Raised: 73%
Target: £3,000.00
Raised so far: £2,193.88
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My story

 
Completed Successfully: Almost wiped out after crash descending Galibier, almost boiled due to 38c heat up Alpe D'Huez, but now back home with a silver medal after conquering the Marmotte :)

Thanks to all who generously donated to EveryChild! If you haven't yet, please feel free to donate, it's never too late :)

Full ride report now on www.jansz.com

UPDATE You can now track my progress during the actual race on Saturday the 4th here (My entry number is 148423, but my race number is 6032 which I think is the one you need to use)

And now you will be able to see video near-live (3 mins after passing) at three spots (Valloire / Bourg d'Oisan / Alpes d'Huez) here. The video may be near-live, but I'll be going at a snail's pace so you get plenty of time to see the agony :)

Thanks for looking, and feel free to donate!
       
On the 1st of April as a true fool I decided to enter La Marmotte in July.

Those who know me, know that I have always held that road cycling is for wooses, and mountain biking is where it's at. However this race may change my mind on that! I am not a roadie, and have just three months to turn into a road cyclist.

La Marmotte is probably the most famous - and one of the the most challenging - Cyclosportive in France. 174 kilometres (108 miles) and 5,180 metres vertical ascent (16,995 feet) eek!

It includes three legendary hors category climbs: Col de la Croix Fer/Glandon, Col du Galibier via Télégraphe, and finishes at the top of one the most famous Tour de France climbs, Alpe d’Huez.

The charity EveryChild, which you are hopefully going to contribute to, helps children in the worlds poorest countries.

I chose this charity because during my travels to many of these countries I have met and seen many children who are in need of help. I will never forget walking through a village in northern Laos affected by a yellow fever outbreak, with children lying dying of a disease which they could have been inoculated against; or the numerous times I have seen children and whole families sleeping rough on the streets of India; or the children disabled by mines in Cambodia; or the kids picking through rubbish tips in Myanmar to eke a living from recycling.

Hopefully these memories and your donations will encourage me to pedal up the mountains.

Many thanks,

Menno

PS Training updates (ie whinging) will be put on the www.jansz.com website.

PPS I'm paying for the flights, entry fees, accommodation, etc. so all cash which you donate will go to the charity.

Better late than never mate. Well done and enjoy the rest of the year :-) Donation by RayC 03/08/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

I take it you went up the alpe d'huez like Contador into verbier. Well done that dutch boy. Donation by Keir Bowden 30/07/09  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Surely its wusses? I take it you won't be using your electric bike! Donation by Jonathan Archer 06/07/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by Reavey 03/07/09  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Good luck Menno! Hope it goes really well. Take care x Donation by Gemma Pitman 02/07/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Think this takes you to your target amount! Good luck! Donation by Warren Bodilly 02/07/09  

£40.00 + £11.28 Gift Aid

Enjoy the pain! Donation by Chris Clague 02/07/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Donation by Anonymous 02/07/09  

£50.00

Hope you do well mate. Still waiting for Kibo summit pics. Enjoy & a great cause. Donation by Chris Campbell 30/06/09  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Beat the brrrrrrrrooooooooooommmmm Wagon! Donation by Khanh Luong 30/06/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck! Looking forward to you finishing your road madness and getting back to proper cycling. Donation by Gina Longo 29/06/09  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Donation by Anonymous 26/06/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

easy. Donation by Kieran Mahony 24/06/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Donation by Tom Parkinson 19/06/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good Luck! Great charity! Donation by Phoebe 18/06/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by Olly 18/06/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck. Donation by Paul Lockwood 17/06/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

You are mad, but good luck! Donation by Phil Shotton 17/06/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good Luck Donation by Hilary Mc Conway 13/06/09  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Have fun! Donation by Suzanne Eddy 11/06/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck mennomenoe, wear a yellow jersey people will think you're winning! Donation by Rachel Johnson 08/06/09  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Is the cartoon cyclist depicting how your backside is going to feel after the course? Donation by Gary Sedgwick 08/06/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Isn't La Marmotte just a small hill? Donation by Jonathan Lee 02/06/09  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good luck Donation by Steven 29/05/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck. Don't forget your electric motor! Donation by Tim Golding 28/05/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Best of luck - I am doing the Transpennine in July, seems tame by comparison, but then I am quite a bit older and flabbier than you! Have fun. Donation by Tom Monk 25/05/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

You'll enjoy every bit of it! "Carcassonne dejavu?" Donation by Mira 21/05/09  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Donation by Raul Coutinho Garrido 19/05/09  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck my friend ! Donation by Jim Liddle 08/05/09  

£30.00

Heard this is the toughest - rather you than me...! Donation by E, the brain mapper 05/05/09  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
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