The Wrong Way Back

www.twwb.co.uk

TWWBEST. 2010

WINCANTON - SOMERSET

THE WRONG WAY BACK

Dave Tato

n TW

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2010

Welcome t o TWWB

FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO JUSTIN FRENCH, MARK HENLEY AND LEE VINCENT. IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU GUYS, TWWB WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BORN!

ALSO A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORT TEAM FOR TWWB2013. YOU HELPED US MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD TO LISTEN TO ME GOING ON ABOUT TWWB AND TO ALL THE WIFES / GIRLFRIENDS I HAVE MADE CYCLE WIDOWS!

AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, EVERYONE WHO SPONSORED AND HELPED OUT WITH TWWB 2010 & 2013. WITHOUT YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RAISE AWARENESS AND MONEY FOR OUR CHOSEN CHARITIES.

YOURS GRATEFULLYNEIL SPINNEYFOUNDER

Charities we have helped so far since 2010

Team TWWB 2013The Riders

Neil Spinney Mark Henley Dave Gillard

Daniel Ruppersbery Richard Stephens Mark Seton

James Taton Philip Hunt

www.twwb.co.uk

The S

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Kevin Read Jason Lazell

Adam Rolls SAGE

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Neil Spinney“I'VE ALWAYS LIKED CYCLING”

EVEN AS A KID. I LIKED TO GET ON A BIKE AND PEDAL. IN MY TEENS IT WAS MY ONLY FORM OF TRANSPORT DUE TO LIVING IN THE STICKS, WELL APART FROM USING MUM AND DAD AS A TAXI SERVICE.

WHEN I TURNED 18, CYCLING AND I SORT OF LOST OUR WAY, I WAS MORE IN FAVOUR TO BEER AND THE WAY OF THE WOMEN.

I TURNED 39 THIS YEAR AND HAVE FOUND NOT ONLY DOES CYCLING KEEP YOU FIT, IT ALSO HELPS WITH RELIEVING THE STRESSES OF EVERYDAY LIFE. THE WRONG WAY BACK WAS FIRST CONCEIVED IN A BAR NEAR HAMMERSMITH COACH STATION. MYSELF AND MY GOOD FRIEND MARK HENLEY HAD BEEN TO A BLUR GIG AND WERE KILLING A FEW HOURS WAITING FOR THE COACH HOME. YES BEER WAS INVOLVED, PLENTY OF IT!NOW 4 YEARS ON, I FIND MYSELF ORGANISING OUR THIRD THE WRONG WAY BACK EVENT.

THIS “LITTLE” CHARITY CYCLE RIDE HAS BECOME A BIG PART OF MY LIFE SINCE IT FIRST STARTED IN 2010. EACH TIME IT HAS BECOME BIGGER AND GREATER DUE TO THE NUMBER OF RIDERS AND BECAUSE OF THE RIDERS THEMSELVES!

HOW DO I EXPLAIN IT TO SOME WHO HAS NOT DONE THE RIDE BEFORE!?!?

WELL HERE GOES.......

I WON’T MIX MY WORDS! THE WRONG WAY BACK IS A BRUTALLY AND MENTALLY TOUGH 8 DAY 800KM CHARITY CYCLE SPORTIVE. IN AID OF HELP FOR HEROES, MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT AND THE AIR AMBULANCE.

IT TAKES ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST, STEEPEST AND LONGEST HILLS AND INCLUDES SOME OF THE GREATEST VIEWS IN THE SOUTH WEST OF ENGLAND.

IT IS A RIDE WHERE BEING PHYSICALLY FIT IS OUTWEIGHED BY HOW MENTALLY STRONG YOU ARE. YOU WILL QUESTION YOURSELF ABOUT WHY YOU ARE DOING IT AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING IT FOR.

YOUR BODY AND MIND WILL BE FINE UNTIL 3 DAYS INTO THE RIDE, FROM THERE ON IN YOU WILL FIND TEDIOUS THINGS LIKE YOUR WATER BOTTLE BEING NOT FILLED TO THE BRIM OR DODGING POTHOLES BECOMES ALL TOO MUCH, YOU START TO BREAK AND YOU WILL ALSO WANT TO GIVE UP, BUT YOU DON’T.

IT IS AT THIS POINT YOU START TO REFLECT ON WHY YOU TOOK ON THE CHALLENGE, YOU FIND THE REST OF THE TEAM ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THOUGHT PROCESSES AND YOU ALL START TO GEL. TEAM TWWB STARTS TO FORM OUT OF THE MADNESS.

NEIL SPINNEYFOUNDER & RIDER TWWB 2010, 2013

www.twwb.co.uk

Richard Stephens“IN 2012 I WAS STUPID ENOUGH TO AGREE TO RIDE IN THE 2013 TWWB”

SOME ALCOHOL HAD A LITTLE TO DO WITH THAT DECISION!!

IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE BEST DRUNKEN DECISION OF MY LIFE!

AT 35 YEARS OLD, A PROFESSIONAL SOFA LORD AND BIG DRINKER I TIPPED THE SCALES AT NEARLY 19 STONE! TO DO THIS CHALLENGE, I NEEDED TO CHANGE!

THE TRAINING WAS BRUTALLY HARD, RELENTLESS AND AT TIMES BROKE ME BUT ON 1ST JUNE 2013 I WAS OVER 3 STONE LIGHTER AND READY, OR I THOUGHT I WAS!

THE WRONG WAY BACK IS NOT ALL ABOUT FITNESS, IT HELPS A LOT BUT IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THAT. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS A MENTAL ONE, ITS KEEPING GOING, KEEPING THOSE PEDALS TURNING WHEN YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DIG DEEP TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR LOWEST YOU WILL CYCLE ROUND A CORNER AND BE FACED WITH THE BIGGEST HILL CLIMB YOU HAVE EVER SEEN!

THAT IS WHEN YOUR MATES STEP IN, THE GUYS YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINING WITH FOR MONTHS. THE GUYS THAT HAVE SAT BESIDE YOU MILE AFTER MILE AND KNOW YOU, THEY CAN SEE YOU’RE SUFFERING, THEY CAN SEE THE PAIN AND YOU GET THE ONE ENCOURAGING LINE..........

......... MAN UP PRINCESS!

THE WRONG WAY BACK CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER AND THE MONEY WE RAISE CHANGES OTHERS’ LIVES FOR THE BETTER. ONE YEAR ON FROM TWWB 2013 AND ONE YEAR BEFORE TWWB 2015 I AM HITTING THE 14 STONE MARK AND TRAINING HARDER THAN EVER, SO PLEASE ALL IT TAKES IS A COUPLE OF QUID AND ALL THIS WILL HAVE BEEN WORTH IT!!

RICHARD STEPHENSRIDER TWWB 2013

www.twwb.co.uk

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The Route

800 km in 8 days with 43,261 foot of climbing

DAY 1 Wincanton to Minehead57 miles and 3509ft of climbing

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Dave Gillard“THE WRONG WAY BACK 2013” ONE WEEK ON!

UP HILL, DOWNHILL, ALONG THE FLAT, UNDER THE TREES, WATCH THE GRAVEL, PLAY SPOT THE POTHOLE, RIDE INTO A HEADWIND AND THEN TURN AWAY. DRINK SOME WATER, EAT SOME FOOD. REST AND REPEAT.

IT'S BEEN A LITTLE OVER A WEEK NOW SINCE WE COMPLETED THE WRONG WAY BACK 2013 AND I THINK I LEFT A LITTLE PART OF ME BEHIND SOMEWHERE.

WAS IT ON THE FLAT RUN TO MINEHEAD BATTLING THE HEADWINDS? WAS IT SOMEWHERE ON THE SERENE CLIMB OF THE PORLOCK TOLL ROAD? WAS IT SOMEWHERE ON THE ROAD TO LANDS END PAST THE OLD TIN MINES IN THE SUMMER SUNSHINE. PERHAPS IT WAS ON THE LONG DAY TO PLYMOUTH, PERHAPS IT WAS ON THE CAMPSITE AT DAWLISH JUST KICKING BACK IN THE SUN AND THINKING NEARLY HOME NOW. PERHAPS IT WAS ON THE LAST DAY TO WEYMOUTH RIDING FAMILIAR ROADS, BUT SEEING THEM IN A NEW LIGHT, WITH NEW FRIENDS. PERHAPS IT WAS ON THE LAST DAY AS WE RODE INTO WINCANTON TOGETHER AND THINKING THAT WE'D FINALLY MADE IT AND HOW I WAS PROUD TO HAVE RIDDEN WITH SUCH A GREAT GROUP OF GUYS.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW, BUT THERE'S A PART OF ME OUT THERE.........SOMEWHERE!!

I REMEMBER THE TRAINING RIDES AND WATCHING A GROUP OF BLOKES, WHO I HARDLY KNEW, TURN INTO A PELETON OF RIDERS, I LEARNED HOW TO READ THE SIGNS SO I COULD TELL JUST WHO WAS HAVING A GOOD DAY OR WHO WAS HAVING A BAD ONE, BASED JUST BY HOW THEY WERE SAT ON THEIR BIKE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. I WATCHED AS THEY LEARNT TO RIDE IN A GROUP AND HOW TO SLIPSTREAM EACH OTHER SO THAT THEY ALL GOT A REST FROM THE HEADWIND.

TO RIDE THAT FAR FOR THAT LONG, WATCHING A GROUP OF GUYS PUSH THEMSELVES PAST THEIR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL LIMITS, WAS A TRULY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE. SOME US LAUGHED, SOME OF US CRIED THROUGH JOY, THROUGH FRUSTRATION, THROUGH ELATION AND SOMETIMES THROUGH SADNESS. IT’S NOT THE PHYSICALITY THAT GETS TO YOU. IT’S HAVING THE MENTAL STRENGTH TO KEEP GOING WHEN MOST PEOPLE WOULD JUST GET OFF AND QUIT.

THE WRONG WAY BACK 2013 IS ONE OF THE THINGS IN MY LIFE THAT I’M MOST PROUD OF. IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE TOUGHEST THINGS I’VE EVER DONE, BUT THEN IF IT WAS EASY IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN WORTH DOING. IT’S SOMETHING I'D LOVE TO DO AGAIN.

TRAVELLING BY BIKE, YOU IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE COUNTRYSIDE; YOU TRAVEL IN IT, NOT THROUGH IT ISOLATED FROM THE WORLD IN A METAL BOX. THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SOMETIMES THE SMELL'S STAY IN YOUR MEMORY FOR EVER.

CYCLING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL; LIFE IS SIMPLE WHEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS RIDE YOUR BIKE.

BRING ON THE WRONG WAY BACK 2015. I’M HOPING TO BE THERE AGAIN, WHERE WILL YOU BE?

DAVE GILLARDRIDER TWWB 2013

www.twwb.co.uk

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DAY 2 Minehead to Bude72 miles and 6,645ft of climbing

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DAY 3Bude to Lands End101 miles and 8974ft of climbing

Mark Henley “HAVING TAKEN PART IN THE WRONG WAY BACK 2010...”

...I CAME AT THE SECOND ONE WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO EVERYONE, EXCEPT PROBABLY NEIL.

THE FIRST TIME WE RODE WE MADE IT UP AS WE WENT ALONG. THIS TIME THANKS TO A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM NEIL IN THE MAIN PART, THE SUPPORT CREW AND ALSO TO MY FELLOW RIDERS, THIS EVENT WAS A LOT SMOOTHER THAN THE ROADS ON WHICH WE CYCLED.

WHEN NEIL FIRST ASKED ME ABOUT DOING THE WRONG WAY BACK AGAIN, I LOOKED BACK THROUGH ROSE TINTED GLASSES AS YOU DO AND THOUGHT "PIECE OF CAKE!". WELL I DO LIKE CAKE! YOU FORGET THE HARD TIMES AND ONLY EVER REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES AND WANTING TO PUSH NEIL OFF THE CLIFF AT LANDS END!

THE WRONG WAY BACK 2013 CHANGED ME, MORE THAN THE RIDE IN 2010 DIDN’T CHANGE ME. THIS YEARS RIDE MADE ME FACE MY OWN MORTALITY, IN A HEAD ON TRAIN WRECK UNFORGIVING WAY. I'LL BE 42 IN JULY AND ALTHOUGH MY DAYS OF BEING CONSIDERED AN ATHLETE ARE BEHIND ME, I'VE ALWAYS HAD THE MENTAL TOUGHNESS TO JUST GET ON AND DO SOMETHING. WHETHER IT'S BEEN COMPETING AT JUDO OR PLAYING RUGBY, I'VE ALWAYS HAD A "CAN DO" MENTALITY. WHAT THE WRONG WAY BACK 2013 TOLD ME IS THAT THERE IS NOWHERE TO HIDE, WHILST I'D FORGOTTEN THE TOUGH TIMES OF THE PREVIOUS RIDE, RIDING THIS TIME BROUGHT IT ALL BACK IN GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOR!

RIDING 500 MILES IN A WEEK WILL NEVER BE EASY, BUT THE PEOPLE YOU RIDE WITH CAN MAKE IT A LOT LESS PAINFUL, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS, GETTING TO BUDE AFTER AN 80 MILE DAY INCLUDING A 5 MILE CLIMB UP PORLOCK TOLL ROAD FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, FOLLOWED BY A SHOWER AT BUDE RUGBY CLUB IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING FEELINGS IN THE WORLD, NEVER HAVE I WANTED A SHOWER SO MUCH!

YOUR BODY FALLING TO PIECES AND HAVING TO RIDE 5 MILES STOOD UP BECAUSE YOU REALLY CAN’T SIT DOWN IS A BAD DAY!

GETTING TO LANDS END AND HAVING YOUR GIRLFRIEND THERE WAITING IS AN AMAZINGLY GOOD DAY, HAVING OPEN WOUNDS ON VARIOUS PARTS ON YOUR ANATOMY IS A BAD DAY! WELL I'M SURE YOU GET THE PICTURE.

EVERYONE WHO TOOK PART IN THIS YEARS EVENT IS A HERO TO ME, SOME I KNEW, SOME I DIDN'T KNOW, SOME I LIKED, SOME I LIKED NOT SO MUCH, BY THE END OF THE RIDE I LOVED THEM ALL LIKE THEY WERE MY BROTHERS.

WILL THE WRONG WAY BACK BE RIGHT FOR YOU IN 2015? WELL, IF YOU CAN HANDLE PAIN AND SUFFERING FOR 8 HOURS A DAY, ENDLESS MICKEY TAKING AND STILL MANAGE A SMILE AND A LAUGH WHEN CAMPING IN THE MOST UNWATERPROOF TENT KNOWN TO MAN. SIGN UP NOW! YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

SEE YOU ALL IN 2015!

MARK HENLEYCO-FOUNDER & RIDER TWWB 2010, 2013

www.twwb.co.uk

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DAY 5Lands End to Fowey67 miles and 5446ft of climbing.

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DAY 6Fowey to Paignton73 miles and 6458ft of climbing

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL SPONSORS OF TWWB 2013

www.twwb.co.uk

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL SPONSORS OF TWWB 2013

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DAY 7Paignton to Weymouth73 miles and 8132ft of climbing.

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DAY 8Weymouth to wincanton55 miles and 4097ft of climbing.

TWWB 2015

Sponsor Packages BRONZE SPONSOR PACKAGE £75This sponsor package includes the following:1) COMPANY LOGO IN ALL ONLINE MEDIA

2) RECOGNITION ON THE WRONG WAY BACK’S SPONSOR PAGE ONLINE

SILVER SPONSOR PACKAGE £150This sponsor package includes the following:1) COMPANY LOGO IN ALL ONLINE MEDIA2) RECOGNITION ON THE WRONG WAY BACK’S SPONSOR PAGE ONLINE

3) SMALL FULL-COLOUR BANNER AD ON THE WRONG WAY BACK’S WEBSITE

GOLD SPONSOR PACKAGE £250This sponsor package includes the following:1) COMPANY LOGO IN ALL ONLINE MEDIA2) RECOGNITION ON THE WRONG WAY BACK’S SPONSOR PAGE ONLINE3) SMALL FULL-COLOUR BANNER AD ON THE WRONG WAY BACK’S WEBSITE4) LOGO PUT ONTO THE JERSEYS. LOGOS ARE LIMITED IN NUMBER AND WE WILL

SUPPLY A LAYOUT OF WHERE PLACES ARE AVAILABLE. (LOGOS MUST BE SUPPLY IN VECTOR FORMAT)

PLATINUM SPONSOR PACKAGE £500This sponsor package includes the following:1) COMPANY LOGO IN ALL ONLINE MEDIA2) RECOGNITION ON THE WRONG WAY BACK’S SPONSOR PAGE ONLINE3) SMALL FULL-COLOUR BANNER AD ON THE WRONG WAY BACK’S WEBSITE4) LOGO PUT ONTO THE JERSEYS. LOGOS ARE LIMITED (FIRST COME FIRST SERVED

BASIS). WE WILL SUPPLY A LAYOUT OF WHERE PLACES ARE AVAILABLE. (LOGOS MUST BE SUPPLY IN VECTOR FORMAT BY SPONSOR)

5) FULL FRONT PAGE BANNER (ROTATING) AND DEDICATED WEBPAGE WITH LINKS TO COMPANY WEBSITE. (ALL TEXT / IMAGES MUST BE SUPPLIED BY SPONSOR.)

6) FULL COLOUR COMPANY LOGO ON SUPPORT VEHICLE. (SUPPORT VEHICLE TBC)7) RENAME A DAY’S EVENT TO YOUR COMPANY’S NAME.

(THIS IS LIMITED 6 DAYS AND IS LIMITED TO ONE PER PLATINUM SPONSOR)

www.twwb.co.uk

www.twwb.co.uk

TWWB 2015 If you would like to sponsor

The Wrong Way Back 2015please visit our website www.twwb.co.uk

or email neil@twwb.co.uk