Charity Tour de France 2011 - Prostate Cancer Charity

welton

In September at 70 years young I am riding solo the complete Tour de France route for cycling based charities. This will be my second such challenge, the first in 2006 when I completed the course on my retirement at an average speed of over 25kph, with the best average of 32.95kph for Stage 8 Saint-Meen-le Grand to Lorient distance 181kms. I hope to equal or better those averages over this year's course, although there will be tougher mountain stages than in 2006.
I have chosen three charities ~ for the UK - The Prostate Cancer Charity (Tour of Britain supported charity), for France - Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque Enfants du Monde (Tour de France supported charity), and for the USA - World Bicycle Relief. Both the Tour of Britain and the Tour de France (ASO) have officially recognised and are supporting my challenge.
Details of the event may be found on my website http://www.charitytours.org and I should welcome followers on my Facebook and Twitter pages. Please visit the website, any comments or advice would be very much welcomed, as would of course, donations to the charities. Please help spread the word and keep spinning - thank you.

welton

Latest April news now posted on our website.
See the importance of regular testing for prostate cancer, particularly relating to cyclists.
Aid for Africa supporting the challenge.

welton

Training going to schedule and intense programme will start on 23 May. Cycled first over 100kms ride this week with average out 27.10 kph and overall 25.75 kph. Also getting some good speeds on the descents with 72.23 kph recorded so far. The up's are a bit more variable depending on were I am on the ride!

welton

New blog shortly on website to coincide with intense 12 week training programme. The programme worked out well in 2006, and was based on what I had learnt of others experiences, and read in Cycling Plus and several books. Anyone out their qualified to offer further advice please? A university sports science faculty was to have supported me - but guess what - funding withdrawn.
Keep spinning.

welton

New training blog now on my website, which hopefully will contain useful information for others involved in endurance/long distance cycling.
The 15 weeks intensive training has started well, albeit in high temperatures of 30C+.
Any comments or advice welcome.

welton

First week of specific training went well - results on new blog on website. However, succumbed to a bug/severe cold circulating in local village and missed first three days this week. First ride out yesterday felt good and made fastest time for the route, despite cold and windy after many weeks of 30+C. Today back to warm weather and four good hill climbs and feeling better.
Rebecca Ramsay is supporting the Tour - her website www.easycycling.com worth a visit.

welton

A good week with 290kms covered on the road and a further 70kms or so scheduled tomorrow. The latest blog update after tomorrows ride on our website - including the weekly summary.

A new auction page has been added to our website and Mark Beaumont has kindly donated the first item. Take a look to see what the item is.

We are stiil looking for a camping car/motorhome to rent at special rates. Anyone with a contact please.

Further supporter the Great East African Tour registered - see our sponsors and supporters page.

Keep spinning and we will all get there.

welton

An interesting weeks training but a problem with neck ache which comes after about 30/40 kms. Almost feels like a cramp but eleviated a bit by bending and stretching.

I mentioned Rebecca Ramsay and her easycycling site earlier - she has a weekly newsletter with some very interesting advice - I recommend signing up. Rebecca specialises in long endurance rides so will be of value to all undertaking tours and expeditions.

Also supporting my challenge is Lyn Eyb - her website www.freewheelingfrance.com provides everything you would wish to know about cycling in France.

Latest news will be on site in the next few days and my training blog is regularly updated and I hope of interest and encouragement to others.

Keep spinning folks

welton

My website is now updated with June News and latest blog. My ride is scheduled to start on 5 September and anyone cycling in France during that month might like to attend a stage? I will try and complete most stages each day, but on my 2006 ride, (later by a week), lack of daylight prevented me completing some of the mountain stages. Therefore, I took two days to ride them which probably helped me complete the course over my target time.
A provisional schedule will be published before the start in September, and we will be updating the blog and Tweeting each day.

welton

How about helping my challenge a solo Tour de France ride, by downloading a FREE TOUR POSTER (PDF format) from my website. By displaying the poster in as many places as possible, you will be helping to support awareness and raise funds for The Prostate Cancer Charity. Did you know that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men? All the more reason to help this cause.

Training is going well with more use of my heart rate monitor and cadence values. See blog and news items on the website.

We welcomed a new sponsor Sportique this week. This company produces a very wide range of sports embrocation products, all of which are natural and botanical.

Vive Le Tour.

welton

Only four weeks training to go and no real problems. I have come to realise the importance of recovery after three long daily rides, followed by a short quick ride on the fourth day. This resulted in aching legs and general tiredness. It would have been better to have a complete rest day. I have not done this before - so be warned do not overtrain for endurance events.
We have two more sponsors Sigma Bike Computers/Heart Rate Monitors, and TMC Chains supplying very lightweight but strong bicycle chains.
We have some more items on our website auction page, after the initial gift from Mark Beaumont of a signed copy of his book "The Man Who Cycled the World". The auction will be held on Ebay at the finish of the Tour.
I really do need some more followers on Twitter at http://twitter.com/robcharitybike ~ it would help me spread the word about prostate cancer awareness.
You can also post comments on my Facebook wall ~ http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/page ... 717?v=wall
Anything that you can do to help me in this challenge would be much appreciated. The work involved in running this project has taken me in excess of 2,340 hours over the last 18 months in administration and so far 6,713kms on the bike. ALL FOR VERY WORTHWHILE CYCLING RELATED CHARITIES RELYING HEAVILY ON OUR SUPPORT AS PARTICIPANTS IN THIS OUR FAVORITE PASTIME.

welton

Last week was not a good week for one and all, despite it being my 70th birthday.

However, the positives ~
1. Achieved a best time without too much effort over a familiar 115kms route by some 5mins.
2. Had an interview with Cycling Plus magazine with article due out in issue 254, which will help promote the challenge.
3. My wife passed her 10,000kms on her Trek WSD 1600, despite the rear derailleur cable breaking during the ride, and
4. All my training seems to be working well and achieving the intended degree of fitness.

The latest blog will be on my website by tomorrow - take a look to see what can go wrong with three bikes in one week.

welton

A very hot week training -all reported on the latest blog on my website. We recorded 38.5C (102F) in the shade over the weekend. Training in temperatures above 30C most of the week. A great way to loose 1kg in a day!
The latest addition to the online charity auction is a 2010 Tour of Britain jersey signed by Team Sky, including Greg Henderson who took 3rd place overall and won the PCC Points Classification and Bradley Wiggins. Will be shown on site soon.
Please don't forget that you can follow us on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook. These great social media sites have provided us with much encouragement and support worldwide.
You could also help by donating to our cycling related charities. All very easy online or by text. Every little will help me achieve my targets.

welton

A great deal happening and I would urge you to visit my website latest news item to see details of the various matters that arise when considering an endurance event. These include training, health and logistics.

A re-scheduled departure date is now 18 September and I will now probably start at Stage 10 Aurillac > Carmaux and finish at Stage 9 Issoire > Saint-Flour. This is to be able to complete the mountain stages in the Pyrenees and Alpes before bad weather sets in. We did a similar thing in 2006 and even then encountered snow at the summit of Galibier. As you will probably recall there was a snowfall the day before the Tour arrived this July!

To all you football fans we have a great auction prize currently on Ebay. This is a visit to Hampden Park courtesy of the Scottish FA. The visit is for 4 and includes a tour of the museum and the Hampden Park Stadium. See http://www.chapel-york.com/services/Ham ... rsion.html or visit the auction page of my website.

A regular update of progress will be on our website blog and there will also be updates on Facebook And Twitter.

If you would like to be included on our Email listing the please message us at saroanje@wanadoo.fr

I hope to update this thread just before departure but all relevant info. will be on our site.

welton

We have secured the use of a camping car as a support vehicle, courtesy of our family in the USA, so will be in 'luxury' for the 4 week trip. It all starts tomorrow when we proceed to Stage 10 ready to start on Monday. FOR LONG DISTANCE ENDURANCE RIDING, REST AND DIET ARE ALL IMPORTANT. If you are able to secure the use of a good support vehicle it can make all the difference.

Most of my training this summer has been in temperatures above 30C, but the forecast is for much cooler, autumnal weather. Care will have to be taken to wear the best clothing, and to warm up properly.

All the Michelin maps are marked out and we have the benefit of being provided with an official Tour de France Handbook 2011, which provides great detail of the race logistics and route.

Are you on Twitter? I need 25 followers to make a 100 - how about it, please follow?
http://twitter.com/robcharitybike

We will be celebrating our 46th wedding anniversary during the challenge and Sandra is going to attempt to climb ALPE-d'HUEZ - quite a feat for her she is determined.

Please follow my blog progress on our website and if you could advertise this solo endurance ride to your friends, colleagues and family - it would be great.

durhamwasp

Good luck!

Think i saw you in a cycling magazine recently?

welton

Yes - Cycling Plus current issue. Not seen it yet as it takes three weeks to arrive here. So will be something to read when we get back home. Ned Boulting kindly did a RT for me on Twitter this evening, resulting in lots more followers. Great, but it's now Sunday and I leave today - must get some sleep!
Thanks for the good wishes.

welton

Thank you CP for the article in issue 254 (Real Riders).

Now back home and de-training, a very important apsect of the whole undertaking.

It is a great privilege to have the time and health to undertake this sort of challenge. France is an ideal country in which to experience such a wide variety of riding in different surroundings and weather conditions. I really enjoy the mountains and this time had superb weather on all the climbs apart from Col du Pas de Peyrol (Le Puy Mary).
I have yet to find bad weather on Galbier and although it was cold, both climbs were in bright sunshine.

A summary of the ride should be on my website over the weekend and a full report in the next few weeks.

Still time to donate to The Prostate Cancer Charity (or one of the other two charities), so please help me reach my targets. Thanks folks.

welton

At last a full report of the 2011 Charity Tour de France ride on our website, together with photo album. Sorry it's taken so long but a house move in process, plus Sandra recovering from a nasty 'chute' when nearly hit by an overtaking driver from the opposite direction.
I hope you find the article interesting - any questions please ask.
Meanwhile, still seeking donations to meet our target. The Prostate Cancer Charity needs all our support.