GM Fundraising is launching Rome 2 Home which will take place in June 2010, with support by Business Micros. To add a little spice to the event, the riders will be tasked with
Mont Ventoux, one of the Tour de France's most feared climbs.
This is the fourth cycling challenge for the charity in the last five years, and there's been no drop in interest from prospective riders or sponsors, as chairman Gary Morton pointed out: "The cycling challenges have really captured the imagination of everyone. They've brought in over £175,000 direct to the charity and the riders and support crew have individually achieved something quite special."
Rome 2 Home will take riders from the Italian capital through the southern Alps and over Mont Ventoux. This is a 16-mile, 6000ft uphill summit climb that's often used as the major stage in the Tour de France. Even multiple winner Lance Armstrong has never won a stage on the Ventoux, a mountain in Provence that experiences considerable heat and high winds even in the summer.
Once the riders and crew have tackled Mont Ventoux, they will carry on up through France, over the ferry and to Hope House Children's Hospice in Oswestry, for a finishing reception in the town with the kids, staff, families and friends.
Gary concluded: "We are once again asking the industry to dig deep, as much as the riders will be during the nine days you can donate via
Just Giving. Everyone will be pushed to their limits and that includes the support crew. While the mileage may be lower than the USA adventure, the individual days will be harder.
Finally a massive thanks to Graeme Bailey and everyone at
Business Micros for supporting the event, without their commitment it would have been incredibly difficult to get it off the ground."
