Tour of the Douro raises £30k for The Benevolent

By Emily Kearns

Published: 02 August, 2013

The 14 cyclists from the wine trade who took part in the 600km Tour of the Douro in June have beaten their fundraising target of £25,000 to raise a huge £30,000, which they presented to drinks industry charity The Benevolent this week.

The challenge was organised by Andrew Hawes, managing director of Mentzendorff, and saw cyclists take part including: Andrew Reed, William Reed Business Media; Ian Harris, WSET; Philip Amps, Amps Fine Wine; Chris Matthews, Berry Bros & Rud; and Adrian Bridge, the Fladgate Partnership.

The tour saw the cyclists on the road from June 10-14, and saw them cover ground from Bodegas Roda in Rioja via Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas, before crossing the finishing line at Régua in the Upper Douro Valley near Oporto.

Hawes said: "The initial fundraising target was more ambitious than ever before, so to be able to present The Benevolent with a cheque for £30,000 is a fantastic achievement, and testament to the great efforts of all riders and the generosity of those who donated."

David Cox, chief executive of The Benevolent, said: "The riders' perseverance over such a distance not only provides the charity with much-needed funds but also exemplifies the spirit of The Benevolent and is a powerful demonstration of how the drinks industry supports its own community. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the riders and to their sponsors and to those that donated so generously."