Will Cadbury recaps the G2G Cycle Challenge

Posted on: 18/07/2025

Category: For your business, Firm news

It has been a couple of weeks since Will and the team completed the Gheluvelt to Gheluvelt Cycle Challenge. Let’s take a look behind the scenes of the event.

Reminder: it's not too late to make a donation and support the fantastic work that the team have done!

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The dust has settled after the G2G Cycle Challenge (challenge being the operative word). The body has finally recovered with the main linger issue my right hand and wrist from the constant pressure gripping the handlebars!

Day 1: Gheluvelt Park to Newbury

We set off from Gheluvelt Park at 9.00am, with a great send off from friends, families, some ex-servicemen of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regimental Association and the Mayor of Worcester. We were nearly interrupted by an ambulance on the Tything as we left through the main gate. Day 1 was full of excitement and some nerves regarding the challenge ahead, but these were settled as our route out of the city centre took us past our offices and, to my surprise, the whole office had decamped to the roadside to cheer us on.

The support team had set up 20-mile rest stops along our 85-mile route on the first day. At about 35 miles and just short of the lunch stop, I had my first puncture. Thankfully, a fellow rider stayed back with me to help (with a slight struggle) to fix the tyre. Luckily, the support car wasn't far away, so they found us quite quickly and assisted with the repairs.

We encountered a couple of challenging hills on Day 1 as we skirted the Cotswolds—one particularly steep climb just outside of Winchcombe and another later in the day as we approached Newbury. We finished the day in Newbury, where a few tired riders mustered enough energy to venture into the town centre for dinner before enjoying a well-deserved rest, unsure how our bodies would feel in the morning.

Day 2: Newbury to Crawley

Day 2 brought another 80-mile ride, this time from Newbury to Crawley. This route's hills were less challenging, but there was some distinctly undulating terrain and a significant amount of pothole-ridden roads! One rider took a wrong turn just as we arrived at our lunch stop at a local farm shop, and the support car had to go and rescue them.

Luckily, we were all equipped with a live-tracking mobile app so that the support team could find us at all times. The final stretch of Day 2 took us along a rural route into Crawley, where some riders had to pause for a herd of cattle crossing the lane into a neighbouring field. After completing this challenging day, the group stopped at what we believed to be our accommodation - a Premier Inn on the outskirts of town. To our dismay, we soon discovered there was another Premier Inn about a mile away in the town centre - our actual destination!

Day 3: Crawley to Dover

After a warm night's sleep under the Gatwick flight path, we woke up bright and early for the final part of the English leg of the trip, 90 miles from Crawley to Dover. This day was particularly hot and we had to take additional water breaks as provided by our great support team. Only 15 miles in, I suffered my second puncture - coincidentally, on the same tyre as Day 1. This puncture was likely due to user error from Day 1's roadside bodge job. Luckily, this time I was with a group of experienced riders who had the inner tube replaced before the support car could even get to us!

Day 3 was more eventful as a fellow rider misjudged his distance to the car in front at a set of traffic lights and took a tumble over his handlebars. He was back up and ready to go in minutes after initially fearing a worse injury. Along this route, we also happened to pass an aerodrome that was holding an air show, complete with a Spitfire dogfight. On the way into Dover, we also managed to take a brief stop at the Battle of Britain memorial just outside Folkstone.

After 11 hours on the road, Day 3 concluded with a welcome downhill stretch into Dover - much to the delight of our weary legs.

Day 4: Dover to Gheluvelt

We had another early start on Day 4 to catch the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk, which allowed us a brief rest. We arrived in Dunkirk with the final dash to Ypres ahead of us. The road quality in France and Belgium was of stark contrast to those back in England and with virtually a flat terrain all the way to Ypres, we managed to get through the 50 miles quite quickly. We stopped at the Menin Gate in Ypres to regroup with all the riders ready to ride the 4 miles to Gheluvelt Chateau, following an original First World War truck that a member of the support team had driven down from Dunkirk. We arrived at the Chateau mid-afternoon and after lots of ups and down along the way.

We were met by friends and family at the finishing line along with some locals who clapped us in. We than sat on the steps of the Chateau, where Lt Col Mark Jackson, Chairman of Trustees of The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire), talked us through the Battle of Gheluvelt that we were honouring. It was quite an experience to see the terrain and understand the challenges the soldiers had faced. We then visited the Worcestershire Regiment Memorial in Gheluvelt and laid wreaths at the plaque that listed the names of those who lost their lives in the battle.

Our final stop of the day was in Ypres, where we attended The Last Post ceremony. This ceremony is held at the Menin Gate at 8pm every day of the year to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Battles around Ypres Salient during the First World War. It was a deeply moving experience and three members of our team laid wreaths during the ceremony. After this, we managed to have a full team dinner to celebrate the achievement and share stories along the way. However, the gathering didn’t last too long, as there were some very tired bodies in the team.

The Journey Home

The next day, the team set off on the journey home, thankfully with the bikes safely stored in the support vans. I got a lift home with my parents who had come to watch me pass the finish line, but the rest of the team stopped off on the Passchendaele Museum before getting the ferry back home

It was an amazing experience which I will certainly look back on with great fondness - even though there were some tough days in the saddle, both in the build-up and on the journey itself. I’d like to thank all the support team on the ride who helped us through those tough days and everyone who has made a donation in support of the cause - in particular my colleagues and the partners at SME, who have been very supportive over the past few months.

Thanks to so many generous donations, Will was able to surpass his target of £500, reaching a total of £1,978.00 + £375.00 in Gift Aid. The challenge managed to raise £15,990.52 + £2,865.55 in Gift Aid, surpassing their target by 33%!

Donations will be split between three fantastic charities, St Richard’s Hospice, the Alzheimer’s Society and the Worcestershire Mercian Regiment Museum.

There’s still time to make a donation to support the cause and recognise the team’s incredible effort.

Make a donation today