On the 8 July I will be cycling stage 11 of the Tour de France from Albertville to La Toussuire as part of L’Etape du Tour Act 1. I was sitting here wondering how to explain the challenge and up popped an email from the organisers with this blurb: “4 climbs. No small asphalted hills here, nothing but serious and intense ascent. Take out your calculators. Madeleine, Glandon, Mollard, and La Toussuire: 70km of at least 6% gradient average in the Alps.” In total I’ll be cycling over 150km, sitting in the saddle for around 8 hours and hoping I have enough food to energise me through and padding on my bum. I still don’t know what drove me to sign up. I’ve always loved my mountain biking since I was young and had the hills on my doorstep but since moving to London I have swapped off road for tarmac and found some different hills to climb and descend!

I’m attempting this challenge with 3 colleagues from Liberty Wines – Gary, David and Tim – and around 10,000 other entrants. We’re just back from a reccy in the Alps where I learnt how to pace myself up the long climbs, stay hydrated in the heat and to avoid eating half a pizza and a bowl of carbonara for lunch before heading up a 25km climb with a thunder storm approaching.

I will be dividing any money raised between Marie Curie Cancer Care, Macmillan Cancer Support and the Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres. I have 1st hand experience of how amazing these 3 charities are. I’ll be digging deep into my reserves of energy to make it through the day and would really appreciate if you can do the same and donate as much as you can afford.  

Thanks and see you at the bottom!