We are Bruno and Alek, two class 12 students, and over our summer holidays we spent 17 days cycling across France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium completely unsupported. In doing so we have been raising money for the Bone cancer research trust. We chose to raise funds for this charity as Bruno's sister has been battling Ewing Sarcoma bone cancer for the last 18 months. 

We cycled just over 900 miles ( a little less than the 1,000 miles we intended to do, ) taking trains and coaches to cover some of the longer stretches. 

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves throughout the trip and it's an experience that we will never forget. We saw amazing places and met many interesting people. Some highlights of our trip were exploring Assisi where we stayed for 3 days, cycling along the French and Italian coast from Nice to Genoa, and our most intense leg of the journey - cycling 207 miles from Milan to Zurich through the Alps and over Gotthard's pass in just two days with 3,300m of elevation gain - one of the most rewarding things we have done. 

However, our journey did not come without its challenges. We relied on places to stay with friends, family and through the Christian community. This meant that on the nights we didn't have anywhere to stay and since we didn't bring a tent, we ended up sleeping in an abandoned church tower in the Alps, a tennis court up a mountain on the coast of Italy, and one night where we cycled all night to catch a train at 5am from Genoa. We were constantly dealing with failing brakes, which eventually resulted in Alek having an accident with a car, and Bruno having a bad crash coming down the Alps. 

We have chosen to support the Bone Cancer Research Trust not just for their research into the causes and treatment of bone cancer for which they are a leading funder but for the trust’s awareness campaigns, which strive to improve the diagnostic experience and knowledge of the cancer amongst healthcare professionals, helping ensure that young people with possible symptoms get an immediate referral and on to the pathway designed specifically for them.

The day before we set off on our journey on the 21st of July, we hit our target of £5,000 and to date we have raised £5,239. Donations are still warmly welcome until our just giving page expires on the 3^rd of November.

Thank you to everyone who has donated and provided accommodation for us along the way, we are so grateful!

You can still donate to Bruno and Alek's page here