On the 19 of September 2011 my brother Alan passed away at home aged 54, after a long battle with cancer.  He fought the disease with stoicism and no little humour, refusing to let it stop him from enjoying what were to be his final years.  A genuine force of nature, there were not many ambitions he failed to achieve in his sadly shortened life.  As a keen cyclist he had, however, planned to ride through France to Cannes, passing through a country he loved and where our family spent many, many, happy summers.  Sadly his health failed him before he was able to undertake the trip, so it remains to those of his friends and relatives with the requisite mix of physical capability and stupidity to complete the journey.  A group of 12 cyclists and 18 supporting family members will set out from St Malo to Cannes with the aim of completing the 900+ miles in a little under two weeks.  This means the riders will be looking at a gruelling average of 75 miles a day.  Nights will be spent under canvas and food largely the product of a camping stove.   

 

As befits an event of this kind, the riders will be aiming to raise money for charity, in this case the Grove House Hospice.  In his final days Alan’s biggest wish was to stay at home and face his final moments in familiar and comfortable surroundings.  His wish came true, passing away peacefully surrounded by family and friends in his family home.  This was only made possible by the amazing nursing care provided in his home by the Grove House Hospice.  They gave both him and his immediate family the support and confidence to deal with those final days at home.  As a charity they rely on donations to survive and do work which simply cannot be valued in any normal, rational way.  So if you have taken the time to read this, please feel free to use my donation link and donate - no matter how small, it will make a difference.

 

Please note that this trip is entirely funded by the riders and all donations will go to Grove House Hospice