Bonjour, thanks for taking the time to visit my Etape du Tour JustGiving page.

For years I've watched the Tour de France in absolute amazement at the challenge these guys face, day-in, day-out, especially in the gruelling mountain stages. So in a moment of madness back in October I signed up for the Etape du Tour on Sunday 10th July 2016 - an opportunity for mere mortals like me, to have a go at one of the key mountain stages. 

This year it's 146km (90 miles) from Megeve to Morzine, climbing the famous Col de la Colombiere and the hors categorie summit of the Col de Joux Plane. For info, check out http://www.letapedutour.com/us/race/route.

Unbelievably it's less than 10 weeks to go! The training is in full swing (almost!). Will I make it? Let's hope so. 

I've decided to support the Rainbow Trust, now in its 30th Anniversary Year, and a charity I've supported in the past - these guys do a fantastic job providing emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. Your donations can help in the following ways:

- £24 is an hour of support from a Family Support Worker- £154 transports a whole family to and from a hospital appointment in a Rainbow Trust vehicle - £1650 covers the cost of a year’s support for one family caring for a seriously ill child.

Hopefully my pain (and of course fun!) can go some way to helping other families in need and less fortunate.

So here goes. Move over Chris Froome & Geraint Thomas!

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.