England fans cycle to World Cup
25 Jun 10
A group of saddle-sore England fans have cycled 6,000 miles to South Africa to watch the World Cup.
Dickon Broadhurst, Duncan Hills, Lindsey Cole and John Walton - who set off on February 10 from Cairo to Cape Town - stopped in Port Elizabeth to watch England beat Slovenia and are just a week away from their destination.
Mr Broadhurst, 27, from Notting Hill, west London, and Mr Hills, 28, from Reading, Berkshire, said cycling through parts of Botswana - where they saw elephants, buffalo and antelope - was one of the highlights of the trip.
However, Mr Broadhurst admitted being slightly scared of the lions, adding: "I had my kitchen knife in my back pocket just in case."
He said: "Cycling is pretty boring. But while most people go to the usual tourist spots, we are defined by how much ground we can cover.
"So often we arrive somewhere and we are a complete novelty to everybody there. It's the real heart of Africa."
Mr Broadhurst, who lost his job in commercial property in November, decided he wanted an adventure and responded to a newspaper advert placed by Ms Cole saying she was looking for some brave men to join her on a journey through Africa.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
http://www.cycletothecup.co.uk/blog/ (Dickon Broadhurst's blog)
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