Clips from 2007 media coverage

Dear Readers,

Please find attached two media clips from this year's ride. CTV news filmed our arrival and aired this clip on the evening news the day of our arrival.

This second clip was cleverly captured as one of our teams was riding out of Cobourg--thanks to the quick thinking of Sabrina who was listening to a local radio station while driving the team support vehicle.

2007 Ride for the Cure – Last posting from 2007 Team Captain

It’s now five days after the end of the 2007 Ride for the Cure event and it’s a good time for me to close this year’s adventure.

To the Riders:
Commitment and passion were your “motto” to participate, the leadership is what I enjoyed the most. You are all genuine winners in life. I hope the Ride touched each of you as much as it did me. Life is so good for us, we need to be generous to others. Thanks!

To the Core Team:
All the meetings (scheduled perhaps a little too early in the year!) or the several reminder e-mails hopefully did not change how you experienced the Ride this year. You made this year’s event a success by delivering every time. It was a pleasure to work with excellence. Thanks!

To Claudine, Marie-Josée and Sabrina:
Without you the Ride would not have been a success. My comments go way beyond the laundry! Your role was much greater than that. During the Ride, the riders often shared their pain, their anxiety, their Team and much more with each of you. You were key counselors and always had an open ear for us. Thanks!

To Head Office Oncology Team (Marie-Anne, Nicole, Nathalie and Chantal):
As Riders, to be the heroes is always fun but we have to remember that behind the scenes there are people as committed as we are. They do it because they care and not for the prestige or the exposure. From the BBQ when we arrived to the great hotels we stayed in, from the towels and soap to the welcome reception, you were perfect. Thanks!

To Novartis:
For supporting and believing in the event… to David and Francis for your presence when we arrived. You have a group of Riders who are definitely content to be at Novartis and are all great Novartians. Thanks!

To the heart of the Ride for the Cure: Alain Dostie, Jeff Marten and Henry Anderson
Team Captains come and go but the heart of the Ride will always stay! Without you, the Ride would not be the same. Thanks for your leadership, commitment and passion. You are the best!

I really enjoyed the experience. Thanks to each and every one of you and see you all next year!

Jean-Charles Hebert
2007 Ride for the Curre Team Captain

Jeff Martens: Third times a Charm

What a great ride! All 600 km. It is truly remarkable that a team of 23 riders all managed the long, painful, yet rewarding tour. As the team rolled along highway #2 there was singing, argueing, laughing, and everything all over again. You really develop a special relationship with fellow riders as you grind your teeth through 125 kms, pump your legs over 165kms, torture your muscles and mind for 200kms, and punish your behind on Quebec roads for the final 130kms. Team 2 road like champs, at average speeds in the low 30s, and drafted like a peleton of racers! It was a tremendous pleasure riding with all of you and getting to know you better. I look forward to my fourth tour. Cheers Team!

Team 2:
Schwanzie- Don
Colonel- Gary
Capitano- Les
Asbestos Bullet- Annie
La Pump- Myriam
Flame- Serge
Piston- Dom
Yours Truly, Jeff

Don's Final Blog - We Demolished 325 km in 2 days

What can I say, other than that this was a great experience. A great group of riders, now friends, raising money for a good cause! The riding amazing - the weather beautiful. Clearly the most challenging day for me was on day 3 (Kingston to Cornwall) where we each completed 200km or even a few more. The weather and great logistical support (vans with food!) made it possible, but no matter how you slice it....this is a major ride. Close to the end I was 'hitting the wall' or 'bonking' as the veteran riders call it and was digging lint-covered almonds out of my pockets and even stealing George's last banana to keep my fuel reserves going!

To each and every sponsor-thank you! Collectively as a team we raised over 90k for breast cancer research.

To my family and friends who supported me as I prepared for this ride (disappearing for hours at a time on my precious weekends with you).... thank you!

Thanks to Novartis for supporting this ride. Without the logistic (i.e. financial) support we could not have put 100% of the $90,000 into the CIBC run for the cure / breast cancer society coffers. I hope our efforts will inspire others to do even more next year!

To my wife, Tracy, my love - I dedicate this ride to you. Thanks for your love, your smile, your friendship and your fantastic attitude as we continue our great journey and battle together.

Thank you Dodge Chrysler Jeep des Sources!

Dear Dodge Chrysler Jeep des Sources,

Thank you so much for your support for our ride this year. We are eternally grateful for the use of your Town & Country van and the 10 passenger "Sprinter" (affectionately nicknamed the Scooby-doo mobile). They were used to help transport our riders to Toronto for the start of the journey, and followed each team during the ride to provide support and protection from traffic on the road.

Our entire team extends it's deepest thanks for your support of this cause and helping the Novartis team ensure we could travel safely and efficiently.

For more information about this dealership, here is the link to their website: http://www.dessources.com

Best regards,
The Novartis Ride for the Cure team

Henry Anderson: Day 2 & 3 Summary

Dear Zach,

Son, I hope some day that you too will have the opportunity to be part of something that tests your limits, forges new friendships, and provides you with goals that are worth striving for--each year this event offers that special mix of elements that make it all worthwhile.

The list of memories from this year is a long one, and thoughts drift to 2008 and how we can possibly replicate the dynamic...yet somehow, I know we will...

Dear Dodo,

Hun, thanks for letting me out of the house each year for these precious few days of comraderie and teamwork--as much fun as they are, I am looking forward to being back home even more.

Dear Sponsors,

Sorry for the mushy stuff above, but I need to thank over 50 of you this year--without which, I would simply be unable to attend. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation extends its deepest gratitude and so do I.

Dear Ride for the Cure teammates,

Where do you begin? You are the life of the event--without your dedication, determination, humour and passion--it would not survive. Thanks for your commitment and be proud of what you have achieved.

Ride stats: Sunday (Cobourg to Kingston: 165km)

Ride time: 6 hr 00min

Distance: 185km (we took a wrong turn that cost us 20km!)

Avg. speed: 31.5 km/hr

Avg candence: 83 rpm

Total revolutions: 29,880

Avg. HR: 147 bpm

Calories burned: 4285 kcal

Weather: Sunny, cool, partial tailwind

Ride stats: Monday (Kingston to Cornwall: 185km)

Ride time: 6 hr 21min
Distance: 200km
Avg. speed: 33 km/hr
Avg candence: 85 rpm
Total revolutions: 32,385
Avg. HR: 146 bpm
Calories burned: 4521 kcal
Weather: Sunny, calm, warm

Yours truly,

Henry

Myriam - Un moment de vie..

Le tout a commencé il y a exactement un an... Mon amie et collègue de travail Marie-Josée venait de compléter son défi 'Ride for the Cure'. J'étais fière d'elle et jalouse, je l'avoue! Les gens qui me connaissent bien savent que j'ai continuellement besoin de défis dans ma vie (Hein Stéphane?!) et ma devise est si quelqu'un d'autre est capable, je suis capable!

Au même moment, les nouvelles étaient plutôt inquiétantes concernant la santé de Sandra ma cousine, qui combat cette terrible maladie depuis quelques années déja. Il n'en fallait pas plus pour que tous ces éléments s'unissent et que je m'engage à relever ce beau défi. Je ne peux vous dire à quel point je suis fière et heureuse d'avoir pris cette décision. 'Rouler pour la vie' m'aura permis de rencontrer des gens adorables avec un coeur gros comme la terre, ma chère Annie et tous les membres des équipes #1 et #2. J'ai tellement eu de plaisir avec vous! Merci pour votre accueil, merci pour votre sourire, C'est un moment de vie que je porterai dans mon coeur pour toujours..

Encore merci!!

Myriam

200 km aujourd'hui!

Et oui... nous y sommes presque... demain c'est déjà la dernière journée. J'ai hâte de retrouver les miens et surprise en même temps de voir que tout passe si vite. Mes collègues m'ont impressionée... tout le monde est arrivé à bon port le sourire aux lèvres, 200 km plus tard.

I would like to thank Jeff Martens, our chief for the team #2... he is a great leader, knows what you need without need to talk! Thank you for all Jeff, you made this trip a real journey! Thank you to Les... for your wheel and your humour. Sergio for the bravo bella and Myrian for the super mom! I really had a great trip with you... thank you for every second!

Cette année je me suis demandée vraiment si j'allais encore participer à cause des sacrifices... l'entraînement, $2000 et le voyage... 4 jours loin des siens! Ce soir, je peux dire que je suis fière et si heureuse d'avoir fait partie de l'équipe Ride for the Cure 2007... Merci à Novartis de nous permettre de vivre cette expérience et d'aider ainsi la recherche pour le cancer du sein.

Hi Friends and Family, Today was a big day for a ride. We rode from Kingston to Cornwall for a total of 200KM. Amazingly, we still held an average speed well over 30KM an hour. Tomorrow is the last day, and am excited to have another day of riding, but more excited that I will be on a flight and will see my family tomorrow night. It has been an excellent experience for me. It's the second year, and just as rewarding. Also, I have also made excellent friends on the ride. Thanks again for all of your support. I hope you have enjoyed reading the blog. Hope to see everyone soon!

Allez... bonne nuit!
A+
Annie xxx

Les Brown: Hello to Beautiful BC

Hi Friends and Family, Today was a big day for a ride. We rode from Kingston to Cornwall for a total of 200KM. Amazingly, we still held an average speed well over 30KM an hour. Tomorrow is the last day, and am excited to have another day of riding, but more excited that I will be on a flight and will see my family tomorrow night. It has been an excellent experience for me. It's the second year, and just as rewarding. Also, I have also made excellent friends on the ride. Thanks again for all of your support. I hope you have enjoyed reading the blog. Hope to see everyone soon!

Jean-Charles Hebert: Toute une journée pour le jour 3

Jour 3: Malheureusement je n'ai pas pu blogger hier, il y avait trop de cyclistes qui voulaient envoyer des nouvelles. Aujourd'hui nous avions notre journee 200 kms. De voir mon equipe atteindre leurs objectifs etait tres valorisant. Ils ont souffert mais ils ont reussi. Tout les courreurs ont reussi le 200 kms. Ce soir ont celebre le dernier soir pour l'edition 2007. Chaque annee on se demande comment on fera pour ausis bien que l'annee precedente en gardant l'esprit du debut. Pour l'annee 2007 nous avons reussi!
Merci a toute l'equipe. Vous etes les meilleurs.

Michael McLean; 1st post

Hard to beleive that 2 days of riding have passed already. Only 350km to go! I am pleased to say that my donations have almost topped $2,800. Thanks to all of you for your support for the cause of beating breast cancer someday. The cure will come soon if support like we have received continues.
Our group consists of 26 dedicated people that have come together for a great cause. Every where we go people ask what we are doing?....Then the donations come. It is great to see. The restaurant that we went to last night actually donated over $2,100 to the cause. Lets hope this will continue!

Kindest Regards,

Michael

What's a Century?

Good morning everyone!
Yesterday, I learned many things...I learned that team work while you ride for a full day gives you fun ~ pace ~ rhythm ~ and at the end, you realize that after a century, you can still walk!
WOW... I heard ... Congrats " PISTON" you completed your first CENTURY... <>
I'm telling you all day...Century ~Century~century.... But I didn't realize what they were talking about? To be honest, I didn't want to look too green...Everybody seemed to know what Jeff was talking about?

Well--now I know! A century = 100 miles, 160Km and the expert says... It's the equivalent in energy spent to running a marathon. WOW, to me, a marathon seems so out of reach. I suddenly realize that my conditioning is still pretty good... Second thought, what a great way to beat your limits for every one you love...waiting for you...not to far away now...Home. What a great way to raise money for people who have to run a marathon every day to survive. Just hope that they have my team on their own with them to spend the day easily to keep the pace and the rhythm.

Se ya soon

Dominic " PISTON" Lacasse

Chez Piggy,

Next time you are driving by Kingston, you must stop at Chez Piggy (68R Princess Street, (613) 549-7673). The food is succulent; the décor enchanting, the staff is world class and Zoe the owner a truly wonderful human being. The first year we stopped at Chez Piggy I felt I had gone a bit too far in asking them to make a significant contribution to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation ( I asked that they match the value of the meal for the original 7 riders which I estimated then at around $500 or so). This year when I called to make a reservation, I carefully broach the conversation about a donation mentioning that I would understand that if they did not match the entire value of our meal given the significantly bigger size of it. After all a giving 50% of the value of the meal would represent twice as much. I obviously did not appreciate the generosity of Zoe, Chez Piggy will donate in 2007 directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation the full value of our meal $2,186.

Thank you Zoe for joining us in our fight to end Breast Cancer,

Alain

Thank You for inspiring me,

Some people ask if it is hard to do the Ride for the Cure, in many ways it is: imagine sitting on a small bike seat for four days and asking all your friends, colleagues and family member for money again and again, year after year. However, you cannot imagine how inspiring it is: the energy you feel from your teammates cheering you on to continue, the constant commitment from everybody to ensure we start as a group and we finish as a group, the restaurant owners and staff that go the extra mile to make our dinner memorable, breast cancer survivor hugs full of appreciation and or family, I have been blessed with the most wonderful kids in the world. Andrew and Karine you brighten my life every morning with your smiles, you inspire me to be a better person with your determination in school and caring for others, I am so proud and privilege to be your dad, the Ride for the Cure is for you, so you never have to face the devastating effect of breast cancer.

Is it hard to do the Ride for the Cure, absolutely not, it is one of the most rewarding experience in the world, next year you should join us !!!

Alain

Bonjour a tous, supporteurs et participants

Je m’appelle Karine, je suis tres fierement la fille de Alain Dostie (participant pendant deja trois ans). Je tiens a remercier tout ceux qui supportent cet evenement de proche ou de loin pour leurs efforts pour aider ceux atteint du cancer du sein. C’est des gens comme vous qui me remplissent espoir pour un avenir meilleur. J’espere que tu sais Papa que tu es mon inspiration et j’espere un jour pourvoir faire une difference dans ce monde comme tu l’as fait dans le mien et dans la vie de tant d’autres.

Je pense a vous, cyclistes! Lachez pas!

XXX

Ian Henderson: Having a blast at the Ride for the Cure

Hello to all my donours on the Novartis Pharma Ride for the Cure,

First let me say thank you for your generous contributions to our fundraising: we are at $85,000 after Chez Piggy restaurant in Kingston contributed the equivalent of our dinner bill last night (Saturday).

I've met at least twenty new friends at Novartis on this trip and the potential for new friendships is fantastic.

It's been said that tour cycling is mostly Zen and a little bit anorexic. We ride hard and think happy thoughts, keeping each other's spirits high with compliments on our pulls while in front. A six hour day gives us lots of time to contemplate why we are riding so far. It's a little bit anorexic because we have to eat and drink regularly or we will bonk (run out of energy). We still all have good appetites at breakfast, lunch and dinner and no one is gaining weight.

Thanks again for helping me qualify to participate in this most rewarding endeavour.

Ian

Myriam - Dimanche 'I had a Blast!!!!'

Toute la journée c'est la phrase que j'ai eu en tête, désolée pour l'anglicisme mais j'imagine que c'est ce que mon cerveau a trouvé de plus punché pour traduire toutes mes émotions. La température, une synergie d'équipe incroyable, un beau 150 kms à 30kms/hre... C'était fantastique!!! Notre levée de fonds continue et ça va vraiment bien. Les gens que nous rencontrons sont généreux, les restaurants ou nous mangeons contribuent des montants importants.. Merci! Merci! Merci!! Je suis en feu pour amorcer mon 200 kms aujourd'hui. Tellement heureuse de faire mon p'tit bout de chemin pour contribuer à cette grande cause.
Charles-O. et Thomas je vous aime mes p'tits loupsXXX

François Lebeau

To my supporters: We are about to enter into our longest ride, 200km. So fare the ride is just fantastic, the spirit of the team is fabulous. The team work makes the ride surprisingly easy. I just want to let all of you know that I proudly go through each kilometers thinking about all of you and the gesture you've made by donating to breast cancer research. Plus you allowed me to live unique experience.

PS my ankle is just fine

Thanks

Bonjour à tous. Nous entreprenons notre plus longue distance, 200km. Jusqu'à maintenant, le parcour se fait assez facilement et sans difficultés. Le travaille d'équipe fait toute la différence. Je penses à vous tous et vous remercie pour avoir fait vos dons et me permettre de vivre cette expérience unique.

Un gros merci

Jour 2...

Quelle belle journée ! Un peu fraiche mais somme toute très agréable ! Hier fut la journeé de quelques premières dans mon groupe... Première crevaison, première journée à plus de 100km pour certains, première chute à cause de pédales qui ne se détachent pas, première fois que le groupe se perd... aujourd'hui était pour plusieurs une autre journée de première... Première journée de plus de 150 km BRAVO à tous !!!

J'ai mentionné à tous mes supporteurs que je ferais quelques km en leurs noms... Alors au moment ou vous lisez ces lignes... Vous devriez commencer à ressentir une légère douleure au niveau du genou droit...

Chacun d'entre nous roule pour une raison... et chancun d'entre vous donne pour une raison... Cette année "Roule pour la vie" a pris une signification différente pour moi puisque j'ai eu à passer ma première mamograghie... Rien d'inquiétant selon mon médecin mais juste au cas... Pourquoi prendre une chance? Je me suis dis si c'était rien d'inquitant... Il ne m'enverrait pas !J'ai donc réalisé à quel point nos efforts et vos dons sont importants... Après avoir stressé une nuit avant d'appeler pour avoir mon rendez-vous... J'ai obtenue un rendez-vous dès la semaine suivante et je peux vous dire que dans ces circonstances, une semaine d'attente parait interminable! Rassurez-vous! Ce n'était vraiment rien d'inquiétant. Mais surtout, sachez que vos dons sont utiles.

Merci 1000 fois pour votre support et encore une fois, je pédalerai les 200km de demain pour vous... préparez-vous à partager les courbatures !!! ;-)

Marie-Josée

Bonsoir Kingston!

Nous sommes à mi-chemin entre Montréal et Toronto... 165 km aujourd'hui... je suis fatiguée et sur-excitée en même temps. J'ai eu une journée magnifique. Nous l'avons fait fait en équipe et c'était magique! Je ne pense pas encore à demain... un moment à la fois!

En grand salut à mon père ce soir... je pense à toi et je suis si fière de toi pour ta nouvelle cette semaine! Salut à Sam, Emma, Gaby, Marie-Christine, Étienne, Line, Chouine,
Anne, Line, Jean-Sébastien et ma famille... surtout à mes tantes Hélène et Monique!
Nous avons plus de $65,000 déjà amassés... le cancer du sein un jour fera partie de l'histoire...

Je vous embrasses tous,
Annie

Sergio Faraone: The experience ...

Friday night we arrived in Toronto by car and everyone was excited to start our first day of the ride - so excited several wanted to just jump on their bikes Friday night. After a good nights rest we left early Saturday morning to take photos with the CN Tower in the background. So the ride began and with the window blowing in our faces and it was brutal for me, my team really encouraged my to get over the hills and I did it - with a smile! Sunday was a great day, beautiful weather and the speed we were riding at was amazing, and the team was outstanding. Stay tuned for Monday, its going to be a big day 200km!

Don Swainson : Day Two Done!

Another 165k today! We arrived in Kingston at 4pm and everyone is feeling great about being halfway there! The team spirit is great and everyone's legs seem to be holding out. Drivers today were a mix of some very supportive and friendly folks who seem to get a sense of what we are doing and a few others that just don't understand the two-wheel thing.

Team fund-raising is over 80K!!! Some really impressive athletes on the ride but the most impressive thing is the sense of comradery and team spirit with stronger members helping those with less experience. Tomorrow we do 185k, we'll need every bit of teamwork!

To Tracy, Katherine and Alexander - love you guys, see you soon!

Les Brown Hi to BC

A great day again today, reaching Kingston Ontario! We averaged speeds in the mid 30's. We are half way to Montreal. My bum is still pretty good, thanks to the wonders of Butt Butter!Tomorrow is a 200KM day ending at Cornwall Ontario, close to the Quebec. I want to thank all the sponsors, friends and my family. You give me the motivation to keep going. Also, your support that will benefit breast cancer research (Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation). BTW, I far exceeded my goal of raising $2,000. Thanks! I look forward to updating you again tomorrow. Hope you had a great weekend.

Pics from Saturday, TO --> Cobourg

Pics from Friday, the arrival

Unpacking the UHaul van in Toronto.


Some people take a lot of pride in packing their bikes...



Gary and Marie-Josee in the hotel elevator.


Martine, Myriam, and Marie-Josee in the lobby awaiting instructions for dinner.


Les with a full stomach after dinner.

Henry Anderson: Day 1 Summary

I write this from under the warmth of my bed covers, after a cold and windy ride. The bright and sunny morning and tailwind we so happily set out into this morning turned into quite a steady battle to stay warm and straight. Sidewind gusts of over 40km/hr and a daytime high of 11oC (lower if factoring in windchill) made it a challenge to reach expected speeds. Thankfully, we had no flat tires, and only lost direction once—we arrived at Gayle’s farm and quickly grabbed sweaters and blankets while wolfing down lunch.
After lunch, our team stepped up the pace. The terrain whizzed by, often at speeds in excess of 40km/hr and we were quickly nearing our destination, dreaming of a warm shower. Unfortunately, the cool-down at lunch got the better of my legs and the right hamstring sorely needed a rest at the end of the trip.

Here are a few stats for those interested:

Ride time: 4 hr 27min
Distance: 125km
Avg. speed: 28 km/hr
Avg candence: 83 rpm
Total revolutions: 22,161
Avg. HR: 155 bpm
Calories burned: 3491 kcal

Post-ride comments:
It was special to witness the enjoyment of our new riders sharing stories from their day and also to see one or two returning riders finish in stronger form. As you can read, the team quickly got into the habit of writing their thoughts down on the blog and we then headed to dinner at our favourite Cobourgh stop…The Oasis.

What an evening, in addition to the great food, drink, toasts, and service, we were fortunate to sit beside 4 charming ladies to began to sing towards the end of our meal. After approaching them for a picture, they promptly rose and serenaded our tables singing “Diamonds are a girls best friend”---then demanded that we returned the favour!! Without missing a beat, a few of us rose, got down on one knee and sang “You’ve lost that loving feeling!”—the whole restaurant clapped and hummed along. A VERY memorable evening was finished with a birthday tribute to one of our riders (Happy Birthday Don) and the final surprise was the Oasis’s owners promising to donate $1000 to our cause.

A few pictures from the day are attached in the next entry and we hope you read more about the journey tomorrow.

Cheers,
Henry

Alain Dostie: Day 1 reflections

One day,

Every year the Ride for the Cure brings something special, you never know what it will be, tonight dinner as the Oasis Restaurant in Colburg was a night to remember, the hospitality of the owners, the staff and the other guests was the by far the best one I ever felt in all of the restaurants I have been in my life.

Being part of the Ride of the Cure it truly an inspiring event, the other riders commitment is truly impressive and amazing, the average fundraising from the riders is over 45% above the targets, their relentless efforts to raise money to find a cure to breast cancer is only match by their personal commitment to finish the ride, believe me riding 600 km in four days is no easy feast, for many riders it is an accomplishment that would be unthinkable if not for the encouragement of their teammates.

Thank you follow riders, thank you for relentless engagement to make find a cure for breast cancer so our mother, sister, daughter and friends do not have to face this disease.

I am proud to be riding with you,

Alain

Jeff Martens: 3rd Year and Still Rolling

Well the first day is behind us. Despite that this is my 3rd year participating in the Ride, the first day doesn't get any easier. It is tough- your legs adjusting to the shock, teams start to find a system, and traffic of Toronto takes its toll on your nerves. Each year offers something distinct and exciting. This year was a cross wind and cold. Regardless the riders all stuck it out, pushed through an great day. All arrived safe in the Cobourg.



Look forward to tomorrow!

Jean-Charles Hebert: Toute une journée pour le jour 1

Comme première journée ce fût un bonne journée. Notre équipe est extra, elle roule bien et maximise le travail de groupe. Le vent et le froid ont été le défi les plus importants. Il a fait froid et il ventait à "ecorner les boeufs!!!". Ce midi nous sommes arrêté au même endroit que l'année dernière, une survivante de cancer du sein, elle était absente mais son conjoint nous a recu si bien. On lui a donné un chandail, il était tellement heureux. Comme l'année dernière je pense beaucoup durant le ride, je pense à ma famille et à ceux que j'aime. Je pense aussi aux femmes qui souffrent du cancer et qui comptent sur la recherche pour trouver une solution. On y arrivera pas seulement avec nos efforts, qui sont bien humbles, mais tous ensembles.
As first day, it was a great day. Our Team is great, most of them are new this year and to help them making the 600 kms is very rewarding. Wind and temperature was hard today but we worked as a Team and made it. Today, we stopped for lunch at the same place than last year. This patient is a survivor of breast cancer and even if she was there, her husband was very nice to us. We gave him a jersey and was so happy. Like last year, I'm using the ride to reflex and think a lot. I think about my family and the loved ones. I'm also thinking about all the women suffering from Breast Cancer. They hope that research will provide a solution is high and even if our contribution is humble, all together we will find a solution, I'm sure.

Ma 1ere journée à rouler pour la vie...

Ouf! Quelle journée!

Incroyable mais vrai, j'ai eu la première crevaison du voyage, avant même de partir de point de départ à Toronto. Mais bon, vaut mieux commencer avec les choses sérieuses pour garder le plaisir pour la suite... Malgré les côtes, le froid et le vent, ce fût vraiment une belle journée. L'enthousiasme du groupe est fantastique, on pourrait déplacer des montagnes! Je suis maintenant prête à affronter la suite...
à plus
Martine

Don Swainson : Day One Done!

Hi there. We left the CN tower around 9 this morning with sunny skies and a cold wind (but blowing the right direction!). We road as three groups and made our way along Kingston Road and highway 2 through Pickering, Oshawa, Bowmanville. Great team spirit and no injuries - so a good day! Tonight we are staying in Cobourgs famed Best Western Inn, a real highlight for you out-of-towners looking for a special getaway! Personally I am really looking forward to DINNER. Hi to everyone, especially Tracy, Katherine and Alexander if you read this....stop playing World of Warcraft!

La première journée déjà derrière nous...

Nous y voilà... à Corbourg... 125km plus tard, il y avait aujourd'hui beaucoup d'énergie, des sourires, des champs jaunes incroyables, des petites-grandes collines et beaucoup de vent!
Je veux rassurer ma gang... mes petites blessures vont bien, la journée a été superbe.

Un grand salut à Emma et Samuel, je pense à vous beaucoup!...

Je voulais vous parler de Antoine... l'ami de Sam (un garçon de 12 ans) qui a vendu les bouteilles vides du voisinage et a donné la totalité de ses gains ($60) au cancer du sein. Il n'a pas gardé une sous pour lui... alors je t'envoie un tendre baiser et te remercie... comme tous de m'avoir supporté!
On se reparle demain... xxx
Annie

Message aux suporteurs de Myriam

Première étape complétée.. Cette fameuse première journée, j'avais tellement hâte d'y arriver et je ne suis vraiment pas déçue...Je suis en fait sur un nuage! Une magnifique journée avec ses petits défis (le froid, le vent, le 'stress' du grand départ) mais surtout ce doux sentiment d'accomplissement. Je réalise un rêve et c'est exactement comme je l'avais imaginé. Merci à vous tous encore une fois pour votre support et particulièrement à mes 3 hommes d'amour pour m'avoir permis de participer à cette belle aventure. Bros bisousXXX

Myriam

My fist day ride

Dear Readers,

I would like to dedicate my first 100km (126km) to my dearest princess, my new wife (married Sept 1st) Katie K. Today, I had a real feeling of road cycling. As more of a mountain biker, I found that road cycling in the peloton is so much fun... There are many rules to follow and when you master them, it makes your ride easier and more competitive. The team is amazing, everybody takes care of each other. I think I'm totally sold on this new sport! Can't wait for tomorrow! See ya...

Dominic

Les Brown: Hello to Beautiful BC

Today is the first day of the Ride for the Cure. We left Toronto this morning at the CN Tower, see pictures. Then made our way to Cobourg, Ontario. We had a great ride! Quite a strong cross breeze, but lots of fun! I want to thank everyone who supported me on my ride. Hopefully the funds will go toward finding a cure for breast cancer. Most importantly, to thank my family Debra, Quinton, and Shania who supported me, especially with the countless hours of training. I look forward to updating you after our next stage.

Les Brown

Soggy, but safe arrival

Dear readers,

A quick note before tucking in for the evening. After the excitement of the morning, the team assembled in front of the fully loaded cube van (and shiny new THANK YOU UHAUL!!) . With our cargo safely packed and secured, we split up into one of the tree vans that would later be used as support vehicles--at this point I also need to acknowledge our friends at Pointe-Claire Chrysler for supplying two vans.

The drive was mostly uneventful for me--since my passenger decided to sleep a good chunk of the way (see evidence below--sorry Joe), but the arrival in Toronto was met with traffic and showers...our hotel was located at the SkyDome, and the Jays were just about to start the game--it was a little hectic unloading, but everyone checked in without incident.

The weather tomorrow looks ideal--sunny and cool with a mild tail-wind. My kinda riding. The jerseys and shorts look fantastic and everyone ran off to try them on while they were still being handed out--more photos to follow tommorow and we do promise posts from more people as the stories and pictures start to accumulate. Good night.

Cheers,

Henry

Final week of preparations

Dear readers,

We are in the final week of preparations and I thought you would appreciate a final brief overview of plans before starting our journey.


Fundraising status:
The best news first. To date, we have far exceeded our target of $65,000 for 2007 and are now about to pass a record $70,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer foundation this year. Very few members are just short of their goal and many of us have far exceeded our $2000 target. Currently, Novartis is second only to CIBC itself as the Top National Team, in additional, two Novartis team members rank in the top 5 fundraisers for Montreal. With our success this year, our three year committment to the Canadian Breast Cancer foundation is now close to $150,000. A MAJOR thank you is owed to you, our friends, family, colleagues and individuals who each deserve our team's appreciation and collectively have raised your committment to the cause and our team yet again--we sincerely appreciate your support.


Team uniforms:
The uniforms are in, but their location has been kept a carefully guarded secret at the office. The unveiling is scheduled for the eve of our ride this Friday night...no time for wrong sizing, but the rumours are that this year's jerseys (Louis Garneau) will have a strong mix of company colours and promise to be even faster. I personally hope we ordered the extra padding in the shorts. Pictures will be provided soon.

Riders & teams:
This year, we will now be well over 20 riders--of all different levels of fitness and experience. As such, it is impossible to ride safely as one pack for these distances (and in traffic), so we will be splitting up into three distinct teams of equal numbers based on individual preferences. Here are our team names and the (rough) average speeds.
Team 1: Relish the moment (25-29km/hr)
Team 2: Going the distance (30-34km/hr)
Team 3: Need for speed (>34km/hr)


Routing:
The route this year changes slightly by both adding new challenges and removing some rough road conditions. The new challenge will consist of "extra" mileage at the end of each day for the select few who wish to cycle 700km in 3.5 days... (33km after each full day's journey)

For the last two years, we have experienced rough road conditions after crossing the border from Ontario into Quebec. This has proven to be a safety hazard and contributed to a minor accident last year. This year we will ride a slightly different route, which will add a bit of distance, but promises to be a bit smoother. Here again is the map of the ride:



Weather forecast:
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words...

It is still early, but so far, the forecast looks very promising for Toronto with seasonal temperatures and partly cloudy skies--ideal for riding.

Other snippets from behind the scenes:

Many other volunteers have helped to organize the ride this year--and much of their time is spent outside the spotlight; PR coordinators have notified local media and advised them of our planned route, we now have three dedicated team drivers (who will be following each group of riders), and additional head office staff are coordinating the meals, accommodation, rental vehicles and uniforms. Our thanks goes out to them as we prepare to power our own way back to Montreal.

Lastly (and unfortunately), a few riders we know well have had to bow out due to their dedication to work, family or health--they will be missed, but no doubt will be reading these entries!!

Stay tuned for more posts this week as the ride kicks off!

Cheers,

Henry