Easy rider Shearer aims high

Feb 26 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

ALAN Shearer last night told how he fears for his nether regions, ahead of a gruelling 335-mile charity bike ride he must complete in just two days.

Next month Newcastle’s record goalscorer will get in the saddle alongside Match of the Day colleague Adrian Chiles to cycle from St James’s Park to London for the Sport Relief charity.

The former England captain, now 37, said the challenge has revived his famous competitive edge, which he hopes will see him through two days of riding that would not be out of place on the Tour de France.

Alan, who took up cycling to keep fit after retiring in 2006, has reached the 50-mile mark in one day’s training. But he is wary of the effects such a monumental task will have on his body. He said: “The most they do in a Tour de France in one day is 149 miles – we’re doing 186 the first day.

“I think we’ll get through the 186. We’re planning on finishing at midnight and getting up at 5am – you can imagine the state of our bodies at 5 o’clock after five hours’ sleep.

“I’m not sure our backsides will ever want to get back on a bike again. We’ll have to have some padding – it’s not very friendly on the manhood, I can promise you.”

The pair will set off at about 8am from Newcastle on Thursday, March 13, and have to be at the BBC studio in London for an 8pm arrival the following day.

Alan, who joked that he is expecting sleepless nights in the coming weeks, added: “I’m working on Match of the Day on the Saturday evening so I hope they’ve got a nice cushion for me to sit on.”

He also revealed that Little Britain comedian David Walliams, who swam the English Channel for Sport Relief two years ago, had inspired him and Chiles to set themselves such a difficult task. He said: “It’s his fault that we’re doing it. He made everyone sit up and take notice. Adrian and myself were asked if we would fancy doing anything and I hated running when I was playing, so there was no way I was ever going to run to keep fit when I wasn’t.

“I had a friend who got me into cycling. I’ve done it for around 18 months now. Adrian decided we’d do something. It had to be something to make people sit up and take notice. It has to be a real challenge, like David’s was.”

Alan said his training has left him lighter than when he finished playing football, adding: “By the time I do it, I’ll probably be fitter than I was starting a season to play football. I’ve done nothing like this at all.

“I’m now seeing places in Newcastle and Northumberland that I’ve never seen before. I’m 5lb lighter than when I finished playing.”

To sponsor Alan and Adrian for Sport Relief, visit www.sportrelief.com/supercycle

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