent’s Park this week after a planned charity relay to the Mipim conference in Cannes was cancelled over coronavirus fears.
The annual Cycle to Mipim ride was cancelled after the real estate bonanza, which was set to take place in the south of France on 10-13 March, was postponed until June after a number of companies pulled out due to coronavirus worries.
The trip to Cannes normally takes place as a relay, with a baton passed between teams of cyclists over stages between the UK and the French riviera.
It is organised by charity Club Peloton with money raised this year going to children’s charity Coram.
Club Peloton chief executive Nick Hanmer said the participants in the ride, which is sponsored by estate agents Knight Frank, had raised £235,000 so far this year.
After the cancellation, architectural model designer Christian Spencer-Davies organised the Regent’s Park relay.
The cyclists started at 7am on Saturday morning in Regent’s Park and plan to ride in relays between 7am and 10pm until Tuesday to try and cover the distance.
Spencer-Davies said he was “super-disappointed” the original ride had been cancelled after a long winter of training.
He said the Regent’s Park ride would “help us get it out of our systems and keep the fundraising story real”.
Spencer-Davies said more than 40 cyclists from the real estate world had agreed to help try and cover the 1,500km.