This year, I’m taking on (probably) my biggest cycling challenge yet – all in support of Maggie’s Centres Scotland.

My club, Montvelo Cycling Club, is proudly supporting Maggie’s this year, with members taking on their own personal challenges to raise funds for this incredible charity. This is mine.

I’ll be tackling L’Étape du Tour 2025 – a gruelling 131km route from Albertville to La Plagne, packing in over 4,500 metres of climbing in a single day. It includes some of the most iconic and brutal climbs in the Alps: the Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugine, Col des Saisies, Col du Pré, Cormet de Roselend, and the beastly summit finish at La Plagne.

That final climb? A relentless 19km at an average of 7.2% – the kind of effort that makes you question your life choices.

For someone built more like a truck than a mountain goat, this will be a real test. I’m far more comfortable on flat roads with a tailwind and a pie stop but I’m doing this to help Maggie’s continue their life-changing work supporting people with cancer across Scotland.

If you’d like to support me (and help push me up those hills), please consider donating. Every donation goes directly to Maggie’s and makes a real difference.