Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This year I have set my self the challenge of riding up Mont Ventoux in the south of France, not once but three times in a single day and thus earn the coveted Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux.

Cinglés is French slang for nuts, crazy, bonkers! I will be proud to wear this badge - if I get back in one piece. Apart from the 3 strength sapping climbs one has to contend with 3 fearful descents.

I shall be ascending this beast from three different sites - Bedoin, Malaucene and Salte on one of

the longest and hottest day in June

this year. I am doing all this to raise funds for The Leicestershire Air Ambulance so that they can continue with their vital work. Please donate as much as you can and don’t forget to Gift Aid it if appropriate. It is part of the WN and DLR and Children’s Air Ambulance service. It is entirely funded by donations. To learn more about it please visit

https://theairambulanceservice.org.uk

Some say Mont Ventoux is the hardest of all the mythical Tour de France climbs and rightly so. The mountain achieved worldwide notoriety when it claimed the life of the great British cyclist Tom Simpson, who died here on July 13th 1967 from a combination of a stomach upset, heat exhaustion, alcohol and amphetamines.

On the 13th stage of the 1967 Tour de France, a monster 211km stage from Marseille to Carpentras ridden in temperatures in the mid 30's Tom began to weave wildly across the road before he fell down. He was delirious but then in those immortal words, asked spectators to "put me back on my bike!" He then rode to within 1.5km of the summit before collapsing, still clipped into his pedals. Sadly he died in the Helicopter on the way to Carpentras Hospital. Amphetamines were found in his jersey and bloodstream.

There is a memorial to Tom near the summit which has become a shrine to fans of cycling, who often leave small tokens of remembrance there.

In 1970 Eddy Merckx rode himself to the brink of collapse while winning the stage. He received oxygen, recovered, and won the Tour de France.

Some great quotes:

"Physically, the Ventoux is dreadful. Bald, it's the spirit of Dry: Its climate (it is much more an essence of climate than a geographic place) makes it a damned terrain, a testing place for heroes, something like a higher hell."Roland Barthes, French philosopher and bicycle racing fan.

"The Ventoux is a god of Evil, to which sacrifices must be made. It never forgives weakness and extracts an unfair tribute of suffering." Roland Barthes, French philosopher and bicycle racing fan.

"I fought battles here in a past life." Dai Parry, (Cwn Carn Paragon Cycling Club, S. Wales) 2km below Chalet Reynard.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.