Phil Howard to cycle 3,500km Tour de France route for charity
The Elystan Street chef-patron is part of The Tour 21, where he will join 17 amateur cyclists hoping to complete the full Tour de France route one week ahead of the professionals.
Starting in Tuscany on 22 June, the riders will tackle all 21 gruelling stages of the Tour de France route – one of the world’s most demanding sporting challenges. Riders will undergo a record amount of climbing over the 3,500km route in exactly the same time frame as the pros, with Howard expected to be in the saddle for up to 10 hours each day.
Howard is cycling for Cure Leukaemia with a target of raising at least £30,000 for the charity via his JustGiving page.
“I have long supported blood cancer charities and with the loss of my father-in-law to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, it is a cause that feels very close to home. The huge fundraising aspect of this ride is as challenging as the training itself but I am in no doubt that this will be the best source of motivation for the Herculean effort that lies ahead,” he says.
“I will have to dig deep to get from Florence to Nice but it will make all the difference to know that there are supporters out there who have dug deep to ensure that I do. There are so many asks out there, but a heartfelt thank you in advance for any contribution to this very worthy cause.”
All money raised will go towards funding more nurses and running more trials for the Trials Acceleration Program (TAP), which allows patients to be connected with world-class and potentially lifesaving treatment that would otherwise not be available to them through standard care.
“It is always a special day when we welcome a new cohort of riders into the Cure Leukaemia family, and none more so this year with the addition of Phil Howard as he joins The Tour 21 team,” says James McLaughlin, chief executive at Cure Leukaemia.
“We are immensely grateful to Phil for choosing to fundraise on behalf of the charity and train for one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world of cycling. The team is becoming a part of a very exclusive club by taking on all 21 stages of the Tour de France – a feat that very few amateur cyclists can list as part of their achievements. The sacrifices made by him over the past 6-8 months have been inspiring – safe in the knowledge that he is making a real difference to blood cancer patients across the world.”
To donate to Howard's JustGiving page, click here.
