The teams - made up of CIE-Group directors and members of the AV sales and technical support staff - will cycle from St Malo in the North of France to Bordeaux in the South, covering more than 550 miles in the saddle.
This will be the seventh year that CIE-Group staff has taken on a charity cycle challenge, having so far raised in excess of £13,000 for Cancer Research, The British Heart Foundation and local children's charity Derby Kids' Camp.
All three teams - riding under the 'HDBaseTeam' banner - are sponsored by UK AV Signal Distribution brand CYP, with the team name giving a nod towards the vast range of HDBaseT products launched by CYP over the past two years.
This will be the second year of sponsorship from CYP and CYP sales manager Gareth Rolls is a particularly enthusiastic supporter; "It gives us great pride at CYP to sponsor the CIE-Group team for their 50th Anniversary cycle challenge. The dedication and commitment to fundraising and the promotion of the charities of which they are passionate about, is truly awe-inspiring.
"Everyone here at CYP will be following the teams' progress and willing them on through the arduous three day ride. We encourage everyone in the AV industry and beyond to pledge their support by donating to this fantastic cause and help the team continue to change lives for the better."
The three HDBaseTeams will leave the UK on Wednesday 25 September, cycling from St Malo in the early hours of Thursday 26 with the aim of reaching Bordeaux in the rather later hours of Saturday 28.
Cycle Team captain (and CIE's group sales director), Steve Collin explains, "Reaching our 50th Anniversary is a huge milestone for CIE-Group and it is important to the company and the staff to mark the occasion with an event that we can all be proud of, for many more years to come.
"Our three chosen charities have been there for many staff members over the Company's years and we want to make a huge effort to show our gratitude."
Cycle Team member and CIE-Group marketing director, Chris Edwards, has a very personal attachment to the company's adopted local charity Derby Kids' Camp. "For the past 14 years I have been volunteering for the Charity which provides free holidays to many of the local area's most disadvantaged young children. Over the years, I have had the pleasure to work with thousands of young children to provide them with what is most likely the first holiday they have ever experienced."
Also Chairman of the charity, Chris added, "The support of the CIE-Group cycle team over the past seven years has been hugely important to our charity, with their fundraising efforts so far having fully funded more than seventy children's holidays. With the efforts of the cycle team this year we look forward to that number being more than 100 children having the CIE cyclists to thank for an amazing experience and a happy memory they will never forget."
CIE's HDBaseTeam urge all readers, customers, friends and colleagues to please 'Give a little to help a lot' this year simply by texting HDBT50, £5 to 70070 or by donating online at@ www.justgiving.com/HDBaseTeam-2014.
This year's CIE-Group cycle teams include: Steve Collin (group sales director), Martin Featherstone (CYP product manager), Chris Edwards (marketing director), Lauren Bamford (AV account manager), Kevin Sherwood (sales director), Andrew Short (senior technical support) and Brent Hill (account manager).
(Jim Evans)
