Road2Seville2023
FAQ’s
What is the Road 2 Seville?
The R2S is a cycle by 30 cyclists from Glasgow to Seville to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UEFA Cup final between Celtic and Porto in Seville.
Reaching the final was a major achievement for Celtic and the experience of supporters in Seville was fantastic resulting in a long and positive relationship with the city.
The objectives of R2S are to provide a safe cycle event for cyclists of differing abilities and to raise funds for the Celtic FC Foundation.
R2S follows the format of the Road 2 Lisbon in 2017 when 30 cyclists cycled from Glasgow to Lisbon and raised over £80k for charity.
How long is the Road 2 Seville and what route will it take?
The 20th anniversary is on 21st May 2023, and it will take approximately two weeks to cycle from Glasgow. The plan is to arrive on Saturday 20th and have a celebration event on the 21st.
Route planning is one of the most important parts of a successful multi day cycle and is currently taking place.
The current plan is to cycle from Celtic Park to Cairnryan, ferry to Belfast, cycle down through Ireland, visiting some key points of interest, including Dublin, ending up in Rosslare.
Take the ferry from Rosslare to Bilbao in northern Spain and cycle from there to Seville.
There will be 13 or 14 days cycling in total as follows:
Celtic Park to Cairnryan – 90 miles / 144 km
Belfast to Rosslare – 330 miles / 528 km
Bilbao to Seville – 630 miles / 1,000 km
TOTAL 1,050 miles / 1,672 km
Over 13 days this an average of 80 miles / 128 km per day.
Who is organising the Road 2 Seville cycle event?
R2S is organised by a group of fans of Celtic FC who are also experienced cyclists.
The cyclists are supported by Greenrock a long-established cycle adventure company. Greenrock supported the cyclists on the Road 2 Lisbon.
https://www.facebook.com/Greenrockworld
https://www.greenrockadventure.com/
The Celtic FC Foundation is a partner in R2S. The Foundation creates opportunities for society’s most vulnerable and marginalised individuals and group. For R2S, the Foundation provides a range of support services to the R2S event.
https://charity.celticfc.com/
How good a cyclist do I need to be to participate?
A rough rule of thumb is that cyclists should be able to cycle consecutive days of at least 80 miles.
There is no requirement to be fast; the average distances of 80 miles per day requires a steady, consistent approach.
If 80 miles on consecutive days sounds daunting to you, come on an organised training ride as being part of a organised cohesive group of cyclists vastly reduces the energy required to complete each day’s route.
Leading up the cycle in May 2023 there will be a number of training rides throughout the UK to allow participants to get to know one another and practice and improve their cycling skills.
Assistance will also be available on issues such as bike purchase.
*Note that cyclists need to provide their own bikes.
What does a typical day look like?
A typical day consists of 5 – 7 hours of cycling covering around 80 miles with on the road mid-morning, lunch and mid-afternoon food and drink breaks organised by Greenrock resulting in a lapsed time of 7 – 9 hours.
The cyclists travel in groups of 6 – 8 people which form naturally over the journey with plenty of scope to change groups.
The route is fully mapped by Greenrock and those cyclists with bike computers are encouraged to download the GPX files to help them navigate through the day.
The Greenock support crew are never far from the cyclists and are on hand to assist with mechanical or navigation issues.
Accommodation is 3 star hotel where dinner is provided.
What does it cost to take part in the Road 2 Seville?
The final cost of R2S will be determined by the number of cyclists and the total cost of the event
Our current estimate is that the core cost will be around £2,600 per cyclist. This is fantastic value for money as it covers:
- Travel and accommodation from Glasgow to Seville
- All meals from Glasgow to Seville
- Support from Greenrock:
o Detailed route planner
o Support on the road from 4 experienced staff, a mini bus and transit van:
o Luggage transfer from Glasgow to Seville
o Mechanical support
o First aid support
o Bike return to the UK
Are there any other costs?
There are some non-core costs over and above the £2,600 which will vary from person to person according to personal choice:
Kit – we will have unique R2S cycling kit (currently under design) available to buy. Typically, one cycle jersey will be supplied to everyone covered by corporate sponsorship. Cyclists are free to buy additional items.
Seville celebrations – no details yet but we will either have or own celebration dinner in Seville or join in with other fan led events. Again, we hope a corporate sponsor will help cover this but there may well be something to pay depending on the cost.
Travel home – once the celebrations are over, everyone is free to do there own thing. Some will come home immediately, others will relax in Spain for a few days.
How do I get home from Seville with my bike?
R2S ends with the celebration event in Seville on 21st May and cyclists are then free to come home whatever way they want.
There are several airports in southern Spain and Gibraltar which have direct flights to various destinations in the UK.
Greenrock will bring the bikes back to the UK in their vehicles and will a number of drop off points, including Celtic Park.
Is it possible to cycle part of the route?
There are options to do the full route or part route. There are some further details below but if you have any questions, please contact us at road2seville2023@gmail.com
The current cost estimate for the full route is £2600 per person, with part route costs indicted below.
The rough costs are as follows;
Glasgow to Rosslare £1,144
Belfast to Seville £2,153
Bilbao to Seville £1,308
What will the Celtic Foundation do with the money raised?
Celtic FC Foundation is for all, regardless of gender, age, religion, race or ability. The priority is to provide assistance to those who face daily challenges within key priority areas.
Our priority focus will support areas based on the need surrounding our home within the city of Glasgow.
Thereafter, our main geographical areas of support, in order of priority are:
• The North and East of Glasgow
• Greater Glasgow, Inverclyde and North Lanarkshire
• Scotland, Ireland and the rest of the UK
• Rest of the World, with an emphasis on Asia and Africa
The Foundation also offers support in the form of delivery and/or partnership to external charities and other organisations who offer value in the community and whose principles fit within these key priority areas.
Can I speak to someone about the R2S?
Yes of course.
John Sweeney (mobile & email)
I cycled when I was younger, but when the Road to Lisbon trip came up, I was inspired to get back on a bike, around 30 years after the last time I had ridden. I followed a rough training plan and got myself fit enough to complete the Lisbon ride. I have continued since and taken part in other cycling events, including Ride London and Majorca 312, as well as some week long cycles with the group that has stayed together since Lisbon. I think I am proof that you are never too old, or unfit to make a trip like this work. I am not a cyclist, I am just someone who likes cycling and would encourage anyone considering signing up, to have a chat about it with one of the group. They are a fabulous bunch, and offer nothing but encouragement and support. So feel free to get in touch.
David Edgar (mobile & email)
“I would describe myself as very much the DIY/solo cyclist of the group – having never ridden as part of a cycling club or participated in any sportives. My cycling experience and interest has tended to focus on longer solo ‘touring’ style trips, such as cycling to all of Celtic’s 2017/18 away league games for the Celtic FC Foundation and in 2015 cycled from Glasgow to Berlin for Mary’s Meals. I got to know the group having signed up for the ill-fated Road to Milan and joined the group for a cycling holiday in Pitlochry in August 2020 – which was very much a crash course in group riding for me. Despite the initial worries and insecurities about riding with a group, I could not have met a more welcoming, encouraging and supportive group. If like me, you are interested but unsure about group riding or have concerns over your ability please get in touch and I would be happy to assist and share my experience.”
Clare Sweeney (mobile & email)
“I bought a bike back in 2016 to tackle the London Ride 100 challenge with my new company having not been anywhere near a bike since I was a teenager! At that point I had never so much as seen a road bike in real life much less done any sportives! I have grown up a Celtic fan thanks to my dad and when the opportunity to do the Road to Lisbon cycle presented itself we jumped at the chance, albeit with no clue what we were doing and knowing no one else in the group other than each other! Turns out it was the best decision we ever made and that two weeks of cycling was spectacular. We learnt lots about cycling and ourselves whilst being accompanied by the most incredible group of people who I am pleased to say are very much still active in my life today. If you find yourself wanting to learn a little more about this new trip, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch I would be happy to help in any way I can!
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