My story

FOR the second time in three years, Geoff Thomas and his Unity Team undertook one of the most testing challenges in all of professional sport during the summer of 2007 - The Tour de France.

Riding two days behind the actual race, Geoff and his intrepid team mates, including special guest riders such as football legend Ian Wright, attempted to cover the 3,550-kilometre course.

Geoff had successfully completed the route in 2005, raising over £170,000 for Leukaemia Research in the process.

Those efforts were sufficient to win the prestigious BBC Helen Rollason Sports Personality Award and the ringing personal praise of the greatest cyclist to ever live – seven-times Tour winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong.

Geoff explained: “I think it’s a well-known story now that when I was being treated for leukaemia, Lance’s book was a huge inspiration for me and led to me riding the Tour in 2005.

“This time, though, there was a slightly different motive. Four of the Unity team are, like me, cancer survivors and I thought it was important to spread the news and show examples of how many brave and inspirational people there are in the cancer community.

“Lance was an inspiration to me and people were kind enough to say I helped inspire them in 2005. Well, these guys should be an inspiration to everyone for what they accomplished and how they did it.”

The 2007 Tour de France started in London, giving the ride a personal feel to Geoff who spent the most successful period of his football career in the capital withCrystalPalace.

The route covered 3,550 kilometres, made up of 11 flat stages, 6 mountain stages, 1 medium mountain stage and 2 individual time-trial stages.  There were 3 mountain finishes, 2 rest days, 117 kilometres of individual time-trials and 21 Category 1, Category 2 and highest level passes.

It also featured some emotional highs and heartbreaking lows for Geoff, the riders and their hard-working support staff.

And you can follow the Unity Team every step of the way by visiting the Taking on Le Tour 2007 pages at www.geoffthomasfoundation.com

Please dig deep and sponsor the Unity Team

My charity

Geoff Thomas Foundation

Geoff Thomas Foundation

Charity Registration No. 216032

Ex-England Footballer and cancer survivor, Geoff Thomas is working in partnership with Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research - the only UK charity solely dedicated to research into blood cancers, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Your contribution really will make a difference to the lives of the 30,000 people diagnosed every year with a blood cancer. beatingbloodcancers.org.uk

Donations 354

I rode the C2C, but that pails into insignificance compared to your efforts. Well done!

Donation by Steven Degg on 29/10/07

£95.00

+ £26.79 Gift Aid

Donation by Ali Ingram on 28/10/07

£30.00

+ £8.46 Gift Aid

Donation by Alan Dobson on 26/10/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Have just read RTTS - hugely inspiring. Well done GT and the team

Donation by Adi Clark on 25/10/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

more support from the Lincoln Mafia....

Donation by Dan Ellmore on 23/10/07

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

Well done geoff, a tremendous achievement

Donation by Findlay on 16/10/07

£850.00

Donation by steven d mccarthy on 10/10/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Well done Geoff and team, a real inspiration.

Donation by Matt Evans on 09/10/07

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

Well done again Geoff and all your pals

Donation by Calvert Douglas on 04/10/07

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

well done

Donation by trevor hodgson on 27/09/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

For your efforts !!

Donation by Stephen Sladin on 19/09/07

£262.00

+ £73.90 Gift Aid

Congratulations and Respect.

Donation by Bill Joss on 13/09/07

£100.00

Donation by graham cooper on 11/09/07

£30.00

+ £8.46 Gift Aid

Donation by PeterCampbell on 08/09/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Fabulous work Jeff. You are an inspiration

Donation by Steve Brett on 07/09/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Well done fellow cyclist

Donation by Geoff on 06/09/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by anonymous on 06/09/07

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

Well done to all riders and support team - I feel very honoured to have met you all.

Donation by Angela Love on 06/09/07

£290.00

+ £81.79 Gift Aid

from sandrs customers at snips

Donation by david granger on 05/09/07

£1,131.00

+ £319.00 Gift Aid

Magnificent effort once again. CHAPEAU !!!

Donation by FRANK RIDDOCH AND BRIAN GLENNIE on 04/09/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Just finished reading the book. It was truly inspirational. Well done!

Donation by James Goodger on 04/09/07

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

thanks for fantastic tour it was the best thing i have ever done.

Donation by custard man on 03/09/07

£80.00

+ £22.56 Gift Aid

Final sponsorship for M Norwell (Ardechoise 2007) towards Geoff Thomas Foundation

Donation by Sue for Jane B (Ardechoise 2007) on 02/09/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Donation by Russell Barnes on 01/09/07

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

Payment of Commison on April sales £113.50 and May Sales £263.00

Donation by Impsport Lincoln Ltd on 31/08/07

£376.50

Donation summary

  • * Online donations$23,057.98
  • Offline donations$202,234.72
  • Text donations$0.00
  • Total raised$225,292.70
  • Gift Aid$5,300.15

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