La Time Megeve Mont Blanc ride

Assuming a suitable XXL size shirt can be found for me, a West Suffolk Wheelers jersey will be worn when I enter the Time Megeve Mont Blanc ride on 6 June. I'm aiming to ride is a minimum of 85km and hopefully 115km including at least 3 mountains that are used by the Tour de France, namely the Col des Aravis, Col de la Criox Fry & Crest Voland. The 115km option climbs 2,900 metres - Ben Nevis is only 1,344m and Hartest Hill is....let's just say Suffolk isn't the best training place for an Alpine ride!

I'm riding in memory of my late son Jack, who tragically died in his sleep days before his 18th birthday of a rare, undetected heart condition called Brugada Syndrome. Those who read ProCycling last month would have seen an article on Team Sky's French rider Nicolas Portal who, luckily, was discovered to carry a similar genetic problem and has lost a chunk of his career but not his life. Team Sky are working with the charity CRY to monitor the team, and I will be raising funds & awareness for CRY via my website

www.justgiving.com/roger-maddams

I would be very grateful if you could follow the link and hopefully feel able to donate to CRY via the site. If you could pass the message on to other cycling fans or family I would be very grateful. I shall wear the Wheelers jersey with pride as I honour Jack's memory. He was a hugely fit lad, in the England under 18 Schoolboys squad along with his Kent team mate Chris Smalling who has just signed for Manchester United from Fulham for mega bucks. He loved all sport including cycling - he rode with me and his elder brother from Gillingham where we lived to Sheerness in Kent (about 40 miles there & back) when he was about 5 on a little bike with stabilisers - all to support and ride alongside his big 8 year old brother who had to do a physical task for a Cub Scouts badge.

Thanks to all who've given me great fun, cameraderie and immense pleasure on the Sunday Cappuccino runs since I joined on a bitterly cold & snowy day in January.

Roger

Last Updated (Wednesday, 26 May 2010 20:05)