Goal - Istanbul to Listowel

A group of cyclists will cycle 5,000 kilometers from Istanbul in Turkey to Listowel in County Kerry in May-June 2008 in aid of GOAL. Tour organiser Gearoid Pierse is currently looking for cyclists to join in along the route, which goes through 13 countries in total. With 47 days cycling and 7 rest days, the cyclists will cover on average 106 kilometers per day. They intend to travel light - one change of cycling gear and clothes - on racing bikes. They will stay in hostels and bed & breakfasts along the route, thereby avoiding having to bring camping gear.

The route itself goes from starts in Istanbul on the 2nd of May 2008 and goes through Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Venice, Lucerne, Basle, Paris, Bath, Holyhead and Dublin, Laragh, Bunclody, Carrick-on-Suir and Cork before ending in John B. Keane's pub in Listowel on the 24th of June. The route goes on quieter roads but never too far from major train and bus arteries to facilitate supporters and anyone who might need a rest day.

37-Year old Kerryman Gearoid who currently lives in Hong Kong has organised a number of long-distance charity cycles over the last few years, most recently a 5,000 kilometre trip in 2005 from Moscow to Ireland. However, unlike in the past where planning was kept to a minimum, this time he has come up with a military-style precision plan of where the cyclists will be each day. "I will be getting married in Bunclody four days after the end of the cycle, so I had to be a little bit better organised this time", Gearoid explained. It also means that people who are considering joining in can decide in advance when and where they can join in.

And it's all for a good cause - Gearoid's cousin Richard Pierse has been working for GOAL in Honduras for a number of years, where GOAL provides school scholarships and vocational training certification in carpentry, welding and mechanics. GOAL has already had significant success in diverting children away from a life of working in dumps and joining street gangs. The cyclists aim to raise € 10,000 for GOAL's work in Honduras. On that note, details on how to make a donation are on the www.pierse.org website, and Gearoid is still looking for a corporate sponsor for the venture. As the cyclists are covering all of their own costs, every cent raised will go to GOAL.

In terms of the cycling, it's a very mixed bag with some very easy stages in Bulgaria, Italy, France and England while those with a more adventurous spirit would relish the rugged hills of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia. Mountain experts might fancy a weekend in Switzerland, when they will cover 300 kilometers in two days including cycling over the legendary Gotthard Alpine pass. For social cyclists who prefer not to stray too far from home, there's always the option of doing the Dublin to Laragh (County Wicklow) stage - or at least as making it as far as Johnny Foxes pub in the Dublin mountains!

All the details about the cycle, including a route map, information on some of the cyclists participating and details of each day of the tour can be found under www.pierse.org/Cycle.html

For any cyclists considering joining in, Gearoid would be delighted to hear from them (email: pierse@ireland.com).