Jon Hanreck
Al & Jonno's page
Fundraising for Blood Cancer UK
Story
Back in December Al was having a pint with Jonno down at
The Trinity. He was telling Jonno all about this fantastic event last year in
which he and another 8,000 cyclists got to ride one of the stages of the Tour
de France just a couple of days before the pros turned up. Al explained that
2009 was going to be a very special year because the route will incorporate the
legendary (to cyclists) Mont Ventoux - a mountain so fierce that the 22km climb
to the top remains 'unclassified'. Of course, being the Tour de France, the
route has been spiced up by requiring participants to cycle a cool 150km before
the climb even begins. Concerned that Jonno didn't quite appreciate the enormity
of the challenge Al went on to point out that Ventoux is where Britain's most celebrated
cyclist, Tom Simpson, died of a heart attack just a couple of km from reaching
the summit. Finally, Al suggested it might be fun to have a go and, in a flourish of inebriated enthusiasm (which he has since had cause to regret), Jonno agreed.
<<<<< Check out the photos on the left and read on >>>>>
According to the Guardian: "The Tour de France is cycling's pinnacle, and Ventoux is perhaps le Tour's most infamous climb. It is "a monument to cycling", says Jean-François Pescheux, the tour's sporting director. "Ventoux overlooks no valley, leads nowhere," wrote Paul Fournel, the French cyclist-philosopher. "Its only purpose is to be climbed."
So the general plan is that on Monday 20 July we, as part of Team Les Rosbifs, will be climbing about 2 miles into the air over an overall distance of 107miles. The temperature at the bottom is expected to be about 34 degrees - the temperature at the top could be as low as freezing. The gradients reach as much as 18% in places and we will each burn about 9000 calories in the process. And to make things even worse we will have to keep in front of the elimination van - as soon as it passes in front of you it is 'game over'.
So where do you come in? Obviously this is a huge challenge for both of us and assuming we finish we will have a huge sense of achievement. But it would be great if we could also use the occasion to do something more positive so we want you to help by buying shares in our challenge. We promise that for every pound you put in we will put in two pounds worth of effort in order to deliver a maximum dividend for our chosen charity Leukaemia Research (www.lrf.org.uk). Leukaemia is something that we had never had cause to give much thought to until it affected good friends close to us. Mat is still finishing his treatment and won't be well enough to join us on this year's adventure. Bob has made a spectacular recovery and is planning to spectate from the slopes of Ventoux itself.
Everything we raise, plus a bit extra, goes to charity and not towards the cost of the event. Thanks for taking the time to visit.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
<<<<< Check out the photos on the left and read on >>>>>
According to the Guardian: "The Tour de France is cycling's pinnacle, and Ventoux is perhaps le Tour's most infamous climb. It is "a monument to cycling", says Jean-François Pescheux, the tour's sporting director. "Ventoux overlooks no valley, leads nowhere," wrote Paul Fournel, the French cyclist-philosopher. "Its only purpose is to be climbed."
So the general plan is that on Monday 20 July we, as part of Team Les Rosbifs, will be climbing about 2 miles into the air over an overall distance of 107miles. The temperature at the bottom is expected to be about 34 degrees - the temperature at the top could be as low as freezing. The gradients reach as much as 18% in places and we will each burn about 9000 calories in the process. And to make things even worse we will have to keep in front of the elimination van - as soon as it passes in front of you it is 'game over'.
So where do you come in? Obviously this is a huge challenge for both of us and assuming we finish we will have a huge sense of achievement. But it would be great if we could also use the occasion to do something more positive so we want you to help by buying shares in our challenge. We promise that for every pound you put in we will put in two pounds worth of effort in order to deliver a maximum dividend for our chosen charity Leukaemia Research (www.lrf.org.uk). Leukaemia is something that we had never had cause to give much thought to until it affected good friends close to us. Mat is still finishing his treatment and won't be well enough to join us on this year's adventure. Bob has made a spectacular recovery and is planning to spectate from the slopes of Ventoux itself.
Everything we raise, plus a bit extra, goes to charity and not towards the cost of the event. Thanks for taking the time to visit.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.