Six ladies of the Cappuccino Cycling Club in Harrogate have ditched their bib shorts and jerseys for lacy underwear to raise money for the air ambulance.
Published ahead of the Grand Depart next month, the calendar will feature the scantily clad ladies in 12 different locations along the race route. Shot by BAFTA winning film maker Paul Berriff and leading fashion photographer Michael Dunne, the ladies wear Rigby and Peller underwear, the same brand that supply underwear to the Queen no less!
Sue, one of the club members who is the face of September said: “We are all keen cyclists and used to a challenge but this was something new. Swapping Lycra for lace left us feeling exposed even before the cameras arrived! Like cycling the experience has had its ups and downs but we supported each other with humour and encouragement, like we do on our rides.
“We have welcomed the opportunity to raise money for the air ambulance, a charity we rely on to be there at any time. It has been a once in a lifetime experience and a very different way to celebrate the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire.”
The calendar was initiated by Berriff who recalls the first time he approached the ladies with the idea: “I telephoned Liz Annetts of the Cappuccino club and asked if they were willing to strip off and wear underwear in front of a camera, there was silence for around twenty seconds before she realised what I had just asked her,” he said.
“Within an hour she came back to me with six volunteers and before long we had fourteen ladies offering to be photographed. I couldn’t believe how quickly they responded. We were on location in some very cold weather but the ladies in their underwear were not at all concerned,” he continued.
