Ex-Wolves star Geoff Thomas to take on greatest challenge of his life
Five amateur cyclists including former Wolves player Geoff Thomas will take on an epic cycle challenge across Europe.
The Three Tours Challenge will see each team member cycle the three Grand Tours – the Giro D'Italia, Le Tour de France and La Vuelta a España.
This challenge is a monumental one, with each rider set to cycle a total of 10,504km, all in only 63 days of cycling.
The team is seeking sponsorship for the challenge, which is due to start on May 4.
Once financial backing is secured, the team have the inspirational aim of raising £1m for blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia and its appeal to fully fund the expansion of the internationally-renowned Centre for Clinical Haematology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
Only 39 professional riders have ever completed all three Grand Tours in the same year and it is something that no amateur team or female cyclist has ever taken on before. The team of five amateur cyclists will be riding one day in front of the professionals, mirroring the exact same routes of this year's famous events.
The riders are businessman Doug McKinnon, wealth manager James Maltin, chef Hayden Groves, chef and motivational speaker Marcus Leach and leukaemia survivor and ex-England international Geoff. Doug McKinnon said: "After riding the Tour de France in 2015 for Cure Leukaemia I realised the truly transformational work that this charity supports.
"We have done everything we can to make this happen so far but we need significant financial backing to take this on."
The challenge was officially launched at the offices of JustGiving in Southwark in February and was hosted by broadcaster, writer and Cure Leukaemia patron, Adrian Chiles.
Geoff Thomas, who has completed the Tour de France on three previous occasions and is a patron of Cure Leukaemia, said: "I would not be here now without Cure Leukaemia and Professor Charlie Craddock, it is as simple as that.
"Beating blood cancer was my biggest ever challenge but in terms of sporting challenges this will be beyond anything I have ever taken on. We can train and prepare as much as is needed but we need support from the sporting and business world.
"I hope that there is someone out there who can back this challenge because I know how important the cause is that will ultimately benefit."
For more information email pmrevents@outlook.com
Donations to Three Tours Challenge can be made here and would be gratefully received – www.justgiving.com/fundraising/3tours
