Russell and Dean Downing’s third annual Out of the Saddle fundraising evening raised more than £5,000 for charity last weekend.
- Bradley Wiggins red Vuelta a Espana leaders’ was one of the lots up for auction
More than 230 people attended the dinner at The Charnwood Hotel near Rotherham, with a star-studded guestlist that included Team Sky duo Alex Dowsett and Ben Swift, Rapha Condor Sharp manager John Herety and riders Graham Briggs and James McCallum, 1987 Tour de France rider Adrian Timmis and Milk Race winner Chris Walker.
A charity auction hosted by Eurosport commentator David Harmon included unique items such as Bradley Wiggins’ red leaders’ jersey from the Vuelta a Espana, HTC-Columbia, PDM and Tour of Britain memorabilia, and various Giro d’Italia and Tour de France themed art work.
This year the pro cycling brothers decided to support CRY UK (Cardiac Arrest in the Young) after local riders Pete Hinchcliffe, 33, and Lewis Barry, 15, both died at early ages due to cardiac problems.
Pete Hinchcliffe was a regular on the South Yorkshire chain gang with the Downing brothers and Lewis Barry had high hopes of becoming a professional cyclist and following the footsteps of other riders in the area.
“I raced with Pete Hinchcliffe, and knew Lewis Barry had high hopes of following in a lot of the riders footsteps from this area,” said Russell. “It was really important for us to support something that mattered to us, so thanks to our cycling friends for coming out in force.”
Dean added: “We’re delighted to have hosted another great evening for charity and were keen to support a cause that would help families in our close cycling community. It’s great fun at the end of the season, especially after a long racing year.”
