'I'll give you a 1000:1 odds you won't do it' - quote from a London pub last summer when I mentioned wanting to apply for Sky's Etape 2011 challenge. That was the start of my Etape journey, securing me a Coach, Sponsorship Manager and two large bets in one night.

I went out and got a bike the next week and am now halfway through my training, with a confirmed place on this year's Etape - following one of the longest routes ever done in the Etape:

 

A 208Km ride from Issoire, following the Gorges de l'Alagnon, onto the Monts du Canal: Puy Mary and Plomb du Cantal and finishing with a final climb in Saint Flour.

 

Now I'm looking for you to keep me going over the months to come, with a donation to ClicSargent - a great charity that's close to home for me. Accumulator bets will also be accepted - contact kate.hobbs@bskyb.com to book.

 

*Thanks to TMNG for registering the first accumulator bet, £500 has been donated offline with a further £500 to come *when* Rob crosses the finish line! Funds will be split equally between the two charities Rob is supporting.

 

The details:

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.

Thanks,

Rob