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
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