The Challenge - a French end-to-end

On June 9th (the day after my 60th birthday) I'm setting out to cycle from the English Channel at Caen to the Mediterranean at Nice, a distance of about 1200km, or 750 miles.  I aim to do it in a little over 2 weeks.  My route will take me through Normandy, the Loire, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley to the foothills of the Alps. This part of the journey should get me in to shape to tackle the Alps and fulfill a long-standing ambition to ride some of the classic climbs of the Tour de France.  I'll be going over the Cols of Telegraph, Galibier, Lautaret, Izoard and Vars before taking the highest road in Europe, the Cime de la Bonette, following which my reward will be a day and half of descent all the way down to the sea at Nice.

You can follow my progress on Twitter - @nigelhamilton3

The Charity

As well enjoying the ride, and the French countryside, food and wine, I'm using the ride as an opportunity to raise money for the Musician's Benevolent Fund.  As most visitors to this page will know I've always been passionate about music and the Fund exists to provide help to musicians of all genres when they need it, at any time in their career.

The Fund provides help to young musicians to develop their career ansd musicianship, to working musicians who face a crisis (perhaps a family problem, or an injury that stops them playing or needs special therapy), and to older musicians or those with long term health problems who can no longer play, or earn.  The insecurities of a musican's life make the availability of the Fund's help invaluable.

More details of the Fund's work can be found at http://www.helpmusicians.org.uk

I'm delighted to have recently started working for the Fund and I'm also very grateful to it for giving me the time off to make this trip, which I'd planned before taking the job.  I hope you will sponsor me and help to give something back to the musicians who give us all so much pleasure.  The Fund is entirely dependent on donations, and all sponsorship money will go directly to helping musicians. (I'm meeting all my personal costs, after all I get to enjoy the journey!) 

Many thanks,

Nigel