Rally Stars Conquer Corsica by Bike
FIA World Rally Championship driver Matthew Wilson and co-driver Scott Martin have completed a mammoth 985km on Trek Madone road bikes in Corsica over the past week in a bid to raise money for the RPJ Crohn’s Foundation.

A break in the WRC calendar during the month of June, between Rally Portugal and Rally Bulgaria, allowed a window for the Stobart M-Sport Ford duo to take part in the Tour de Corse charity event.

The RPJ Crohn’s Foundation was set up earlier this year by Matthew’s friend, Rick Parfitt Jnr, to help raise funds to support the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (NACC).

The rally stars completed the route around the French island of Corsica in eight days but, with the longest day consisting of 181km and the highest peak at 1477m, it was no easy feat in temperatures topping 36 degrees Celsius. Wilson also suffered from a cold in the final days but still managed to make it to the end of the gruelling charity cycle challenge.

M-Sport has also auctioned a variety of exclusive items on eBay over the past week in order to raise additional money for the RPJ Crohn's Foundation. Items included a Stobart-branded race suit signed by Matthew Wilson, and driving gloves signed by BP-Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala. During the remainder of June, more items will be added to the auction site, including Wilson and Martin’s signed cycling gear.

Wilson and Martin would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continued support and donations to the RPJ Crohn’s Foundation so far. Those who would still like to donate can do so by visiting the JustGiving website which will be open until the end of June - http://www.justgiving.com/tourdecorse

Matthew Wilson said:
“Everything went really smoothly – we had no punctures or major problems which is quite surprising considering there were four of us! We didn’t always stick to our schedule and when we were having a good day, we really pushed ourselves. On the final day we only had 100km left to reach the end; adrenaline kicked in and we upped our pace to finish well ahead of schedule. There was one day where we had to do a 34km climb up to 1477 metres and I’d say that was the low point and a real test of our endurance. It was so hot whilst we were cycling too - about 36 degrees Celsius every day, but we had one afternoon when it rained which was well appreciated at the time! I also caught a cold at the weekend which made the final days more difficult than I had been expecting. We enjoyed every minute of the Tour de Corse though and I really want to thank everyone for their continued donations and support for the RPJ Crohn’s Foundation.”

For more information on the challenge including route and photographs, please visit: www.tourdecorse.co.uk

Cheques made payable to the M-Sport Charity Appeal will be gratefully received: Angela Torney, M-Sport Ltd, Dovenby Hall, Dovenby, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0PN

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