When we first reported the Trans Malaysia Express (TME) charity bike ride back in March, the venture was still in its planning stages but with just a week to go before the famous 15 set off from the Thai-Malaysian border, the project has grown into an epic undertaking.

Riders are gearing up for the Trans Malaysia Express

TME brainchild Richard Thevenon first dreamt up the idea of a small group of friends riding the length of peninsular Malaysia from Thailand to Singapore from June 1-2; he simply saw it as a good way to combine a cycling adventure with an effort to raise money for a worthwhile charity.

Malaysia’s national tourism board have embraced the concept of a group of cyclists riding 800km in under 48 hours as a way to showcase Malaysia as a great cycling destination. And they are pulling out the stops to make sure the inaugural Trans Malaysia Express goes off without an organizational hitch.

The chosen charity, A New Vision (www.anewvision.org), which restores sight to blind people in the developing world, is also set to benefit in a spectacular way. The men of the TME set a loft goal of US$75,000, but at the time of press, over US$40,000 had already been raised with the prospect of beating the target now a distinct possibility.

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