WESSEX YEOMEN TAKE ON INDIA CYCLE CHALLENGE

The Royal Wessex Yeomanry's Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, WO2 Steve Cullen MBE, and Staff Sergeant Bert Burgess teamed up to take on a 500 kilometre cycle ride in aid of the Prostate Cancer Charity over the period 30 November - 6 December 2008.

Steve Cullen, 51, from Bovington and Bert Burgess, 47, from Portland have been friends ever since the two first worked together at the Regiment's Headquarters in Bovington, Dorset.

This is not the first cycle challenge undertaken by the pair as the two teamed up with other members of the Regiment in 2006 cycling the 500 kilometers from Saigon in Vietnam to Nompenn in Cambodia raising in excess of £5,000 for the MacMillan Cancer Care Charity.

Steve and Bert have been prepared for the ride for over a year and even though the political climate in India at the time didn't favour such events the pair were even more determined to complete the challenge.

The two Wessex yeomen teamed up with other fund raising cyclists in Agra before heading off to Jaipur some 500 kilometres to the North. They completed the challenge in under 6 days.

Steve said that being able to cycle in support of the Prostate Cancer Charity was very special for him as his brother, Dieter, was diagnosed 3 years ago.

The pair have raised an impressive total of over £5,000 so far and have asked that if anyone reading this article would like to make a donation then they can do so by contacting the Prostate Cancer Charity direct.

Cyclists that took part in the India Cycle Challenge were given a day off during the trip, an award for the tremendous efforts that they all had to put in.  Steve, a keen military historian was keen to visit a number of sites linked to the days of the Raj. 

Bert, had always wanted to visit the Taj Mahal and was pleased that the situation in the area still allowed for him to visit.  When asked what if anything the two did not look forward to, they both replied in unison "Delhi Belly".