Around 1,350 kids & young adults are diagnosed annually in the UK with a form of Childhood Leukaemia.  That's an average of 3-4 every single day!

Unfortunately, my incredible daughter Liv is one of these kids. Diagnosed with ALL ( Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia) as a 12 year old in November 2020 she is currently undergoing  an extensive 2.5 years chemotherapy treatment programme to try and clear her of this horrible disease!

* These kids are faced with the fear and anxiety of intense and extensive medical treatment to try and achieve a cure. This often creates life altering challenges for the child during a period when they are developing emotionally, physically and intellectually.
*In the UK, 85% of children diagnosed with Childhood Leukaemia are alive at least 5 years after diagnosis, however, this does not mean they are cured or free from long-term side affects. Treatments are decades old, developed for for adults and the toxicity of these treatments are often a contributing factor.
* Children who are treated for cancer are twice as likely to suffer chronic health conditions in later life versus children without a history of cancer
* And worse still, around 200 kids in the UK lose their lives to Childhood Leukaemia every year. That's nearly 1 every single day!!

Here's the real kicker!!! Only around 2% of all Government cancer research funding is spent on research "fully dedicated" to childhood and young adult cancer. (estimated amount from data from NCRI, Cancer Research database, CaRD, 2018/19.

So, by doing this ride my objectives are to:

* Raise awareness of #childhoodleukaemia #childhoodcancer and #leukaemia in general
* Raise monies to fund much needed research and clinical trials into Paediatric Leukaemia
* Meet my daughter Liv on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday the 17th July having completed all 3,382km (an average of 160km each day) with the team in 4 different countries over 3 weeks and 21 stages

So, that's why In June 2022, I am joining former England and Crystal Palace footballer and leukaemia survivor, Geoff Thomas, to cycle the full Tour de France route one week ahead of the professionals.The Tour 21 will take place from Friday 24 June - Sunday 17 July and myself, alongside a team of 25 riders, will take on all 21 gruelling stages. One of the world's most grueling sporting challenges. As a team of 25 amateur cyclists, we are committed to raising £1,000,000 for the charity that helped save Geoff's life.

All funds raised from this event will be invested directly into the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) network which Cure Leukaemia will begin funding from January 2020 allowing them to open and run clinical trials for pioneering treatments for the disease. Patients from an increased catchment area of over 20 million people will have access, as a result, to potentially life-saving treatments.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and if you can help and support us by making a donation to this amazing charity and the work they do I would be eternally grateful. Much Love. Al...

In June 2023, I will be tackling The Tour 21 on behalf of Cure Leukaemia, alongside 24 amateur cyclists as we look to complete the full Tour de France route one week ahead of the professionals. Starting in Bilbao, The Tour 21 will take place from Friday 23 June - Sunday 16 July and will tackle all 21 gruelling stages and 3,500km of the Tour de France route - one of the world's most gruelling sporting challenges. This will see us pass through different countries, terrains and immense challenges - before finishing at the Champs-Élysées, Paris.