After a year of inactivity I have decided to ride the 2011 Etape Du Tour - an amateur stage of the cycling Tour de France, up to Alpe D'Huez.

If you have not heard of it before, just think "cycling equivalent of the London Marathon": 10,000 people, stupid amounts of training and 30% of people will fail. The stage I'm riding is over the high mountain passes of the Col du Telegraphe ( 1,566m high), over the Col du Galibier ( 2,556 m) and then up the famous 21 hairpins up to Alpe D' Huez ( 1850m ). Just to put it into perspective, the smallest of these climbs is higher than Ben Nevis. This is going to hurt !

 As you may know, I ride for Hinckley Cycle Racing Club. Don't be fooled into thinking this is going to help! Each Tuesday I ride a 10 mile timetrial course. It is pretty much flat, except for a small lump in the middle, and I have problems getting over that. I think it is safe to say that hills are not my strong point. Finishing this is going to be a huge task for me.

As you will know, our life has had its ups and downs over the last couple of years. With loved ones suffering with Cancer, Strokes, Heart problems and Leukaemia. All have had an affect on me and those around me, so picking a charity was a difficult decision. In the end, we decided that while seeing adults struggling was upsetting, it was the thought of children falling to Cancer that upset us most. While I’m lucky enough to have 2 great, healthy children, other are not so lucky. Angus is a family friend. He’s at the age where he should be going out with his mates, playing rugby, causing trouble, sneaking into pubs and planning his next night out. Instead, he is going for Chemo. Simply not fair.  The Teenage Cancer Trust has helped him along the way. They have helped him cope with thoughts of his future and have helped his Mum and Dad and sister and extended family cope with what is happening. They deserve every penny you can spare.

 

Thank You.

 Tim.

 

If you want to see how my training is going look here :

http://timsetape.blogspot.com/

 

The just Giving Bit :
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.

You can also donate by phone. Text ETAP55 followed by an amount to 70070.
eg. ETAP55 £10