Update: Very hard, hot day, Col du Galibier & Alpe d'Huez were climbed with cramping leg but didn't stop. Just as well because I finished in 8 hrs 47 mins 13 secs, so achieved the gold by 1 minute 47 seconds.  Then did a personal best on the Alpe d'Huez timetrial next morning of 1 hour 3 minutes. My hamstrings were in agony for the next couple of days but I think it's been worth it.....

Thanks for all the donations received so far. Photos & video of the ride to follow next week.

Dan

Thanks to everyone's generosity over the past 4 years I have raised over £6,400 on annual cycle events for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without borders).
 
On 4th July I'm tackling La Marmotte bike race again for MSF. Covering a distance of 178kms, including 5,000m of vertical climbing in the French Alps, it’s known as one of the toughest one-day cycling events in the world.
 
Last year I finished in 9 hours 29 minutes achieving my silver medal target time. This year despite the addition of another baby making sleep & training harder I'm aiming to shave 41 minutes off to achieve the gold medal time of 8 hours 49 minutes. The following morning, if I'm able to get back on the bike, I'm doing a 22km time trial up Alpe d'Huez (1,100m vertical climb).
 
MSF is the leading non-governmental organisation for emergency medical aid working in over 80 countries around the world, giving help to those who need it most regardless of ethnic origin, religion or political affiliation (http://www.msf.org). The recent humanitarian crisis's in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Somalia reinforce the huge importance of MSF's work in areas of the world few other charities .
 
My legs are shaved, I've hardly touched a beer or cake for months, I have a new lighter bicycle, an older but lighter body, so if any of you kind souls out there would like to sponsor me, please follow the instructions on this page.

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.

Thanks in advance,
 
Dan