Have you ever fancied riding the Tour de France? Maybe you'd prefer it if you had a charitable headstart against the pro's...
Tour de Force provides cyclists a unique chance to cycle multiple stages of next year’s Tour route, one week ahead of the pros, including Mont Ventoux, Pyrenees, Bern and the Etape stage - and just one week later you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the buzz of watching the pros cycle exactly the same roads on TV.
Whatever stage you choose, on or all, the 200+ cyclists who sign up do so in the knowledge that they all make a significant contribution to the William Wates Memorial Trust (WWMT), a charity whose mission is to help disadvantaged young people keep away from a life of crime and violence and fulfil their potential.
All monies raised by participants and their supporters go to the WWMT which gives grants to charities that engage young people through sport, arts and education. This year’s overall Tour de Force fundraising target is a further £500,000.
Rick Wates, of the WWMT, said: “The Tour de Force has been a fantastic fundraiser over the last 10 years and that’s all down to the commitment of everyone involved, no one more so than the riders.
To date the Tour de Force has helped the charity support other causes to the tune of £2.5m. The Trust, established in 1998, was set up by the family of William Wates, a young man tragically killed whilst travelling in South America in his gap year."
Highlights of next year’s Tour de France route include stage 12’s Mont Ventoux, the visits to Andorra in the Pyrenees and Bern in Switzerland, as well as the Etape stage (20).
The race is on for cyclists of all abilities and experience to sign up to enjoy the journey of a lifetime and pit themselves against the greatest sporting test in the world – the Tour de France.
Tracy Norris, event organiser for Tour de Force, said: “The Tour de Force is a phenomenal opportunity for anyone to do something truly extraordinary in a fun, friendly, inclusive and supportive environment.
“The recent Tour de France route announcement followed by the unveiling of our own Tour Tasters for next year has only added to that excitement and we expect the level of interest to increase further over the next couple of weeks."
Places are now on sale for this year’s “Tour de Force”, a unique event which sees brave cyclists take on some or all 21 stages of the 2016 Tour de France route next June and July, seven days ahead of the professionals.
While only a few lucky Tour De Force “Lifers” take on the entire route, the event’s popularity lies in the variety of different “Tour Tasters” it offers, with nine different sets of stages of the world-famous tour available to choose from as announced last month.
Tour Tasters packages are now available via www.tourdeforce.org.uk.
