The hardest worker at IMEX

Who worked the hardest at the last IMEX fair in Frankfurt? Who do you think? I strolled past the stand of Cycle Europe 2008 a few times and for two days in a row I was confronted with a strapping young man who was riding his bum off on a bike. His name has an Italian ring to it but I assure you he’s pure Scottish. He has the body of a young muscular lion and according to my psychological instinct he has a heart of gold. On the last day of the fair I went to ask him how far he’d actually got. Panting and sweaty he told me: ‘I… I… pffeew… think I’m in the neighbourhood of Amsterdam.’

In those two days he’d travelled 140 km. And all this for charity! Marco Barcella works for a charity organisation and in June he’s going to cycle in total a distance of 4800 km through 9 countries in 13 weeks, all this by initiative of Jon Bradshaw – also an Adonis type but a good cyclist too and he’s the Sales Manager of IMEX. The aim of this grueling physical challenge is to raise 20,000 pounds for stroke charities throughout Europe that fund the physical and mental rehabilitation of younger stroke victims. I told Jon, because he’s the leader, that he has to come to Antwerp after his visit to Amsterdam, to come and pick up another little cycling wonder, my Editorial Officer Steven Kins (see picture on the right). Jon, you have gained a new sponsor: HQ Magazine! And to whoever's reading this: go to the Cycle Europe website, get out your money and donate.