Liverpool supporters cycle 3500km from Istanbul to Liverpool in support of Alzheimer’s Society

In loving memory of their much-missed friend John Rowlands from Moreton, Wirral, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his early 40s and passed away aged 45, Tim Fanucci and Stuart Glen are close to concluding their continent-spanning ride.

So far, they have raised over £8000 and created important awareness around early onset Alzheimer’s. Their 3500km journey ends at the resting place of their late friend who was from the Wirral on Friday 19^th September at Landican Cemetery, and from there they will come to the city.

Tim says:

“It’s been a crazy and profound experience for us, with some genuinely hair-raising moments, like fighting off wild dogs and bears cycling through Serbia which was intense. We also lost some of our lights so there was some sketchy night riding until we got replacements. We’ve talked a lot  and reflected about John and his life on the ride, and how much we wish he was here, and what he’d think of this adventure. We’d love to raise over £10,000 if we can from this crazy idea we came up with in the pub one day.”

Their epic ride started on Tuesday 19th August 2025 and has taken in Istanbul, Çorlu, Edirne, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary and more countries. The duo hope to draw attention to early-onset dementia, a condition that affects people under 65, and to honour John’s memory who was an avid Liverpool FC supporter. They have already raised over £8000 and want to reach £10,000.

Tim and Stuart both attended Liverpool John Moores from 2002 to 2005 and share an enduring love for the city from their time as students. Tim first met John on his first night moving to Liverpool and in true Merseyside style, John offered to show Tim its highlights and nightlife and they became firm friends from that moment on. Their friend John was obsessed with the 2005 UEFA Champions League final, widely known among Liverpool supporters as “The Road To Istanbul”. So they decided to flip the journey and cycle back, naming the challenge: “The Road FROM Istanbul” to finish in the city that celebrated Liverpool’s iconic victory and the city where their friendships began. 

Stuart adds:

“We can’t believe we’re almost at the end of the trip and to remember John who is still terribly missed by us all. Highlights have been Istanbul for the food, Budapest for the public baths, Vienna for the culture and kayaking. Europe is beautiful. The trip has not been without its challenges – we’ve had four flat tyres and one of our pedals fell off. And a bike derailleur broken but we managed to get that fixed. John always raved about Liverpool FC winning The Champions League in 2005 so we thought it only fitting to cycle the Road From Istanbul to Liverpool in his honour.”

Tim says:

“We’re absolutely not cyclists and had pretty much no training. In the first 24 hours we had a few mishaps, including a bike pedal falling off, stopping off at the dodgiest coach station, lack of water, spending hours looking for a bike shop with the right parts, and very sore bums, sore legs, sore muscles… everywhere sore, basically. But now we’re so close to arriving in Liverpool and that’s kept us going over the last month.”

Donations can be made here.

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