HSBC Life Assurance (Malta) Ltd is now the main sponsor of the Lifecycle Challenge Where Only Eagles Dare, which this year will be held in eastern Europe. Fifty cyclists applied originally, 43 started the rigorous training required to build the necessary stamina for such a punishing challenge, and 27 cyclists have now made the grade. They will cross one of Europe’s most unexplored environments, with the aim of collecting money for renal units in hospitals and clinics.

Richard Reid, managing director, HSBC Life Assurance, said: “While HSBC aims to increase awareness among customers of the importance of life assurance cover, we are actively supporting this challenge because we believe it will help to bring about a meaningful improvement to the quality of life of renal patients. While HSBC has helped to support previous challenge editions, this year HSBC Life Assurance wanted to give this momentous and worthy challenge our wholehearted support by becoming the main sponsor.”

“The HSBC Lifecycle Challenge is one of Malta’s most extreme endurance events organised for a good cause,” said Godfrey Swain, head of personal financial services. “Leading by example, HSBC is urging everybody in Malta to support renal patients by being generous to help reach the Lm50,000 target set by this year’s challenge.”

The challenge president, Alan Curry, said: “Three persons forming the vanguard logistics team will be travelling to Vienna today to load the trucks with the necessary equipment needed on route, including the bikes, foodstuffs and other logistical equipment. They will be driving to Budapest where another five persons will join them.”

The six vehicles will then be driven to the Romanian capital, Bucharest, where the rest of the team will fly in on Wednesday to commence the challenge the following day. Then, for the next 12 gruelling days, the Maltese cyclists will be averaging about 200 kilometres per day, passing through Romania, Ukraine, and Poland. They will venture onto the Carpathian and Tatra mountains ending in Berlin. They will cover a total distance of around 2,350km.

The latest news about the challenge may be obtained form the website: www.lifecyclechallenge.com.