From Capital to capital by degrees: Capital International sponsors OU student August temperatures in Spain may have ‘gone mental’ according to Port St Mary resident Steven Primrose-Smith who is cycling to every capital city in Europe, but at least he is comfortable in the saddle, thanks to the cycling kit sponsored by Capital International. Speaking from Zaragoza where temperatures have been more than 40?C, the 41-year-old Open University student, who is combining cycling with studying, completing degrees in maths and physical science and raising funds for charity between 2011 and 2013, said: ‘The cycling shorts from Capital are by far my favourite pair and are holding up well in the heat.’ Steven left from Douglas in March and has visited London, St Helier, Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Bratislava, Vienna, Liechtenstein, Bern and Andorra. From Zaragoza he will be heading for Mallorca, en route to Lisbon and Gibraltar. He continued: ‘I had to go over a 2400-metre pass - the highest on the trip so far – to reach Andorra. I’m planning to leave the bike in the Costa del Sol for the winter then start again next spring, when I’ll do Madrid and another 16 or 17 capitals, this time in southern and eastern Europe. I’m having a fantastic time and have met some wonderful people including lots of Open University students. The studying is going well, too. I sat a planetary exam in Vienna in June and got the results a couple of weeks ago – a distinction – so I’m very happy with that.’ The idea for the ‘unicyclist’s’ 31,000-kilometre self-funded challenge came after he nearly died from a brain haemorrhage in 2009 caused by high blood pressure, prompting him to raise money for the Blood Pressure Association, also Action for Animals, which supports animal rescue projects around the world and OUSET, a charity supporting less well-off students fund their education via the Open University. Steven added: ‘Interestingly, wherever I go, everyone I speak to, regardless of nationality, has heard of the Isle of Man, thanks to the TT.’ Capital International’s group head of marketing Antony Kelsey said: ‘We were pleased to lend support to Steven for his challenge. Naturally we were attracted by the “capital” theme and the international nature of his trip, given that we operate an international business. We also applaud the fact that he is clearly driven by a will to achieve, a quality which resonates well with the Capital International Group and we wish him continued success in his cycling, studies and fundraising efforts.’ Steven’s ‘Capital’ progress can be followed at www.unicycle50.com. Ends