4004km, 47,895m, 22 days - 1 rest day, how hard can it be?
Giro d'Willtalia
This year, 5 intrepid friends are embarking on a mission to complete their third and final of the Grand Tours having cycled over 5,850km in 2018 over 24 days recreating the 1968 Tour de France. They followed up with the Tour of Spain in 2022 at 3,200km in 18 days with no rest days.
They are now setting out to complete the Giro d'Italia of the same year, all for the same amazing causes.
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We are aiming to raise £20,000 for Cancer Research UK, Herts Young Homeless and Harrison’s Fund, a charity set up by Will's cousin Alex Smith for his son. Young Harrison has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the charity will help fund research into cures.
The Challenge
The team consists of five core riders who will be taking on this gruelling challenge:
Will Jackson-Moore, James Lumpkin, Scott Burgess, Andy Carson and Simon Abrahams will cycle over 4,000km in 22 days and climb nearly 48,000m with just 1 rest day from August 1 -25 recreating the 1968 Giro route from the year Will was born.
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People (including former Professional riders) question if this sort of distance can be completed in the same number of days with only 1 rest day, it will take more than hills and distance to stop us. You can join our Strava club at the link below to keep track of our ride.
sports therapist, masseur and bike fitter
The Support
Keeping bodies and more specifically our teams legs going will be Scott Cornish, an experienced sports therapist, masseur and bike fitter - Perform Unbound based out of Chamonix. Scott is an endurance cyclist himself, so knows all about the pains and aches the team will endure. He worked his magic with us in the TdW and he is on board again this time.
Thanks Scott!!
The Charities
We are supporting three charities with a focus on causes that have impacted Will's and many other families.
'With the funds raised from Tour de Will in 2018, we were able to part-fund an exciting study looking at the effects of Carmaseal on people with Duchenne. It used to be the case that children and young people with Duchenne would die from respiratory failure. This is now better managed by steroid use and heart failure is now the primary cause of death in the Duchenne community. Carmaseal is showing positive results in improving heart function and reducing fibrosis in the heart and lung cells. Phase II clinical trials are currently underway and we hope that it will continue to see good results. It's an exciting potential treatment that could help all those with Duchenne. Thank you to Will and his team mates for not only completing their amazing challenge in 2018, but for getting back on their bikes this Summer to help us continue our Duchenne research programme. Good luck to you all!'
Alex Smith, Founder and CEO of Harrison's Fund
"......Our vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. In the 1970s fewer than a quarter of people with cancer survived. During the last 40 years survival has doubled and today half will survive their diagnosis. Our ambition is to accelerate progress and see three quarters of all those diagnosed surviving cancer within the next 20 years.
With the help of people like Will we are moving closer to that vision every day. Together, we are beating cancer........."
Richard Taylor, CRUK
We’re delighted that the Giro Italia cyclists have chosen to support Herts Young Homeless and send them strength and huge encouragement to tackle this incredible challenge.
What does home mean to you?
Somewhere warm and relaxing, often living with those closest to you, food on the table and maybe even a friendly pet?
Many young people across Hertfordshire are living without safe and stable accommodation. Depressed, isolated and deeply worried, they may have nowhere and no-one to turn to. Frequently hidden homeless, they’re often sofa-surfing, moving around between friends or living in cars or tents.
Within Hertfordshire, the number of young people presenting to their local council as homeless has risen by 13% within the last year. Nationally, the figure grows to 118,134. That’s one young person becoming homeless every 4 minutes; facing uncertainty and fear.
Over half of rough sleepers first became homeless as teenagers. The biggest reason for youth homelessness is family breakdown. That’s why, at Herts Young Homeless, we have a big focus on preventing homelessness in the first instance as well as preventing repeat homelessness. Our mission is to break the cycle of homelessness through education, advice and support. Our focus is on empowering young people to make positive informed choices enabling them to positively look to the future. Our expert and big-hearted team work closely with young people from the ages of 10 to 24 to give them the confidence to move forward in their lives, achieving many positive outcomes and together creating brighter futures.
Thank you for your generosity. Your donation will enable us to continue to run our vital services, being there for young people when they need it the most.
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Caroline Neill, Head of Fundraising and Communications