On June 6 I'm heading for the famous rolling hills of Tuscany to ride 500 kilometres over five amazing days in the company of rugby league legends to raise funds for a very special cause.

In the last few years the RL Cares Brain Health Fund has provided dozens of players - and their families - with help and support around conditions such as memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Some of the players will undoubtedly be struggling with cognitive impairment from their days playing the amazing, tough sport we all love; others are simply unfortunate to be suffering with conditions that are growing more common across our aging population.

The money we raise will also go towards funding support for seriously injured players through the auspices of the RL Benevolent Fund, another incredible charity that does so much good work.

Since 2017, I've led and helped organise every fundraising bike ride for RL Cares, and in that time we've raised more than £150,000, a huge sum which has made an important difference to the lives of so many of the sport's heroes.

This year for Ciclo Italiano, we're again joined by my fellow RL Lions Adrian Morley and Nathan McAvoy, as well as ex-players Matt Diskin and James Elston, plus a great group of hardy fundraisers, all of who are going to find their fitness tested to the full!

Tuscany is one of the hilliest regions in Italy - 66 per cent is covered in rolling hills, 25 per cent is mountainous and only a small portion (about 8.4 per cent) is flat - we spend little time on the flat! As I'll be constantly reminding my fellow riders - if it's not hurting, it's not doing you good!

Our circular route takes us through some stunning scenery and iconic Italian locations, including Florence, Chianti, Arezzo, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Siena and, of course, Pisa, the start and finish point of Ciclo Italiano.

Please show your support for rugby league's hurting heroes by sponsoring me on this literally life-changing ride - all donations, big or small, really will make a difference.

Grazie mille amici miei