Geoff Thomas doesn’t notice the snow-capped mountains or rolling green hills surrounding him as he cycles through the Pyrenees and Alps. He sees only tarmac as his burning legs drive pedals round and round, taking him steadily closer to another gruelling day.
He wakes every morning on his Tour de France charity rides with hours of pain ahead of him, and regrets the time he spends away from home. But he knows it’s why his five fundraisers have raised so much, both in money and attention. “If you try to do a 10-mile walk, you’re not going to get any kudos,” he says.
After five tours, or over 10,000 miles, Thomas decided enough was enough. He’d raised millions of pounds for Cure Leukaemia and would have to further that in another way next time. He wouldn’t face the ride again.