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 gallery 1

My Teams

My company

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

Good luck Dan - Does this mean you'll be riding X ??

Donation by Swainy on 27/06/07

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck, and don't worry about the Galibier - it's easier than Yarborough Hill ;-)

Donation by Keith Middleton on 26/06/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

A good cause. Good luck and ride safe.

Donation by Paul Woodhouse on 26/06/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

good luck Dan , good to see you back on bike

Donation by steve Poole on 26/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Good Luck!!!

Donation by Blackredgold1964 on 26/06/07

£12.00

+ £3.38 Gift Aid

wishing Pete all the best, nice to see him back on the bike

Donation by Steve Kemp on 26/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Best of luck Geoff

Donation by Allan Goodale on 25/06/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Donation by Simon Hill on 24/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck to all the team,and thanks for doing this!

Donation by Gary Hewitt on 24/06/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Donation by Ray Beech on 23/06/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Geoff and the boys, keep those gears rolling!!

Donation by Nick Corden on 23/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Allez! Allez! Good luck!

Donation by anonymous on 23/06/07

£500.00

+ £141.03 Gift Aid

Good luck to all on a fantastic ride for a fantastic cause.

Donation by Steve Duffy on 22/06/07

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Donation by Philip Bradley on 22/06/07

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

Don't know about fat feet, think there will be huge thighs after this... Go Mike Go!

Donation by Christine KBW on 22/06/07

£75.00

Thanks for the book - good luck in France

Donation by Clent PHills on 22/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Nice to see the Cyclists Fighting Cancer squad in action again! Good luck to you all.

Donation by Roy Campbell on 20/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Tear Pete's leg's off up those Col's

Donation by Nick Kinsey on 20/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck

Donation by DaveKay on 19/06/07

£100.00

+ £28.21 Gift Aid

Donation by anonymous on 18/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation by Catherine Walker on 18/06/07

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

Go Geoff - forever Palace - Good Luck mate - you are an inspiration

Donation by Peter Moody on 18/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Hope you all have good weather in the Alps and Pryenees

Donation by Matthew Sinnett on 18/06/07

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck Pete Slater and Geoff.

Donation by Anthony McCrossan on 18/06/07

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

Good luck to the Skipper, Wrightie & the rest of the team

Donation by Mark Gardiner on 17/06/07

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations$22,897.74
  • Offline donations$200,829.30
  • Text donations$0.00
  • Total raised$223,727.04
  • Gift Aid$5,263.31

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.