Littlehampton café ‘invaded’ by dozens of cyclists

The brigade of 75 cyclists rolled into the town as part of a 150km charity jaunt across Sussex and over the South Downs.

The band of two-wheeled fund-raisers decided to stop at the café – which was their halfway point on their day-long journey – and tuck into a well-deserved lunch.

However, for the seaside restaurant’s general manager Brigitte Weston, the armada of charity cyclists were a welcome delight.

“They were a really lovely group of people who were very easy to cater for.

“They all came in between 12pm and 1.30pm for sandwiches and baguettes and had all booked in advance.

“But I didn’t realise that the trip was to help raise money for charity,” she admitted.

The ride, known as the Xchanging London Market cycle challenge, saw the team – all employees with Lloyd’s Insurance Market – tackle steep climbs at Duncton Hill, near Petworth, and Goodwood, before arriving in Littlehampton.

The team then rode back to their start point, in Dial Post, just south of Horsham.

The group managed to raise more than £7,000, which will be donated to help support the Evelina Children’s Hospital, in London, and the Vinoba Vidyalaya primary school in Shimoga, India.

Max Pell, who is a managing director at Xchanging, praised the riders saying it was an incredible achievement.