The original Rome to the Dome charity bike ride raised over £64,000 for Leukaemia Busters in 2001 and involved 28 riders and 14 support staff. Over 16 days they cycled more than 2,200km taking in the French and Italian Rivieras before heading up the Rhone Valley and then crossing the Central Massif and following the Loire Valley to Fontainebleau, before skirting Paris to Calais en route to St Paul's Cathedral in London.
In 2003, the team gathered for a pre-event social and this time the route was changed to include some climbing over the Alps, before descending to join the original route further up the Rhone Valley, at St Rambert. Altogether more challenging, but compensated for by the awesome scenery offered by the mountains and valleys along the way. A further £45,000 was raised for the charity by this long distance ride.
In 2004 Funraising Tours organised long distance bike ride 'Brands Hatch to Monaco' on behalf of the Bicycle Helmet initiative Trust which raised £23,000 for the charity.
After the success of the 2023 event Dennis is now organising the Transplant Tour 2024.
In 2006 Dennis was asked to support RBS in the design of their Murrayfield to Twickenham charity bike ride to raise money for NSPCC.
The Transplant Tour 2023
In 2023, the first ever Transplant Tour took place. The team cycled from Edinburgh to Oxford, calling at seven of the UK's transplant centres, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, and Birmingham before ending at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. In all, more than £35,000 was raised for Give a Kidney.
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
Freeman Hospital Newcastle
St James Hospital Leeds
Manchester Royal Infirmary
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Northern General Hospital Sheffield
