Dubliner cycling 1,100km from Netherlands to Italy for Debra

A thrill-seeking Dubliner is gearing up for an 1,100 km cycle from The Netherlands to Italy – for an extremely good cause.

Kalebh Fynes will be joined by five friends when he takes on the mammoth bike ride early next month.

It is the latest in a long list of challenges he has undertaken for Debra, the national charity helping those living with the incurable skin condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB) in Ireland.

In 2001, when Kalebh was aged six, he lost his 16-year-old brother Aaron to EB.

And while his annual challenge always remembers his sibling, the cycle will raise vital funds and advocate for those currently battling the cruel, genetic condition.

“Every year, we think about the people who are no longer with us, but this year we want to focus, also, on the people that are,” said Kalebh, 30, who is originally from Ballyboughal, but lives in The Netherlands, and has already completed a half-marathon, a climb of Kilimanjaro and a Dublin-Galway cycle for Debra.

“It’s a 1,100 km cycle, but it’s a minuscule amount of suffering compared to someone who lives with EB.

The trek begins in early August, leaving Kalebh’s base in Eindhoven in The Netherlands and arriving in Milan.

He will be joined every pedal of the way by pals Alan Doyle from Clondalkin, Ross Gordon from Skerries, Gary Tyrrell and Aaron Smith from Arklow in Wicklow, and Christopher Keogh from Naas, Kildare.

Alan, who met Kalebh around six years ago through working together at ASML Holding in Eindhoven, said that none of the friends have done much “bike packing” before their trip.

“We’re all a bunch of amateurs that have never done this, and we’re just giving it a go for a good cause,” he said.

“EB’s horrible, you’re fighting every day through pain. So that’s also one of the reasons why we want to do something – we’re going to fight through pain when it’s something we’re not used to, getting out of the comfort zone to raise awareness and raise money for a good cause.”

The lads have a €5,000 fundraising target, with €2,333 raised so far and have been supported by LAB-1 in Eindhoven, a bar which hosted a table quiz and raffle.

The group is due to leave Eindhoven on Saturday, August 2, and hopefully arrive at their final stop in Milan just over two weeks later by Sunday, August 17.