All partners now as law staff get on their bikes to Russia

Published on Tuesday 6 May 2008 10:24

AS team-building exercises go it's got to be one of the most extreme.

An Edinburgh legal firm has convinced 21 members of staff to take part in a gruelling cycle ride across eastern Europe.

Each member of staff will be given three days extra holiday for the event, aimed at raising more than 100,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The company will also donate 250 towards their individual fundraising totals.

The team from Turcan Connell – ranging from trainees to senior partners – are training for the ride from Warsaw to St Petersburg in August.

Adam Gillingham, 49, a partner in the firm, who lives in Trinity, said he expected the 1375-mile trek to be "incredibly hard".

He added: "Although we have some keen cyclists going on this challenge no one is what you would class as an elite athlete. There's a broad range of abilities so it should really test everyone.

"The race is split into stages and we have four groups who will tackle a stage each. It means that no one is going to be doing the whole thing, although we still have to do around 550km each.

"At the weekend I cycled to Gullane and back, which was exhausting. I felt quite proud of myself until someone told me that it was the equivalent of only half a day for this trek."

Head of asset management Alex Montgomery, 38, said the group had approached Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy's nutritionist for advice.

He said: "He was kind enough to come and give us a lecture. However, we're still a long way off and training like mad. I live in Kinross, so I'm trying to cycle the 26 miles from Edinburgh at least once a week. It is very tiring.

"It's not just the 20 or so of us who are going to be cycling that are doing all the work. The entire office is getting behind us and helping with the fundraising, so its bringing everyone together."

Teams of cyclists from the firm, based in Earl Grey Street, will undertake a stage each of the race through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Russia.

The trek, which will include fundraisers from across the UK, has been organised by Marie Curie Cancer Care, which picked Warsaw as the start because it is the birthplace of Marie Curie.

Gemma McDonald, appeal fundraiser for the charity, said: "The team from Turcan Connell will be the largest to take part in the challenge and it's fantastic that they plan to raise more than 100,000 for us.

"It's a great team-building exercise and I'm sure it will be very rewarding for them."