The Etape du Tour is an annual event held in conjunction with the Tour de France. Each year a single mountainous stage of the Tour is selected for amateur participation - the professionals ride the stage on a different day.

This will be my 11th consecutive participation in the Etape. In the first ten, my goal was to achieve the highest possible medal standard - bronze for a finish, silver for a respectable finish or gold for those animals who just spend too much time racing on their bikes! Three silver and seven bronze are already in the bag. There is one snag however -  there is a cut off time and, being caught by the sweep vehicle means your day has ended.

As age takes it's toll, the sweep vehicle is getting uncomfortably close to my wheel. So, as a worthwhile and an added incentive for 2010, I am raising funds for Get Kids Going who help disabled kids achieve their dreams by providing equipment so that they can participate in sporting events.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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 - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.