‘Le Tour de Sakhalin’ 2007: Some of the good guys doing good work at SEIC

In mid September a small group of Sakhalin Energy Investment Company employees will set off from Okha, the most northern town on Sakhalin Island, to cycle to Yuzhno, approximately 1200 kilometres to the south. Big deal, you might say, but wait a minute: they plan to do it in 10 days, on small tracks and on every condition of non-metalled road surface known to man.

The route will take the team down from Okha to Nogliki, to the Sakhalin Energy Onshore Processing Facility (OPF), and then across to the west of the island, through some pretty hairy country, back onto the main road (dirt track), and then out again to the west down almost as far as Kholmsk, and then finally home to Yuzhno, where they will be showered with Champagne and promised a life of fame and fortune. To the best of their knowledge, this has never been attempted before.

The cycling team is made up of Charlie Mitchell (Booster Station 2 project – the man with this daft idea), Willie Lindsay (Pipelines project – the man who believed in the daft idea), Dirk Nevelsteen (Economist – the most famous Belgian on Sakhalin Island), John Fraeijhoven (LNG Operations – all round good egg, road lover AND team treasurer), Julian Waldemar-Brown (Security – Marathon Des Sables veteran and army nutter), Mark De Bello (Pipelines project – Bear hunter, fisherman, man of the forest, cook, medic and long time Sakhalin inhabitant) and Julian Johnson (HR – round the world sailing veteran and regular faller). The team is ably managed by Vlad Bogomolov (Logistics – been there, done that, and general fixer).

Whilst this is a challenge of mind over matter, brains over boredom, rain, mud, wind, mosquitoes, other road users, dust, bears, poachers, snow, blisters, crotch rot, food poisoning, dehydration, disease and 10 days of Charlie’s jokes, each member of the team will be savouring the journey for their own personal gratification. However, the team also see this as a great opportunity to rasie money to help schools and other institutions for young people in remote areas of the island. Given the importance of outdoor activities to Russians, and in line with the nature of the “Tour de Sakhalin”, the team is therefore raising money to buy outdoor/sporting equipment for a number of young person’s institutions/schools which will include:

• Region State Institution Social Rehabilitation Centre for Under-aged – Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinskiy (Aboltina 19)

• Children Sport School (ДЮСШ) of winter sports in Alexandrovsk- Sakhalinsky

• Municipal Educational Institution, Secondary school – Roschino, Smirnykh district

• Municipal Children Educational Institution, Kindergarten “Skazka” – Kholmsk (Vostochny pereulok, 1)

To make this possible we need your help.

So please sponsor the “Tour de Sakhalin” team on this noble quest and we in turn promise that we will complete our task and ensure ALL the money that you give will be converted into useful equipment for these children. How much is given depends on your generosity but be assured that feedback will be given on what the money is spent on.

“Le Tour de Sakhalin” is sponsored by Sakhalin Energy, Kentech, Sakhalin NefteGas Services, Fluor, KentzDalektromontazh, Compressor Controls Corporation, Eaststroy, KCA Deutag, Cape, Rolls Royce, Starstroi, CTSD.

Click on this link to view map and photographs

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