2010 Ride for the Cure / Roule pour la vie

Fifty-two Novartis Canada employees are cycling 600km from Toronto to Montreal Sept 25-28, 2010 to raise awareness & money for breast cancer research. This website shares the team’s preparation & stories from the road. Cette année, 52 employés de Novartis Canada parcourront à vélo les 600km qui séparent Toronto de Montréal, du 25 au 28 septembre, pour recueillir des fonds pour la recherche sur le cancer du sein. Ce site Web diffusera leur histoires du voyage.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Ron's adventure

Hello Friends and Family

Its now 2 days into the ride.  Although this is one of the most challenging thing I ever did,  it has so far been extremely rewarding.

People ask me what is my motivation.  Its quite simple , MY CHILDREN.  I ride for this cause so that they never have too, so they never learn what is breast cancer.

Tomorrow will be our longest ride.  Wish me luck!!

Day#2

What a day! We have done 165 KM and 100 KM before lunch. This part was a big challenge for me and the team because we were very hungry :)!
After a good lunch, chocolate chip cookies and a change of dry clothes we were ready for another 65 KM. The afternoon was easier, the group was quick and very efficient. We are now all getting ready mentally for our 200 KM kick-@ss day tomorrow (a quote from our Captain Jeff Martens).
This was another great challenge today and the team is getting closer and stronger together. Way to go NOVARTIS!
Isabelle Deslauriers

Day #2 - Cobourg - Kingston - Jour 2

Well day 2 is over and we all made it gracefully! AM was fine, weather wise but got a little rain after lunch. But we are happy and looking forward to day 3: 200KM Kingston-Cornwall.
C'est fait, jour 2 et tout le monde avait l'air de bien aller! AM était OK; pas beaucoup de soleil mais on était au sec. Après le lunch on s'est fait prendre par une pluie fine mais tout le monde a terminé avec le sourire. Ils sont tous excité par le défi de demain; 200KM de Kongston à Cornwall.
Go team Ride for the cure 2010. Sophia M.

Presque 300 km de fait

Nous sommes maintenant rendus à mi-chemin de notre défi. Les 2 journées se sont très bien déroulées et nous avons eu une belle température....un peu de pluie aujourd'hui, mais sans plus. Nos fesses vont bien...la "butt crème" est très utile. Merci à nos drivers et aux organisateurs !!!! Wow, quelle belle expérience à vivre.
 Marie-Claude xox

Wow... what a ride!

First off, I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to my family and friends for the huge support, donations and all the many good wishes. Its an incredible ride and you are all part of it! Day 1 of the ride was fast, there were many moments we were riding at speeds of 40+km - of course it helps when the wind is behind us (thank you Wind Gods!). Day 2 just wrapped up and 165km completed, still feeling great and everyone in the team is in awesome spirits. To stay amused while we ride, some of us try to sing together and I stress on the word TRY, it would be great if one of us knew the lyrics to at least one entire song - wait, we did know one song - Rudolf the red nose randier! The team is awesome and we are gelling so well together, we just need to practice on the singing! Off to supper and get prepared for the 200km day ride tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, forecast is showers - yikes!

Sergio Faraone

Ride 2010: Captains Post

Well it has been a fantastic start to another incredible ride.  This is the 6th year I have taken part in this incredible event and every year brings with it a new feel.  With nearly 50 cyclists- this is our biggest.  I have the privilege of leading this great group of people through the ride- and they are a great group.  It is incredible how everyone has stepped up to help out and developed a cohesive team.  I am also captaining Team 1- and they are number 1!  This team (Team 1) is always a group of new  cyclists-  nervous and excited about the 600km trek.  This group is on fire!  All members have found there place in the team and are contributing in there one special way.  We did have one cyclist that had to stop today- sick and bad knee-  which is always tough.  It was a bit emotional but we hope to have her back at it tomorrow.  Team1-  you are incredible people and I can't wait for tomorrow....200km of fun (and a bit of pain). 

Captain Jeff Martens

Happy faces at the finish line at Kingston






Team #1 celebrating


Congratulations are in order!!!

Kingston here we are!!

Well, Day 2 is history. 160k is behind us. The weather cooperated in the morning, but decided to shower a bit in the afternoon. All the teams did an excellent job and are pumped with two more days to go.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

First Day Ride For the Cure

Amazing first day of the ride!  135kms as great of an experience as 2009 but quicker.  Riding with the fastest group in the ride is challenging but has been really fun.  Top speed today reached 67 kms per hr.  Riding to help raise money to find a cure for breast cancer is very rewarding.  Hello Will and Marvis!
JBrown

Teamwork

Today was a short day.  Only 125km.  But with a new group everyone needs to find their comfort speed and ours is apparently much faster than what I signed up for.  Over 50 km an hour downhill is easy, but 35 UP hill is nuts.  After a few hours I simply could not keep up any longer.  We had passed another group and I decided I was going to drop back and ride with them instead as they were slightly slower.  I told our chase vehicle to pass me and go on ahead and told our team captain the same. But it was not meant to be.  My teammate Sergio would not let it happen and slowed down to wait for me.  He then allowed me to ride right on his wheel, allowing me to draft behind him and give me a second life.  That, mixed with the reassuring words of our captain when battling the hills, got me through the day. Wow, just when you think you have to give up.  I ride with some amazing people, I hope they know it.

Kevin Knysh

Bonjour Émilie

Salut ma Belle Émilie,
Maman va  tres bien.  Merci beaucoup pour les belles rides en tandem dans les côtes de Ste-Catherine avant ce défi.  La premiere journée est maintenant terminée et je suis en feu.!!!  J'espere que tu va bien et j'ai hâte de te prendre dans  mes bras.  Tu sais, je fais ce défi  pour tous les femmes, filles, maman, grand maman de ce monde.  Love you   momy xx

Premiere journee...125 km le vent dans le dos !

Superbe premiere journee de Toronto a Colburg. Le vent dans le dos a contribue a rendre cette journee plus qu'agreable. J'ai deja hate a demain  !

MJ

Day #1 from Toronto to Cobourg (125 KM)

Youpi! Most of us (group #2) in our group today have achieve their first 125 KM ever in their life.
The first 80 Km were most difficult because we were in the city of Toronto and there was many hills with a lot of traffic. Our drivers have done an amazing job at making sure that the riders were safe.
Believe it or not, Jeff Martens (Captain of team #1) lost a key component of its pedal. He had to search for it on the street in the middle of Toronto. MJ De Gagne quickly went to take his place in group #1 the save the day.
We stop to eat at a very  nice farm where we could eat fresh apples and do a pick-nick. The second half of the day, went very quickly, we had many hills to climb but everyone was very supportive and efficient.
 We look forward to a very exciting Day #2.

Isabelle D.

Bonjour de Cobourg - Sophia

Hi,
First done; checked! What an awesome day, group, ride! 11 of us in team #3 - averaging 29KM with peak at 54; tail wind, thank God. Tomorrow, 165KM, a century... Hoping for good weather La premiere journee est faite et tout le groupe a eu un beau premier 125KM. En esperant que madame meteo contine de cooperer. Demain 100 mile, un "century" dans le langage velo... On se reparle a Kinston. Sophia

In Memory of Chrystal H.

"Today I'm riding in memory of Chrystal H." who lost her battle to cancer too early in life.  She was the best friend of one of my sponsor's, Keri Damen, and is survived by her young daughter.  Having sold wristbands as my fundraiser, the quote you read is what was handwritten on one side and gave me the strength & motivation to complete a successful 1st day.  To me, this is one aspect of what the 'Ride for the Cure' represents!
- Douglas Wong, Rider Extraordinaire! (Team 3)

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CIBA Aliens

  Everyone on the ride has been great to us CIBA aliens even though we speak a different language and we have no idea what the complex chemical formula type words mean written on the jerseys.   Group 3 was awesome finishing the 118 kms in 4 hours and 10 minutes.   This is my second ride, having skipped out last year to drink more beer and spend time in France.    It's great to be back.  And it's a warm feeling inside knowing we are helping so many people.

The wind was our friend!!!

The first day of the RIDE is in the history books. WOW, what a difference a tail wind makes. Record breaking speeds for each of the five teams!!!
Overall, a spectacular day for each of the riders. More to come!!.
I humbly accept the challenge and responsibility that lies ahead with my focus on riding for the following great women: Eva, Clotilde, Franca, and Beatrice.

The Evening Recap

Well, the gang's all here. The U-Haul carrying the over 50 bikes arrived in Toronto without any problems. Hats off to Scott and Joe who successfully navigated the traffic and delivered the cargo safely for the second year. It was fully loaded.



The kick-off dinner was a great success. After a dinner to help fuel our body for the next four days, Jeff kicked off the evening program. He spoke to the largest group of riders which have participated in the event. Jeff reminded all of us why we are here - to help eradicate breast cancer from the face of the earth.

Finally, after much anticipation the uniforms were unveiled and the teams were named. The uniforms look great (pictures will be posted later). The team was pumped. The vans were prepared. Awesome time!!!.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Final Countdown 2010

This is it!!!  All those weeks of training and fundraising are behind us. Now comes the easy part, riding from Toronto to Montreal. Some questions to ponder for the ride ahead.
  1. Will the weather cooperate? I don't see snow in the forecast so far so good.
  2. How many different types of Subway subs can we try?
  3. What will be the color scheme for the new uniforms be and who will model them this year?
  4. What will the team raise to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation in 2010?
Tune in on September 28th to find out the answers to all the burning questions.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Getting ready for the 2010 Ride - Recruitment is strong

Strong recruitment for 2010 Ride for the Cure Monday, August 16, 2010-->

“You don’t need strong legs to join the Ride for the Cure team, you just need to have the heart!” That’s the message from a seasoned rider, Jeff Martens , Brand Director, Lucentis & Visudyne, who has participated as an organizer and cyclist in the event since it began six years ago. Recruitment for the annual event has been strong to date. “Our goal was to get more than 50 participants in the Toronto to Montreal trip this year, and I am happy to report that we have surpassed that goal,” he says.
Jeff also wants to discredit the myth that you have to be an ultra athlete to take part in the last day ride event. The 70 km part of the ride goes from the Ontario-Quebec border to head office. “If you’re not an experienced cyclist, but you want to participate, the last day ride is perfect for you,” Jeff adds. “All you need is to know how to ride a bike and raise $250 for breast cancer. Cyclists of all levels are welcome.”


Words of encouragement


“Most important... believe that you can do the ride. It’s like climbing a big hill. If you see yourself at the top, you’ll get there!” Jean-Charles Hébert , National Sales Director, Oncology, and a rider since the event started


“The ride is an amazing experience all done for a great cause. Don’t be afraid to get on the bike (you will fall – I did three times last year!) It’s great exercise and you get to see the country and enjoy the scenery.” Joe Guido , Director of IT, CIO and a rider for the second year


“This is my first year cycling the 600 kilometres! Getting moral support from my family, friends and colleagues feels amazing. Even better is giving support to people who really need it, all the while getting fit!” Carmen Ruiz , Artwork Packaging Coordinator, Supply Chain

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Last morning....

We were supposed to be almost ready to go by 6:00... but at 6:00 no one was awake... did I misunderstand or does last night's wine have anything to do with it??
Rainy morning not too cold.... hopefully the rain will stop to help us along the road....
see you all at the office later!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Day 3: Kingston to Cornwall - Sophia

Well we have done it again. .. 200KM day between Kingston and Cornwall; the hardest day of the ride for all... it is very long. But I had the previledge to ride the 2009 with exceptional individuals. Great job all on one of the greatest day of our life. Sophia

185km is Not Enough for These Crazy People

I planned to blog after day 1, and 2 but both nights when everyone else was enjoying a beer I was passed out in my room. Today was the long day. 185 km from the Best Western in Kingston to the Best Western in Cornwall, with many emotions and pain between the two. At about 80 km today I took a fall on the hwy, at the moment the pain was hidden by the fear of getting run over by a car but at this point I am feeling it. When we got to the Best Western in Cornwall it was only 185 km - the normal person would think that this was enough, however in order to call it 200km we had to loop back and get another 15km in. Despite the pain, and the tears it was the only think I could think of to take the time to get to 200km. At this point some "fast" riders took it upon themselves to come with us to make sure that we could make it. This is exactly how this ride has gone - support from strangers and encouragement from everyone. I am truly blessed to be able to be part of this ride. Thank you for the support from my parents and sister and brother in law. And my brother (if he had a cell phone). And my trainer Lance...!
Jennifer Hansford

butt paste and power gels

WOW - two life saving strategies for me on the ride that I had no experience with given my biking to date. 150km and what's a gal to do - complain with exhaustion, pee in a bush making sure your team can't see but most likely all traffic can - apply your child's diaper rash cream....and take a power gel...now that juice can change your life. tricks of the trade! LOVE TO MY FAMILY AND ALL THEIR SUPPORT!

oui, tout est possible !

2e fois pour moi. Ce feeling intense d'accomplissement d'un 200km... Incroyable mais vrai. Vrai parce que le Ride for the cure permet de regrouper des gens intenses, des gens qui croient que tout est possible... qui savent transmettre cette vision d'espoir.

Merci papa (et maman) de m'avoir transmis cette valeur si essentielle.
Merci a mon chum et mes enfants qui croient en moi et m'ont permis ces longues heures d'entraiment.
Merci a tous ceux qui croient en cette cause et qui m'ont encourage. Votre grand coeur fait toute la difference pour ces gens touches par le cancer.

Je vous aime
Isabelle xox

wow, wow....WOW!

Feeling very humble today. Since we started riding on Sataurdy, we have had ton of support by way of people honking horns, waving or flashing of thumbs up. On day 3 of the Ride for the Cure we have just finished 200kms in one day. Other than very tired legs, I actually feel good! If riding 200kms wasn't eventful enough my riding partner Mike 'crash' Siauw landed on his head and had to be rushed to the hosptial to have stiches in his knee and have his broken arm mended. We are very lucky Mike was not hurt more. In typical Mike fashion, he said, "oh well!...now I can get my stiches out with my son Ethan, who also needed stiches this past weekend.
Last evenful item of the day was our team(team AZURE) was pulled over by the police! I originally though that we were pulled over for speeding:)... nope we got pulled over for blocking an entire lane! I hope our small effort will help put an end to breast cancer.

Bitter Sweet




This is not the way I intended to finish the Ride! Bitter in the sense that we only had 1 day to go but sweet in the fact that I had the privilegde to ride with such an amazing group of indivduals. Special thanks to Josee who was amazing!!


Our 2025 Riders


The big day... 185kms from Kingston to Cornwall







Chilling in Kingston
















Sunday, September 20, 2009

Chilling in Coburg
















In Kingston!!!!




We are all in Kingston, after 160 Kms.. started the morning at a chilling 7 degrees with breakfast at Oasis.. arrived after a sunny ride, perfect conditions.. all made it




Team spirit somewhere between Coburg and Kingston


Happy b'day Joe!!!


Some people travel with Tiger Woods...


....we travel with Tiger Balm....

Hello from Kingston

Hi Gigi, Ali, Andy
I am having a great time on the ride. We are almost half way there. I have meet many great people and seen some cool sights. We will be in Montreal on Tuesday.
See you soon,
Love Dad
 
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