French quarantine rules put ex-Wolves star Geoff Thomas's fundraising cycle challenge in doubt
Former Wolves star Geoff Thomas's leukaemia fundraising cycle ride next month has been put in doubt after the French government imposed quarantine measures on arrivals from the UK.
Blood cancer survivor Thomas, who has raised millions for charity since beating the illness, is due to lead a 25-strong team of cyclists along the Tour de France route to raise £1 million for Care Leukaemia.
But their plans have been thrown into chaos after France ruled people arriving from the UK would need to quarantine for seven days amid concerns over the Indian variant.
Last year's event also had to be cancelled because of Covid. The team has received support from Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme, who has called for the event to be allowed to go ahead.
Thomas, 56, who spent four years at Wolves in the mid-1990s and also played for England, is now calling on the French government to give the group special dispensation, to ensure the challenge can go ahead from June 19.
He said: “This week’s announcement by the French government has placed The Tour 21 event at serious risk with three weeks to go until we are due to set off.
"As a former patient myself I know that vital funds from events like The Tour 21 save lives and hence why I urge both the UK and French governments to provide us with the special dispensation we now need to take on the challenge and raise £1m.
"With last year’s event also being postponed we have been training now for nearly two years and throughout the endless hours of training we have undertaken, we have always had patients at the forefront of our minds knowing that this is much more than just a cycling challenge.
"By raising at least £1,000,000 from The Tour 21 we will ensure more blood cancer patients survive this horrible disease and give hope to blood cancer patients across the world.”
