Milton Keynes, 20th May 2014 - ŠKODA UK will provide three Superb Estates and three ŠKODA Yetis to support cyclists along the route. The riders will travel more than 200 miles, passing through some of the most rural areas of France including Dieppe, Marines, Gournay En Bray and Villennes Sur Seine, before finishing up the cobbles of the Champs Elysee to the Eiffel Tower.
In 2013 the Duchenne Dash raised over £200,000 for the charity, and with even more supporters for 2014, aims to double the fundraising target for this year. Big names from the entertainment industry showing their support and taking part include British television presenter and journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan, Channel Four Chief Executive, David Abraham, Director of Television for the ITV network, Peter Fincham, Matt Brittin, Vice President, Northern and Central Europe, and Lord Terry Burns, Chairman of Santander.
Emily Crossley, the director of the Duchenne Children’s Trust, and organiser of the Duchenne Dash, comments: “This year the support for the Duchenne Dash has been incredible - we’ve gone from 30 riders in 2013 to more than 100 taking part in 2014. We’re humbled by the incredible generosity of all those who have donated, and a huge thank you goes to ŠKODA UK for providing us with the support vehicles to make this event possible. With support from ŠKODA, we will continue in our efforts to fundraise and ultimately beat this disease by finding a cure within a decade, and to End Duchenne in Ten.”
A long-standing champion of cycling worldwide, ŠKODA provides support vehicles to the Tour de France, Tour of Britian and Prudential RideLondon as well as other major cycling events across the world. The brand also supports professional cycling teams including Rapha Condor JLT, Matrix Vulpine and Team Raleigh.
With an emphasis on performance, reliability, versatility and value for money, the ŠKODA range is popular amongst cyclists and offers features ideally suited to riders, such as an internal bicycle holder, detachable tow bar and impressive load capacity.
Emily Burns, Communications Manager for ŠKODA UK, comments: “We’re delighted to be involved with such an amazing cause. Our support vehicles will be there to assist at every stage of the route, to help riders as they raise vital funds that will make a difference to so many lives. We wish the cyclists all the best in what is set to be a remarkable journey of dedication and commitment.”
The Duchenne Dash raises money for the Duchenne Children’s Trust, a charity which aims to fund treatment and find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most common fatal genetic disorder to affect children, and to do so within a decade, to End Duchenne in Ten. Approximately one in 3,500 boys are born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and there are around 300,000 sufferers worldwide. The Duchenne Children’s Trust has raised more than £1million since its launch in October 2012, and is helping to fund clincial trials and other research into treatments and a cure for this disease within a decade.
Article source: www.skoda.co.uk