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For one week in July this year I will be taking on that ultimate of sporting events...the TOUR DE FRANCE!!!

From 10th - 16th July I will be completing stages 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20, the Grand Finale of the 2012 Tour route, with two high mountain stages, two flat stages and a rolling rural stage. During those 5 days I’ll (hopefully) cycle from the Pyrenees to Paris via Brive and Chartres, where the drama of the high mountains on Stage 16 (where I will gain 4.4km of altitude on just that one day) will be equally matched by the excitement of arriving on the Champs Elysées on Stage 20, having ridden 790km...in just 5 days on the saddle (sponsorship requests to fit in a cheeky 10km extra loop to roll over the 800km mark will be considered too)!

Here's a quick overview of exactly what I can expect in July...but there is also a lot more information on both the WWMT (and the Tour de Force 2012 ride in general) via the below links.

Stage 16, which is the second Etape du Tour (yes, some people take on "just" this one stage as cycle challenge enough!), is as big as they come. Taking in the climbs that make up what is affectionately known as the Circle of Death (excellent!), you will rarely have an opportunity to ride as many iconic climbs in one (long) day. The Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde form one 197km long string of the Best of the Pyrenees. The descent down into Luchon at the end will be a moment of grace indeed!

Stage 17, is not quite as tough, and a good deal shorter, but will still require some painful efforts. The almost circular route begins with the Col de Menté. Another climb steeped in Tour history, this sets the mood of the day as we will be thinking about the Port de Bales ahead. This was where Andy Schleck ‘dropped’ his chain at a critical moment in the race last year: A stunning climb whose brutality is matched by its beauty. The new uphill finish at Peyragudes, just above the Col de Peyresourde, will provide the perfect setting for the Final Shoot-out of Le Tour. It will be a true landmark of achievement for all Tour de Force riders too!

Stage 18, starting near Toulouse and ending in the Dordogne area, will give all riders time to reflect on what they will have been through in the mountains. At 215 km it is another of the longest stages but will be generally flat until we approach the Lot and Dordogne regions. More superb scenery served up in style and a chance to wave a fond farewell to the South.

Stage 19, being a time-trial stage, is short at 52kms. Quiet roads in wide open countryside provide the setting for a perfect gentle ride into Chartres, where there might even be time for some sight- seeing.

We will set out from Chartres for Stage 20, taking a different route from Le Tour. In order to keep a similar mileage but avoid the busy roads of the capital, we will cycle all the way from Chartres, passing Le Tour’s stage start of Rambouillet and ending with one (rather than eight) laps of the monuments of Paris and the Champs Elysees. Here we will establish our own official finish line which will be just the beginning of long, long celebrations!

Thank you for your support and please give generously. I rarely ask for sponsorship for any of the sporting events that I take part in, but this is such a truly a one-off event in terms of scale and difficulty that I do hope you will see the challenge well worthy of sponsorship. There will undoubtedly be numerous times during that week in July (almost certainly on that first day even) where I'll just want to drop from the bike and give into 'le bonk', but to have the thought in the back of my mind of all the good that your hard-earned fundraising will be able to do for those young people that are supported by the WWMT, just that thought is what I hope to drive me on, to get to the next hairpin, to reach the next col, to finish that day of riding and ultimately to reach Paris!

Donating through this page is simple, quick and secure. It is the most efficient way to give – so every donation goes further – and if you are a UK taxpayer and give Gift Aid consent you will boost your donation.

Kieran