Blazing Saddles California

THE IRISH ARE COMING:

The high profile Irish Blazing Saddles will blaze a trail through some of the most beautiful cycling country in the world this July/August 2001. To celebrate our 10th Anniversary of Blazing Saddles, we are going back to golden California on the West Coast of America.

xactly 10 years ago, the National Council for the Blind of Ireland’s Charity Cycling Team completed our epic first international cycle in California. Since then, all continents and 18 countries have been visited with some panache and style along the way.

We now return to the coastline and state where it all started back in March ’92.

The NCBI Blazing Saddles are the official fundraising arm of the NCBI – a not for profit agency in Ireland that provide support for blind and visually impaired people in Ireland to-day. All funds raised from this project are done so in Ireland not in America. It is hoped to raise in excess of $100,000 back home from this our 10th Anniversary Charity Cycle.

This amazing annual event brings together Catholics and Protestants from both sides of the political divide in Ireland to-day as it has done for all of 10 years. We will also have 12 blind and visually impaired tandem cyclists and their pilots coming to California in 2001 amongst the happy travelling party of 140.

Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa honoured the NCBI Blazing Saddles in his Cape Town Presidential Palace in October ’96, when he hosted a reception to honour our work in Ireland and indeed all over the world.

The travelling Irish are made up of people from all walks of life from legal eagles to sports people to politicians to ordinary folk – all out to have a fun time and raise much needed funds for their worthy cause the NCBI.

The cycle will take in Ventura, Solvang, San Luis Obispo and Santa Rosa, Sonoma County in Northern California. It will take in Anaheim and San Francisco as part of the tour. Saturday, July 28th will see the big cycle start from the 4 Points Sheraton Hotel and Ventura Marina at 4.00pm. Santa Rosa and the Flamingo Resort Hotel will host the finish line party on Sunday, August 5th.

The high profile annual event is Ireland’s biggest overseas charity event. It has the full support each year of the Irish Government.

The cycle and it’s amazing human interest stories there in, will create no doubt great awareness and much media coverage in Ireland and indeed California during the project.

So California you have been warned, “The Irish Are Coming” with all wheels blazing a trail along the most beautiful coastline and state in the United States of America. So let’s go onwards and upwards……..!

For further details please contact >>

CALIFORNIA 2001 - 10th ANNIVERSARY BLAZING SADDLES CYCLE CHALLENGE

ITINERARY:

• Thursday, July 26th ’01: 
  Afternoon arrival in Anaheim. “Radisson Maingate Hotel “ in Anaheim.

• Friday, July 27th ’01: 
  At leisure in Anaheim

• Saturday, July 28th ‘01
  Morning transfer to Ventura. ( 2 hours). “4 Points Sheraton Hotel”, at the Marina, Ventura.
  Afternoon 4.00pm: Ceremonial Stage 1 (50km loop). The Sights of Ventura & Somis Classic In association with Oxnard Ventura Bicycle Club

• Sunday, July 29th ’01:
  The Cool Breeze Prelude. Stage 2 (100km loop) In association with Oxnard-Ventura Bicycle Club.

• Monday, July 30th ’01:
  Ventura to Solvang. Stage 3 (125km – route 1) Staying at “Royal Scandinavian Hotel”, Solvang.

• Tuesday, July 31st ’01:
  Solvang to San Luis Obispo. Stage 4 (100km – route 1) Staying at the “Best Western Royal Oak Hotel” San Luis Obispo.

• Wednesday, August 1st ’01:
  The Lighthouse Classic. Stage 5 (100km loop) In association with San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club

• Thursday, August 2nd ’01:
  The Big Sur Challenge ’01. Stage 6 (135km) San Simeon to Carmel staying “The Best Western Carmel Mission Inn”. (The most spectacular stage in our 10year history will, once again, be repeated).

• Friday, August 3rd ’01:
  Transfer from Carmel to Santa Rosa Somona County in Northern California. (4 hours) The “Flamingo Resort Hotel”, Santa Rosa. (We are situated in the centre of the famous wine country of Northern California).

• Saturday, August 4th ’01:
  Somona to Bodega Bay Century. Stage 7. (100km loop) In association with Santa Rosa Bicycle Club.

• Sunday, August 5th ’01:
  The Wine Country Classic. Stage 8 (100km loop) (A cycle that will visit the famous wineries to conclude our 10th Anniversary Cycle in style) In association with Santa Rosa Bicycle Club.

• Monday, August 6th ’01:
  Noon Transfer from Santa Rosa to San Francisco. The “Hilton San Francisco Hotel”.

• Tuesday, August 7th ’01:
  8.00am Awards Breakfast at the famous 46th floor restaurant of the Hilton, San Francisco. Day at Leisure.

• Wednesday, August 8th’ 01:
  Noon transfer to Los Angeles. Crowne Plaza Hotel at LAX.

• Thursday, August 9th ’01:
  Return to Dublin. Arrive Friday 10th @ 11.30am.

Ends.