Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club ride to remember those killed in plane crash
What better way to commemorate the 40th anniversary of a tragedy than with a charity bike ride? More than 80 members of Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club are about to embark on a 320-mile marathon ride back to their Suffolk sports ground. The starting point is Ermenonville near Paris, site of a plane crash in March 1974 in which 18 members of the Club were killed.
Turkish Airlines Flight 981 came down in a forest shortly after taking off from the French capital, killing all 346 people on board. It remains the deadliest plane crash on French soil and the fourth worst in aviation history.
Members of Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club were on board, heading home after seeing England play France. Club chairman Gerry Lowden (pictured with fellow riders) would have been on the doomed flight, but couldn’t get time off work to make the trip. “I was second team captain and a number of those who perished were my team members,” he explained.
Several of those taking part in the four-day charity ride are relatives of those who died. They will be raising funds both for the Club’s charitable organisation, The Haberden Trust, and for St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
Tweets of the week: Brutal weather at Flèche, an idiot sandwich and is there a new POC helmet?
There's a lot of love for Kasia Niewiadoma, and it turns out Norwegians are good in bad weather
By Adam Becket Published
-
Juanpe López wins Tour of the Alps, does 34 kick-ups with a football
'My coach said to do it for Betis,' says Spaniard of his boyhood football club
By Tom Davidson Published