Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

Team Whippet is Nigel Bateson, Henry Woodhall, Ian Murray, Oliver Murray and John Simpson. Most of us are in middling mature years apart from Oliver who is 14.

This began in February 2011 over dinner with my step brother, Henry. We were talking about cycling and life, as you do, and he mentioned how one day he would like to cycle across the Pyrenees, coast to coast. Amazing I said, I have exactly the same ambition. So the idea was born! To be realistic we set 2013 as the year to do it. Ian, my brother in law in Australia, said it sounded like a good idea but 2013 is a long way away as is Australia.

Then in November 2011 Pat, my mother in law, was diagnosed with colon cancer and after two operations presented with a six month course of chemothererapy starting in January 2012. This gave Ian and his family a reason to come to England in the Summer of 2012. Suddenly  a2013 possibility of crossing the Pyrenees on bikes became a 2012 reality. Ian's son Oliver, spurred by Cadel Evans' victory in the 2011 Tour de France, threw his hat in and Team Whippet was created. A friend of ours, John, soon joined to complete the team.

Then we decided that since we are going to put ourselves through a lot of sweat and pain we should put the effort to good cause and what better than the organisation giving mother in law lots of help - MacMillan.

So thats how it started. From the 21st to 29th June we're going to cycle 720km in 8 days over 18 cols (mountains) from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic - its easy if you say it quickly!

We'd like to raise as much money as we possibly can which is why we're funding the whole thing ourselves and have set up this JustGiving site.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please donate now.

Nigel