JLT team completes gruelling Race Across America

Raises in excess £200,000 for its charities

 

8th July 2010, London:  Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc (JLT), the UK's largest listed insurance broker, is delighted with the success of its 8-strong team which came a credible third in the Race Across America (RAAM) a bicycle race from the Pacific to Atlantic coasts.

The team, Convicts of the Road, was one of two British teams competing in the 8-person category of the 2010 Race. The team included five JLT employees, Genentech's Director of Risk Management, and an underwriter from Hannover Re. The other British team in the category was The Sir Steve Redgrave Crew led by the Olympian himself.

Convicts of the Road completed the 3,005 mile race from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland in a time of 6 days, 6 hours and 44 minutes, finishing third overall in the 8-man team category - the Sir Steve Redgrave Crew, the only other British team in the same category completed the race in 7 days 3 hours and 42 minutes. En route the racers, who were racing day and night, ascended in excess of 100,000 feet, crossing both the Rocky Mountain and Appalachian Mountain ranges.

 

Team leader Charlie Pearch, commented:

"RAAM is not a tour across the USA it is a bone fide race, and as such conditions are intense, crew and riders suffer an acute sleep deprivation, and our aim of mere completion quickly became one of winning a podium spot after Sir Steve Redgrave announced that he felt his team were going to achieve 3^rd place. We set an original speed target of 18.2 mph, but playing to our rider strengths and rolling riders on/off the road every 20 minutes allowed us to generate a faster continual speed and maintain an average of 19.95 mph. We monitored the Redgrave position at every time station, and as we crossed the country we knew that we had the faster legs because despite getting lost for 40 minutes we still retained a 3 hour advantage on them and this grew to 5 hours by the halfway point.

"Our main goal though was to raise considerable funds for four charities, two UK based and two US based.  Again we have exceeded expectations and whilst funds are still pouring in we will exceed the anticipated £200,000."

The rider team was supported by a fleet of 4 vehicles, manned by a crew of 12 who include more JLT employees, the President of US wholesale broker Avreco, Inc and an underwriter from ACE Medical.

 

 

Team Biographies

For full team details and blog from the event, please click below:

http://www.jlt-raam.com/

For the full rankings of the race:

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/rcrank.php

 

-ENDS-

 

Enquiries:

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc

Paul Dransfield

Tel: 020 7528 4933

EMAIL

Editor's Notes:

About Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc (JLT) is an international group of Risk Specialists and Employee Benefits Consultants and one of the largest companies of its type in the world. JLT offers a distinctive choice to clients and partners through our combination of independence, scale and specialism.

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc is quoted on the London Stock Exchange and employs 6,000 people worldwide and through JLT Network^TM provides services in more than 120 countries

http://www.jltgroup.com/